Neutral silver clusters, Ag(n), were studied using density functional theory (DFT) followed by high level coupled cluster CCSD(T) calculations to determine the low energy isomers for each cluster size for small clusters. The normalized atomization energy, heats of formation, and average bond lengths were calculated for each of the different isomeric forms of the silver clusters. For n = 2-6, the preferred geometry is planar, and the larger n = 7-8 clusters prefer higher symmetry, three-dimensional geometries. The low spin state is predicted to be the ground state for every cluster size. A number of new low energy isomers for the heptamer and octamer were found. Additional larger Ag(n) structures, n < 100, were initially optimized using a tree growth-hybrid genetic algorithm with an embedded atom method (EAM) potential. For n ≤ 20, DFT was used to optimize the geometries. DFT with benchmarked functionals were used to predict that the normalized atomization energies ((AE)s) for Ag(n) start to converge slowly to the bulk at n = 55. The (AE) for Ag99 is predicted to be ~50 kcal/mol.


Medium/low secure units occupy a central role in forensic mental health care, bridging high secure and community services. Although outcomes, assessed in terms of readmission and identified reoffending, have been evaluated, little research exploring processes underlying attempted rehabilitation for offenders diagnosed as having mental health problems has been undertaken. The present qualitative study built upon previous research completed in a northern England medium/low secure forensic mental health care institution for adults with learning disabilities (Heyman et al. 2002a,b). It was carried out in a medium/low secure forensic mental health care Unit located in London. In phase one, 43 staff, including general managers, doctors, nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists were interviewed about their philosophy of care, views about risk management for forensic mental health patients and perceptions of the Unit. In phase two, 10 case studies of patients were undertaken. As far as possible, patients were interviewed twice over a period of 11‐20 months, and staff were asked about their progress. Two case conferences were observed. Data were analysed using the metaphorical concept of a rehabilitative risk escalator around three themes carried forward from the previous study: organisational issues; patient active risk management; and multiprofessional collaboration.


Indium phosphide quantum dots (QDs) represent promising replacements for more toxic QDs, but InP QD production lags behind other QD materials due to limited understanding of how to tune InP QD growth. We carry out a first-principles, computational screen of the tuning of In carboxylate precursor chemistry to alter the kinetics of elementary steps in InP QD growth. We employ a large database normally used for discovery of therapeutic drug-like molecules to discover design rules for these inorganic complexes while maintaining realism (i.e., stable, synthetically accessible substituents) and providing diversity in a 210-molecule test set. We show the In–O bond cleavage energy, which is tuned through ligand functionalization, to be a useful proxy for In–P bond formation energetics in InP QD synthesis. Energy decomposition analysis on a 32-molecule subset reveals that lower activation energies correlate to later transition states, due to stabilization from greater In–P bond formation and more favorable reactio...


Today, stalked company is defined as an industrial.
Technologies are developed and refined, and this leads to
innovation in the field of environmental protection and
logistics. Environmental protection as a concept is quite
lengthy and includes several areas. This article deals with the
life cycle of materials technology at cutting water jet from
the award of the contract to the finished product.


Password authentication is a common approach to the system security and it is also a very important procedure to gain access to user resources. In the conventional password authentication methods a server has to authenticate the legitimate user. In our proposed method users can freely choose their passwords from a defined character set or they can use a graphical image as password and that input will be normalized. Neural networks have been used recently for password authentication in order to overcome pitfall of traditional password authentication methods. In this paper we proposed a method for password authentication using alphanumeric password and graphical password. We used Back Propagation algorithm for both alphanumeric (Text) and graphical password by which the level of security can be enhanced. This paper along with test results show that converting user password in to Probabilistic values enhances the security of the system


We discuss a new opportunity of using Z-pinch plasma radiation sources for generating Ar K-shell radiation and harder keV quanta. Our approach to keV X-ray generation is based upon an analogy with laser fusion, where the imploding shell compressionally heats the low-density inner mass. The suggested design of a Z-pinch load consists then of one or two heavy outer shell(s) with a lower mass on-axis fill (i.e., central gas jet) producing most of the radiation. The outer shell is not supposed to radiate and thus does not need to have high specific energy characterized by the large /spl eta/ parameter (Whitney et al., 1990). Thus, the heavy outer shell does not need to have a very large initial diameter for its implosion to be matched to the long-pulse current driver. Rather, we want to have a large amount of energy from the driver coupled to this shell by the moment when the shell collides with the low-density fill and eventually converts much of this energy to the thermal energy of the on-axis plasma. This configuration is investigated numerically in the framework of a one-dimensional radiation-magneto-hydrodynamics model for the case of Ar K-shell radiators. It is demonstrated that the Ar fill is heated in two stages. The first stage corresponds to the shock heating and thermal conduction in an initially low-density fill, and it allows preheating the fill while avoiding significant losses in soft radiation. The fill radiator is then compressed quasi-adiabatically and is heated-up to the temperature optimum for K-shell quanta generation. Diffusion of the driving magnetic field is shown to always suppress the conductive heat losses from the hot on-axis plasma to the cold outer shell. Absorption of the K-lines emitted near the axis in the surrounding plasma could be avoided by filling the outer shell with a different gas (like N-on-Ar), which allows a substantial increase in the observed keV X-ray radiation yields.


This is a sociolinguistic study investigating African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) in Muncie, Indian, known as America's "Middletown". The goal of the study is to examine whether Muncie AAVE was diverging from or converging with White Vernacular English (WVE) from 1980-1993. The anylysis focused on 23 synatactic and 5 phonological features collected from interviews of 32 African-American subjects. Equally divided into two groups of 1980 and 1993, the subjects consisted of both young and elderly. Therefore, both real-time and apparent-time data of Muncie AAVE could be compared and analysed. The results show that the 1993 subjects used these linguistic features less frequently. The findings based on time-depth data in this study contradict the claim that AAVE is diverging from WVE on a national level.


This thesis consists of three self-contained essays dealing with different aspects of macroeconomics and political Economy.The Relative Price of Investment Goods and Sectoral Contract DependenceI develop a quantitative model to explain the relationship between TFPs at the aggregate and sector levels and contracting institutions across countries. The incomplete contract enforcement induces distortions in the production process which come from the "hold up" problem between a final goods firm and its suppliers. Because investment goods sector is more contract dependent, its productivity suffers more from the distortion. In turn, countries endowed with weaker contract enforcement institutions face higher relative prices of investment goods.A Ricardian Model of the Labor Market with Directed SearchI analyze how search friction affects the allocation in a Ricardian model of the labor market. The equilibrium shows that the matching pattern is partially mixed: Some tasks are only performed by skilled workers; some are only performed by unskilled workers; the remaining tasks are performed by both skilled and unskilled workers. The mixed matching pattern implies a mismatch in equilibrium. It turns out that the reason for the mismatch has its roots in search friction. In addition, I show labor market institutions have interesting implications for the unemployment rate and mismatch.A Dynamic Analysis of the Free-rider ProblemI argue that special interest groups overcome their free-rider problem thanks to distorted government policy. As policy confers monopoly privileges on a group, it can also preserve and promote group's organization. The key to sustaining the organization of the group is a dynamic incentive: when distorted policy generates rents for a group, each member of the group wish to make contributions not just to raise their rents today; they want to sustain their cooperation so that they will be able to influence policy in the future.


The modern health care landscape is increasingly hard to capture in regulation and difficult to control by supervision agencies since, due to technological innovation and societal developments, new products and new health risks often emerge that extant regulation does not cover adequately. To counteract potentially harmful conduct, supervision agencies may frequently apply pressure on regulatees through regulatory conversations or negative publicity, even if their conduct may be legal. In this paper we provide context for such interventions beyond the law, outline the broad range of such interventions and discuss their efficacy and legitimacy. We recommend that relevant stakeholders engage in a dialogue that may result in institutional guidelines for supervision agencies on informal supervision practices and interventions beyond the law.


High performance RF and baseband building blocks for wireless receivers (May 2006) Faramarz Bahmani Chair of Advisory Committee: Edgar Sanchez-Sinencio Because of the unique architecture of wireless receivers, a designer must understand both the high frequency aspects as well as the low-frequency analog considerations for different building blocks of the receiver. The primary goal of this research work is to explore techniques for implementing high performance RF and baseband building blocks for wireless applications. Several novel techniques to improve the performance of analog building blocks are presented. An enhanced technique to couple two LC resonators is presented which does not degrade the loaded quality factor of the resonators which results in an increased dynamic range. A novel technique to automatically tune the quality factor of LC resonators is presented. The proposed scheme is stable and fast and allows programming both the quality factor and amplitude response of the LC filter. To keep the oscillation amplitude of LC VCOs constant and thus achieving a minimum phase noise and a reliable startup, a stable amplitude control loop is presented. The proposed scheme has been also used in a master-slave quality factor tuning of LC filters. An efficient and low-cost architecture for a 3.1GHz-10.6GHz ultra-wide band frequency synthesizer is presented. The proposed scheme is capable of generating 14A novel pseudo-differential transconductance amplifier is presented. The proposed scheme takes advantage of the second-order harmonic available at the output current of pseudo-differential structure to cancel the third-order harmonic distortion. A novel nonlinear function is proposed which inherently removes the third and the fifth order harmonics at its output signal. The proposed nonlinear block is used in a bandpass-based oscillator to generate a highly linear sinusoidal output. Finally, a linearized BiCMOS transconductance amplifier is presented. This transconductance is used to build a third-order linear phase low pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 264MHz for an ultrawide band receiver. carrier frequencies.


Background Selective genotyping has been proven to be an effective design for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL), either by linkage or by allelic association, wherein the individual trait values can be used as the indices for phenotype selection. It has also been proposed that association studies of dichotomous traits can benefit from such design. When there is no quantitative measurement for phenotype available, cases and/or controls having extreme discordant phenotypes (EDP) can still be selected, based on their exposure status to a drug toxicity or environmental risk factor. The advantage of EDP design is intuitive and it has been successfully used in a number of studies. Methods In this report, we developed a statistical method to calculate the power of EDP methodology, using a mixture model of genotype-specific distributions of a single biallelic susceptibility locus. We also compared the power of three statistical tests commonly used in association studies – including the χ2 test of allelic frequencies, the χ2 test of genotype frequencies, and the Armitage trend test. The power of two different EDP designs was evaluated under a range of scenarios. Results and conclusion Our results indicate that the χ2 test of genotype frequency is a robust, though less powerful, test for single-locus association, and that EDP methodology is a powerful design for genetic association studies – especially those of common diseases caused by quantifiable drug toxicity or environmental risk factors.


Modulation of brain arteriole diameter is critical for maintenance of cerebral blood pressure and control of hyperemia during regional neural activity. However, studies of hemodynamic function in health and disease have lacked a method to control and monitor blood flow with high spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we describe a new all-optical approach to precisely control and monitor arteriolar contractility in vivo using combined two-photon optogenetics and imaging. The expression of the excitatory opsin, ReaChR, in vascular smooth muscle cells enabled rapid and repeated vasoconstriction following brief light pulses. Targeted two-photon activation of ReaCHR using a spatial light modulator (SLM) produced highly localized constrictions when targeted to individual arteries within the neocortex. We demonstrate the utility of this method for examining arteriole contractile dynamics and creating transient blood flow reductions. Additionally, we show that optogenetic constriction can offset or completely block sensory stimulus evoked vasodilation, providing a valuable tool to dissociate blood flow changes from neural activity.


In the Internet of Things, it is important to detect the various relations among objects for mining useful knowledge. Existing works on relation detection are based on centralized processing, which is not suitable for the Internet of Things owing to the unavailability of a server, one-point failure, computation bottleneck, and moving of objects. In this paper, we propose a distributed approach to detect relations among objects. We first build a system model for this problem that supports generic forms of relations and both physical time and logical time. Based on this, we design the Distributed Relation Detection Approach (DRDA), which utilizes a distributed spanning tree to detect relations using in-network processing. DRDA can coordinate the distributed tree-building process of objects and automatically change the depth of the routing tree to a proper value. Optimization among multiple relation detection tasks is also considered. Extensive simulations were performed and the results show that the proposed approach outperforms existing approaches in terms of the energy consumption.


Aim In paediatric pharmacy a wide range of medications are used, which are often not available in formulations suitable for children. We wanted to design a tool that would enhance our patients' experience of medication taking as well as improving accessibility to medicines, palatability and ease of administration. Method The European Medicines Agency advises that 'for chronic diseases, the acceptability of tablets in children may be improved by adequate training'. 1 Among others a study has shown that almost half of two year olds could swallow a 3 mm tablet, increasing to 85% in 5 year olds. 2 A leaflet was suggested as the best way to teach our patients and their parents how to swallow tablets as it could be widely distributed. It was developed with a working group of paediatric clinical psychologists and a paediatric pharmacist. The leaflet aims to be encouraging and provide practical tips and advice. It offers seven different techniques for swallowing tablets which were adapted from web-based advice and previous cases. The leaflet was piloted in a small number of patients and they were given a questionnaire. Results Ten questionnaires were returned, with patients' ages ranging from 5 to 17. All the patients said that they would now be taking all or some of their medication as tablets. All of the techniques were tried by 2 or more patients and each technique was successful for at least 1 child. The most popular method was the 'big gulp method' which worked for 8 patients. This involves swirling the tablet around the mouth for 10 s with as much water as possible and then taking a large gulp until all the water and the tablet have gone. Positive feedback for the leaflet included 'feels grown up being able to take a tablet', taking tablets is 'easier' and 'quicker'; one patient wished they had been given the leaflet sooner. Parents also fed back that 'there was no longer a fight to take medicines' and 'it's much easier for school to manage'. Conclusion The findings have shown that this is a very successful and useful tool. It allows children and their families to take ownership of their medicine taking. To enable more patients to benefit, further engagement from multidisciplinary teams e.g. play specialists, is needed. In the long-term this leaflet could be used to proactively start patients on tablets rather than reactively, creating potential cost savings and a reduction in the use of unlicensed medicines and specials. References European Medicines Agency. Guideline on pharmaceutical development of medicines for paediatric use 2013. http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Scientific_guideline/2013/07/WC500147002.pdf [Accessed: 28 July 2016]. Thomson SA, Tuleu C, Wong ICK, et al. Minitablets: New modality to deliver medicines to preschool-aged children. Paediatrics2009;123(2):235–238.


The advent of checkpoint immunotherapy has revolutionised the treatment of solid cancers, resulting in durable responses in a number of patients. However the majority of patients do not respond to treatment, underscoring the need to better understand the mechanisms that underlie the immunological response to cancer. T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis and immune checkpoint mapping are powerful tools to study the anti-tumoural immune response. This thesis explores the TCR repertoire and immune checkpoint landscape in muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and metastatic melanoma. In patients with MIBC, immune checkpoint mapping and TCR repertoire analysis revealed similarities between lymphocytes in the urine and bladder tumour microenvironment. Urine-derived lymphocytes may therefore provide a non-invasive immune biomarker to track the evolution of the immune landscape in MIBC. The lung TRACERx study is a prospective study exploring the cancer genome evolution of early stage NSCLC. The TCR repertoire of multi-region tumour specimens was found to be distinct to non-tumour lung and PBMC. TCR repertoire heterogeneity amongst TCRs preferentially expanded in the tumour, was correlated to intratumoural genomic heterogeneity. Intratumoural TCR expansion enriched for a tumour reactive T cell phenotype. These observations suggest a dynamic intra-tumoural T cell response related to the mutational landscape of NSCLC. The immune checkpoint landscape of treatment naive and anti-PD-1 treated metastatic melanoma patients was assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry. The checkpoint phenotype of PD-1 expressing tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in treatment naive samples was heterogeneous. Drug bound effector TILs in anti-PD-1 treated melanoma co-expressed multiple immune checkpoint molecules that may have contributed to treatment resistance. Immune checkpoint mapping of CD8+ and CD4+FoxP3- cells and CD4+FoxP3+ (regulatory T cells) revealed differences in the expression level and frequencies of key co-inhibitory and co-stimulatory molecules. TCR repertoire analysis and T cell immune checkpoint mapping provide valuable and complementary tools for analysis of the immune response to solid cancers.


The data of temperature and humidity inside and outside the building is important forbuilding energy consumption analysis. Obtaining, storing and monitoring these data in a timely, accurate
and efficient way is of great significance for reducing energy consumption of buildings and achieving sustainable development.The temperature and humidity data collected through the Wireless Sensor Network (WSNs)based on the ZigBee protocol is stored in the SQLCE embedded database of the base station.A remote user is connected to the base station to obtain data. To realize the real-time communication, Internet communication is the most efficient way. Therefore we developed a wireless sensor network remote monitoring system based on Socket network programming. The research group developed a wireless sensor network system as the
hardware platform under theVisual Studio 2005 development environment. They combined the technology development of embedded database SQLCE with Sockets socket. C# programming language is utilized to achieve real-time display of wireless sensor network data remote computer storage and query functions. This research has important practical significance for real-time data sharing based on wireless sensor network technology. Furthermore, it can reduce building energy consumption and broaden the application areas of wireless sensor networks as well.


Yersinia enterocolitica is a psychotropic bacterium, well known for its potential to cause diarrhea in all age group including pediatric age group. In spite of several documented incidences of Yersinia enterocolitica induced diarrheal outbreaks throughout the globe, awareness about this pathogen is considerably less even among the specialists and to the best of my knowledge themicrobiological laboratories are currently not providing laboratory diagnosis of the pathogen in the diarrhea workup of a patient. This article is written to provide an update regarding Yersinia enterocolitica emphasizing its clinical significance as a diarrhea causing pathogen.


In view of importance the cutting time, it is considered one of the most important factors in different machining processes where it affects production time, cycle time, and product cost consequently. This research aims to build up a system for computing cutting time in turning operations from AutoCAD drawings. The proposed system has been built using Visual Basic programming language and interfacing it with AutoCAD by Visual Basic for Application (VBA) Technique. The system is able to compute cutting time from the drawings according to the color of each solid entity; these colors were defined previously in the system. They are related to the type of turning operation (external, internal, and facing turning operations) as well as the rough and finish machining operations. The system was examined with two models, and it was accurate and efficient. It is possible consideration the proposed system step toward the integration between CAPP/CAM systems.


Background: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin disease. Its incidence around the world has increased dramatically over the past several decades. A multi-factorial etiology is postulated, with genetic, immunological and environmental factors all thought to be relevant to the pathogenesis. Objective: To assess the effect of breastfeeding, solid food introduction to the infant's diet, and other confounders on the development of atopic dermatitis. Methods: Two hundred and forty children between 2 to 6 years were enrolled in this case control study in Baghdad, comprised of 60 children with atopic dermatitis and 180 children free from atopic dermatitis of the same age, sex and ethnicity as a control. Data collection had been done by an interview using a questionnaire form designed by the investigators. Diagnosis of atopic dermatitis was made according to the Haninfin and Rajka's diagnostic criteria. Results: This study showed a significant difference between case and control groups regarding the presence of family history of atopy among child's parents. The frequency of children with positive history of animal contact differs significantly between patients and control groups. No significant association was detected between atopic dermatitis and positive breastfeeding history. However, the relation between atopic dermatitis and breastfeeding is duration dependent, the percentage of infants with short exclusive breastfeeding was higher among control group (85.3%) as compared to (58.1%) in the case group. While, with prolong breastfeeding more than 6 months the reverse was found. Early supplement feeding increased the rate of atopic dermatitis, there was more infants with atopic dermatitis when solid food introduced at the age of 4 months, this was statistically significant (P=0.023). Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is effective in reducing atopic dermatitis. On the other hand, prolonging exclusive breastfeeding and postponing the introduction of solid foods for over 6 months is not helpful in prevention of atopic dermatitis.


We compared time spent at cleaning stations and ectoparasite loads for adult and subadult yellowtail damselfish Microspathodon chrysurus on nearshore fringing reefs in Barbados. In a preliminary study on 2 reefs in summer 1997, both time spent at cleaning stations and frequency of chafing were inversely correlated with distance from shore. A subsequent study in spring 1998 of fish at the shore- and seaward ends of 8 reefs revealed a strong sex by habitat association, with males predominating at the seaward end and females predominating at the shore end. Females and combined fish at the shore end of reefs had access to fewer cleaners but spent more time visiting cleaners than males and combined fish at the seaward end of reefs. Chafing showed the same relative difference but was not significant. Ectoparasites included gnathiid isopod larvae, parasitic copepods, and dactylogyrid monogeneans. Total crustacean loads, but not monogenean loads, increased with body size. With the effects of body size statistically removed, crustacean loads were significantly higher in females and fish at the shore end of reefs. Monogeneans showed a similar but marginally non-significant trend. These data indicate an association between ectoparasite loads and amount of time spent at cleaners, and thus appear consistent with adaptive, mutualistic hypotheses of client-cleaner interactions. However, the causal relationships between them, habitat, and sex remain to be determined.


The term settler-colonialism has recently gained traction among scholars of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict who use it to address all forms of Zionist ideology and practices. This article, however, benefits from a conceptual distinction between colonial and settler-colonial Zionist policies when assessing the first two decades of Israel's existence. During this period, Palestinian-Arabs who remained within the state borders were granted nominal citizenship. At the same time, the state also subjected the majority of this population to the Military Government, a form of martial law which suspended many of the rights and legal protections that citizenship afforded. The article considers Israel's various forms of right-granting, social-democratic tendencies, and liberal policies as the post-Nakba continuation of Zionist settler-colonial consolidation. Conversely, Israel's Military Government and other forms of discrimination the Palestinian-Arab citizens endured could be considered colonial institutions that existed in tension with the logic of settler-colonial consolidation. My claim is that when Israel, during its first two decades, slowly dismantled the Military Government, it effectively abandoned a colonial form of interaction with the Palestinian-Arabs and thereby inched toward consolidating the Zionist settler-colonial project. I begin my article with a short discussion on colonialism and settler-colonialism as linked yet distinct historical phenomena. Then I present the colonial features of the Military Government and explain why they inhibited settler-colonial consolidation. After setting the stage, I analyze the Jewish-Israeli discourse formulated against the Military Government and show that in fact Zionists clearly saw a Zionist interest in adopting a more liberal attitude toward the Palestinian-Arab citizens. Finally, I show how this Zionist perception took over Israel's highest decision-making circles leading to the abolishment of the Military Government.


Carbon microcoils were deposited onto Al2O3 substrates using C2H2/H2 as source gases and SF6 as an incorporated additive
gas in a thermal chemical vapor deposition system. At as-grown state, the
carbon coils (d-CCs) show the diverse geometry. The geometry-controlled carbon
microcoils (g-CMCs) could be obtained by manipulating the injection time of SF6 in C2H2 source gas. The d-CCs with polyurethane (PU) composite (d-CC@PU) and
the g-CMCs with PU composite (g-CMC@PU) were obtained by dispersing d-CCs and g-CMCs
in PU, respectively. The electromagnetic wave shielding properties of d-CC@PU
and g-CMC@PU composites were investigated in the frequency range of 0.25 - 4.0
GHz. The shielding effectiveness (SE) of d-CC@PU and g-CMC@PU composites were
measured and discussed according to the weight percent of d-CCs and g-CMCs in
the composites with the thickness of the composites layers. On the whole
frequency range in this work, the SE of g-CMC@PU composites was higher than
those of d-CC@PU composites, irrespective of the weight percent of carbon coils
in the composites and the layer thickness. Furthermore, we confirmed that the
absorption mechanism, instead of the reflection mechanism, seemed to play the
critical role to shield the EMI for not only the g-CMC@PU composites but also the
d-CC@PU composites.


Since karst landform distributes widely in south China, highway and railway construction usually adopt the method of embedding long and large tunnel in great depth so that they could pass these karst areas safely. Water outburst and mud outburst accidents occurring on the stable karst area are major hazards in highway and railway construction and operation. The grave mud outburst accident occurring at the entrance of Yuanliangshan Tunnel has the following features: (1) the dissoluble rocks distribute widely, possessing a sound catchment capacity. (2) Water storage structure exists above the elevation of tunnel body; (3) feature of geologic structure and attitude of stratum in that area benefit the development of karst; (4) underground karst pipe is smooth and unobstructed. And there are certain underground rivers. (5) Besides, the thickness of water-proof layer has less power than the hydraulic pressure of ground water. (6) Karst mud outburst hazard features suddenness and concealment. Taken the example of Yuanliangshan Tunnel, the paper conducts preliminary analysis and careful calculation of the speed of karst mud outburst and its impact force, providing some research ground for disaster assessment and prevention.


Some studies in the past have shown that carriers of genes for recessive deafness cannot be identified by standard audiometry. However, remarkable results with regard to the identification of heterozygotes have been reported using Békésy audiometry and Audioscan audiometry. In the present study, nine obligate carriers from five families with the Usher syndrome type IB were examined. Methods that reflect the function of the cochlea, including pure-tone audiometry, Audioscan audiometry, and otoacoustic emission measurements were used to detect (subtle) audiometric manifestations of heterozygosity. Abnormalities in hearing sensitivity were found in some obligate carriers but to the same extent in some of the controls. No statistically significant differences were found in the presence of audiometric abnormalities between carriers and controls. Additional audiologic measurements indicated that if hearing loss was present in Usher type IB carriers, it was presumably of cochlear origin. It is concluded that carriers of the Usher syndrome type IB cannot be identified properly via standard audiometric methods.


This paper focuses on Ona stylistic tendency as an artistic model of Yoruba civilization in Nigeria. The quest to carve an identity led to series of experiments with diverse motifs and idioms in order to create art works reflecting our traditional setting. The Ona artistic movement is one of the many fruits or harvest emanating from the natural synthesis theory of the  late nineteen fifties. It is the intention of the writer to examine its development from the modest beginning to its robust formalistic model of artistic expression. Through interviews with exponents and review of a number of literatures, it was found out that the Ona movement has to a large extent facilitated the crystallization of Nigerian visual art. The younger generation of Yoruba artists is inclined to revive Yoruba artforms, motifs and philosophy through constant experimentation with local materials, patterns and images rooted in modern styles. Through the use of this idiom, the Yoruba artists have carved an image for themselves by projecting Ona art as a formalistic model of artistic expression in Nigeria and the world at large. Keywords : Ona, Ornament, Pattern Motif, Design


The aim of this research is to determine and evaluate whether differences in national culture impact on the buyer behaviour of Thai and British consumers when purchasing a mobile phone. Furthermore, the research was conducted in order to identify and compare key cultural attributes that influence mobile phone purchasing between Thai and British consumers. An empirical study was based on the concept of Hofstede's dimension of Individualism /Collectivism and Power Distance and Schwartz's values dimension of Power, Achievement, Hedonism and Self-Direction. The data was collected from 140 questionnaires using students at the University of Surrey. The findings indicated that there is a significant difference between Thai and British consumers in terms of mobile phone purchasing behaviour as far as Hofstede's cultural dimensions and Schwartz's cultural values are concerned. The findings also recommend that managers in mobile phone organizations should be concerned with the cultural dynamics of consumers as part of their going re-segmentation, communication and promotion strategies within their overall marketing strategie. Additionally, the cultural factors will assist managers to guide the specifications required for the development of online customer decision support systems.


Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a highly prevalent chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and cardiovascular risks. Without proper treatment, T2DM can lead to long-term complications. Diabetes self-management is recognized as the cornerstone of overall diabetes management. Web-based self-management programs for T2DM patients can help to successfully improve patient health behaviors and health-related outcomes. Theories can help to specify key determinants of the target behaviors and behavior change strategies required to arrive at the desired health outcomes, which can then be translated into specific behavioral techniques or strategies that patients can learn to apply in their daily life. From previous reviews of a wide range of online diabetes self-management tools and programs, it appears that it is still unclear which behavioral change techniques (BCTs) are primarily used and are most effective when it comes to improving diabetes self-management behaviors and related health outcomes. Objective We set out to identify which BCTs are being applied in online self-management programs for T2DM and whether there is indication of their effectiveness in relation to predefined health outcomes. Methods Articles were systematically searched and screened on the mentioned use of 40 BCTs, which were then linked to reported statistically significant improvements in study outcomes. Results We found 13 randomized controlled trials reporting on 8 online self-management interventions for T2DM. The BCTs used were feedback on performance, providing information on consequences of behavior, barrier identification/problem solving, and self-monitoring of behavior. These BCTs were also linked to positive outcomes for health behavior change, psychological well-being, or clinical parameters. Conclusions A relatively small number of theory-based online self-management support programs for T2DM have been reported using only a select number of BCTs. The development of future online self-management interventions should be based on the use of theories and BCTs and should be reported accurately.


This paper investigates the use of local prediction in difference expansion reversible watermarking. For each pixel, a least square predictor is computed on a square block centered on the pixel and the corresponding prediction error is expanded. The same predictor is recovered at detection without any additional information. The proposed local prediction is general and it applies regardless of the predictor order or the prediction context. For the particular cases of least square predictors with the same context as the median edge detector, gradient-adjusted predictor or the simple rhombus neighborhood, the local prediction-based reversible watermarking clearly outperforms the state-of-the-art schemes based on the classical counterparts. Experimental results are provided.


Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESIMS) is traditionally used to analyse organic molecules, but can also be used to carry out elemental speciation studies. The challenge is here to determine the isotopic composition of elements contained in chemical species by this technique, in addition to their quantification and structural characterisation. In the present work, we determined by ESIMS the isotope ratios of samarium (Sm) and neodymium (Nd) involved in complexes containing polyaminocarboxylic acids, namely EDTA and DTPA. To this end, we developed a user-friendly deconvolution method to remove the ligand isotopic contributions from the abundance ratios measured in the ESI mass spectra of the complexes, and thus obtaining the isotopic composition of the free lanthanides. By applying the deconvolution method to EDTA complexes containing natural and enriched samarium, we obtained the natSm and the 147–149Sm isotopic composition directly from the mass spectra of the chemical species recorded by commercial ESI mass spectrometers, equipped with a triple quadrupole analyser (QqQ) or a linear ion trap (LIT). The isotopic composition of natSm and 147–149Sm were determined with a trueness better than 3.5% and 2% by ESI-QqQ-MS and better than 1% and 2% by ESI-LIT-MS, with a repeatability globally better than 3% at k = 2, for isotopes of relative abundances greater than 1% in samples. This method was successfully applied to determine natNd and natSm isotopic compositions from natNd–EDTA, natSm–DTPA and natNd–DTPA mass spectra.


In this fascinating and colorful book, researcher and performer John McCormick focuses on the marionette world of Victorian Britain between its heyday after 1860 and its waning years from 1895 to 1914. Situating the rich and diverse pupper theatre in the context of entertainment culture, he explores both the aesthetics of these dancing dolls and their sociocultural significance in their life and time. The history of marionette performances is interwoven with live-actor performances and with the entire gamut of annual fairs, portable and permanent theatres, music halls, magic lantern shows, waxworks, panoramas, and sideshows. McCormick has drawn upon advertisements in the Era, an entertainment paper, between the 1860s and World War I, and articles in the World's Fair, a paper for showpeople, in the first fifty years of the twentieth century, as well as interviews with descendants of the marionette showpeople and close examinations of many of the surviving puppets. McCormick begins his study with an exploration of the Victorian marionette theatre in the context of other theatrical events of the day, with proprietors and puppeteers, and with the venues where they performed. He further examines the marionette's position as an actor not quite human but imitating humans closely enough to be considered empathetic; the ways that physical attributes were created with wood, paint, and cloth; and the dramas and melodramas that the dolls performed. A discussion of the trick figures and specialized acts that each company possessed, as well as an exploration of the theatre's staging, lighting, and costuming, follows in later chapters. McCormick concludes with a description of the last days of marionette theatre in the wake of changing audience expectations and the increasing popularity of moving pictures. This highly enjoyable and readable study, often illuminated by intriguing anecdotes such as that of the Armenian photographer who fell in love with and abducted the Holden company's Cinderella marionette in 1881, will appeal to everyone fascinated by the magic of nineteenth-century theatre, many of whom will discover how much the marionette could contribute to that magic.


Nine research groups from four countries have been collaborating for 4.5 years under Annex-14 with the aim to advance the science underlying photoelectrolytic hydrogen production from water-splitting. Significant research progress has been made in the areas of material science (semiconductor photoelectrodes, light absorption, photocatalyst stability and charge transfer) and systems development (monolithic multijunction systems, two-photon tandem systems, dual-bed redox systems and monomaterial two-step systems), resulting in the synthesis as well as development of new photoactive materials and the demonstration of various photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting prototype devices, limited to typical laboratory-size miniature scales.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


3D surface matching is fundamental for shape analysis. As a powerful method in geometric analysis, Ricci flow can flexibly design metrics by prescribed target curvature. In this paper we describe a novel approach for matching surfaces with complicated topologies based on hyperbolic Ricci flow. For surfaces with negative Euler characteristics, such as a human face with holes (eye contours), the canonical hyperbolic metric is conformal to the original and can be efficiently computed. Then the surface can be canonically decomposed to hyperbolic hexagons. By matching the corresponding hyperbolic hexagons, the matching between surfaces can be easily established. Compared to existing methods, hyperbolic Ricci flow induces diffeomorphisms between surfaces with complicated topologies with negative Euler characteristics, while avoiding singularities. Furthermore, all the boundaries are intrinsically mapped to hyperbolic lines as alignment constraints. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of this intrinsic shape representation for 3D face matching and registration.


Micropaleontology and biostratigraphy play vital roles for deciphering the stratigraphic record produced by changes in relative sea level, interpreting the history of global sea-level change, and testing models for the causes of sea-level fluctuations due to the variable influences of tectonics, glacio-eustasy, and climate. The stratigraphic architecture developed in response to changing eustasy, accommodation space, and sediment supply along continental margins, in epicontinental seas, and on carbonate platforms can be interpreted using the tools of marine micropaleontology. Microfossils provide chronostratigraphic control and a wealth of paleoenvironmental information about depositional environments as well as post-depositional changes to those environments. This volume demonstrates clearly that micropaleontologic proxies of environmental change provide a powerful dimension to the interpretive potential of stratigraphic sequences produced by changes in relative sea level and eustasy. Studies in the volume range from paralic to bathyal environments, span Pennsylvanian through Holocene stratigraphy, encompass a variety of microfossil groups and include a wide spectrum of techniques and paleoenvironmental proxies. The volume has been designed for graduate students and professionals interested in a wide range of subjects.


Abstract Some spider mites, such as Tetranychus spp. and Amphitetranychus spp., create complicated webs (CWs), whereas others, such as Panonychus spp., produce little webs (LWs). We verified whether interspecific competition occurred between CW and LW mites via habitat arrangement under laboratory conditions. The complicated webs produced by CW mites clearly inhibited juvenile development in LW mites, whereas there was no effect of LW mites on CW mites. In oviposition site choice tests, both CW and LW females preferred the lower surface of leaves to the upper surface. The preference of LW mites for the lower leaf surface, even in the presence of CW mite webs, suggests that the costs of amensalism are outweighed by the possible benefits, such as avoiding rain. These findings show that the shift in mite species composition from LW to CW mites can occur as a consequence of the interspecific association between spider mites via their webs, without pesticide applications or the presence of natural enemies.


Manuscript type: Conceptual Research Question/Issue: This study considers the legitimacy of shareholder activism as a means of exercising influence in the corporate decision making process. Research Findings/Insights: When shareholder activism takes the form of direct negotiation with management, important aspects of the principal-agent relationship are undermined—namely (1) ownership delegation of operational authority to management and (2) the reliance on control/monitoring mechanisms to ensure that management works for the benefit of owners. We propose that the long term solution is not activist shareholders, but activist boards. We envision a future where boards act as passionate, committed leaders who advocate for stakeholders, who open lines of communications between the board and stakeholders and who enable a balanced consideration of stakeholder input as part of the governance process. Practitioner/Policy Implications: Drawbacks of shareholder activism in terms of stakeholder equality are articulated and suggestions are made regarding potential for board reforms to create a viable alternative to shareholder activism.


BACKGROUND
We previously reported that epigenetic silencing of microRNA-34b/c (miR-34b/c) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We examined the impact of miR-34b/c restoration on the radiosensitivity of MPM cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We established stable miR-34b/c and scramble transfectants of two MPM cell lines, H2052 and H28. We examined these transfectants by clonogenic survival assay, phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) foci assay, cell-cycle analysis, and western blotting.

RESULTS
The clonogenic survival assay revealed that miR-34b/c radiosensitized MPM cells. γH2AX foci assay showed that DNA double-strand break repair was delayed in miR-34b/c transfectants. The proportion of sub-G(1) phase cells was increased in miR-34b/c transfectants after irradiation. miR-34b/c inhibited expression of cyclin-D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6, B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) and increased cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (cPARP) and cleaved caspase-3 after irradiation.

CONCLUSION
Our results indicate that miR-34b/c enhances radiosensitivity by promoting radiation-induced apoptosis and suggested that miR-34b/c might be a useful therapeutic molecule to enhance radiotherapy in MPM.


Entry of Staphylococcus aureus into the bloodstream can lead to metastatic abscess formation and infective endocarditis. Crucial to the development of both these conditions is the interaction of S. aureus with endothelial cells. In vivo and in vitro studies have shown that the staphylococcal invasin FnBPA triggers bacterial invasion of endothelial cells via a process that involves fibronectin (Fn) bridging to α5β1 integrins. The Fn-binding region of FnBPA usually contains 11 non-identical repeats (FnBRs) with differing affinities for Fn, which facilitate the binding of multiple Fn molecules and may promote integrin clustering. We thus hypothesized that multiple repeats are necessary to trigger the invasion of endothelial cells by S. aureus. To test this we constructed variants of fnbA containing various combinations of FnBRs. In vitro assays revealed that endothelial cell invasion can be facilitated by a single high-affinity, but not low-affinity FnBR. Studies using a nisin-inducible system that controlled surface expression of FnBPA revealed that variants encoding fewer FnBRs required higher levels of surface expression to mediate invasion. High expression levels of FnBPA bearing a single low affinity FnBR bound Fn but did not invade, suggesting that FnBPA affinity for Fn is crucial for triggering internalization. In addition, multiple FnBRs increased the speed of internalization, as did higher expression levels of FnBPA, without altering the uptake mechanism. The relevance of these findings to pathogenesis was demonstrated using a murine sepsis model, which showed that multiple FnBRs were required for virulence. In conclusion, multiple FnBRs within FnBPA facilitate efficient Fn adhesion, trigger rapid bacterial uptake and are required for pathogenesis.


To date in the United States, 41,366 cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) have been reported, constituting a major health disaster. As AIDS spreads to the heterosexual population, perinatal hospital areas are seeing increasing numbers of AIDS patients and their families. Many health care workers have had no formal training in caring for these patients, a dilemma now complicated by fear. It is the challenge and responsibility of health care workers today to educate themselves about this disease. Preparation, both philosophically and with a protocol for standard of care, is essential to avoid a crisis in the workplace and to be able to deliver high quality care and support to these patients and their families. This article contains a protocol of care for mothers and infants with AIDS. Recommendations are made for changes in the routine care of the general population, as many cases of AIDS pass through the perinatal areas undetected.


Diaries and other forms of life writing can add significantly to the study of local populations and societies, especially when used in conjunction with more conventional aggregate sources. All the key demographic events have important personal and emotional resonances that can never be revealed by statistical analysis of births, marriages or deaths. Personal accounts can add meaning to population history and demonstrate the familial and community impacts of key life events. In this paper we examine the strengths and weaknesses of different types of life writing, and then focus on the ways in which personal diaries may provide insights into the meanings and implications of life events such as courtship, marriage, childbirth, illness and death. Examples are drawn from a range of diaries written in Britain between the 1840s and 1950s.


The poor microbiological quality of raw cow milk in Turkey is a major concern. It has been speculated that less activation of naturally present lactoperoxidase system in the milk is the reason for its poor microbiological quality. Hence, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of activation of the lactoperoxidase (LP) system on microbiological quality of the raw milk. The milk samples collected from a dairy farm were analyzed in the laboratory by dividing into two equal parts as activated (experimental) and control group. The experimental group was activated by treatment with equal concentration of sodium thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxide (20:20 mg/kg) whereas the control sample remained unactivated. All samples were stored at 4°C during 12 h. The microbial load in all the samples was quantitatively determined at 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 h. The quantitative changes in each microbial species in both growth were recorded and statistically analyzed. The initial count of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, psychrotroph bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae and yeast number were 7.10, 5.14, 6.42, 5.93 and 4.31 log cfu/mL, respectively, and at the end of 3 h the counts were 0.43, 2.23, 1.09, 0.93 and 0.37 log cfu/mL, respectively, were lower than controls. Significant (P<0.05) differences were observed for microbial count of activated and control samples except in case of lactic acid bacteria. The results of this study indicate that the addition of thiocyanate and hydrogen peroxidase to the milk activated lactoperoxidase enzyme already present in the milk and slowed down the microbiological growth, especially of the reducing proteolytic Pseudomonas spp. On comparison, the results for total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, psychrotroph bacteria, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae and yeast were statistically significant (P<0.05) and no significant change was observed in case of lactic acid bacteria.


Enzymatic hydrolysis is a key step in bioethanol production. Efficient hydrolysis requires a consortium of different enzymes that are able to hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable sugars. Myceliopthora thermophila is a promising candidate for the production of thermophilic cellulolytic enzymes, the use of which could reduce the cost of ethanol production. The growth conditions of the fungus were optimized in order to achieve increased secretion of extracellular cellulases. Optimal conditions were found to be 7.0% w/v brewer's spent grain as the carbon source and 0.4% w/v ammonium sulfate as the nitrogen source. The cellulases obtained were characterized for their optimum activity. The optimum temperature and pH for cellulase activity are 65 °C and pH 5.5, respectively. Studies on thermal inactivation of the crude extract showed that the cellulases of M. thermophila are stable for temperatures up to 60 °C. At this temperature the half-life was found to be as high as 27 h. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose resulted in 31.4% hydrolysis yield at 60 °C after 24 h of incubation. Finally, the recalcitrance constant for cellulose and cellulose pretreated with ionic liquids was calculated to be 5.46 and 2.69, respectively.


Background: Sentinel node detection localizes the first node that drains a malignant lesion aiming to detect tumor dissemination. Aim: To assess the yield of sentinel node detection in breast cancer, using pre or intraoperative scintigraphy. Material and methods: Review of medical records of patients with breast cancer who had a scintigraphic detection of sentinel nodes. Lymph node scintigraphy and surgery were performed in the same day. Results: We studied 174 women aged 53 ± 13 years, operated with a diagnosis of breast cancer, including six highly suspicious lesions in the contralateral breast (totaling 180 studied breasts). Preoperative scintigraphy showed a sentinel node in 174 of 180 breasts (97%). Intraoperative gamma probe confirmed the presence of the sentinel node in the same 174 breasts and detected an additional one reaching a detection yield of 97%. Four patients in whom a sentinel node was not detected in the preoperative scintigraphy, had macrometastases. Frozen section biopsies were available in 177 of 180 breasts. Metastases were informed in 45 patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection, plus one additional patient with a suspicious lesion. Conclusions: A high rate of sentinel node detection in the preoperative scintigraphy was observed. Most sentinel nodes not detected with nuclear medicine had macrometastases. In 71% of patients, the detection of sentinel node avoided axillary lymph node dissection.


Step-edge models as they have been used to model local intensity variation, only rarely are justified for the real case of image data. Due to finite apertures, the nature of scene geometry as well as discretization of the image, local intensity variations result in smooth transitions of varying width and local contrast. In order to appropriately deal with the robust detection and localization of image contrast, the authors propose the parametrized ramp transition as local signal model. The scale-space processing scheme for token extraction consists of a cascade of first band-pass filtering the raw data and a subsequent correlation of the result with a scaled first order derivative operator. The robust contrast detection within scale space and the estimation of local signal attributes in closed form is documented. The scheme can be extended to deal with intensity variations of different specificity.<<ETX>>


Summary The Great Bustard Otis tarda is a globally threatened species with populations inhabiting the steppe zones of Turkey. In recent decades, its populations in Turkey have suffered severe declines in range and size. Although the remaining populations are in urgent need of protection, there has been no national-scale study on the species since 2009, and huge information gaps remain concerning its range, abundance, and movements in the country. Here, we combined data from five years of fieldwork together with all available sight and literature records to present up-to-date estimates of distribution and population size in Turkey, to better understand its movement patterns, to reveal its recent and historical population changes, and to assess its national extinction risk and threats. We find that the species' breeding population has shrunk by 20–29% over the last five years, and there are only 559–780 breeding Great Bustards in Turkey distributed in two discrete subpopulations. Comparison with historical records shows that the species' range has shrunk by at least 60% since the beginning of the 20th century. We suggest possible migratory routes within and through Turkey and that Turkey might have a higher regional importance for the species than previously thought. Illegal hunting, agricultural intensification, shift to irrigated crops, overgrazing, collision with powerlines, and disturbance are the most severe threats to the species in Turkey. Our national Red List assessment yields an Endangered categorisation. Further studies are needed to understand the metapopulation structure and movements of the species and to conserve its remaining populations in Turkey.


In this study, an optimisation method for the design of combined solar and pellet heating systems is presented and evaluated. The paper describes the steps of the method by applying it to an example system. The objective of the optimisation was to find the design parameters that give the lowest auxiliary energy (pellet fuel + auxiliary electricity) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions for a system with a typical load: a single family house in Sweden. Weighting factors have been used for the auxiliary energy use and CO emissions to give a combined objective function. Different weighting factors were tested. The results show that extreme weighting factors lead to their own minima. However, it was possible to find factors that ensure low values for both auxiliary energy and CO emissions, and suitable weighting factors are suggested.


This paper details the design, implementation and an initial evaluation of a collaborative platform named OptoBridge, which is aimed at enhancing remote guidance and skill acquisition for spatially distributed users. OptoBridge integrates augmented reality (AR), gesture interaction with video mediated communication and is preliminarily applied to the experimental teaching of the adjustment task with Michelson interferometer. An exploratory study has been conducted to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the extent to which different viewpoints affect the student's sense of presence, task performance, learning outcomes and subjective feelings in the remote collaborative augmented environment. 16 students from local universities have participated in the evaluation. The result shows the influence of two different viewpoints and indicates that OptoBridge can effectively support remote guidance and enhance the collaborators' experience.


Biological activities of two populations of Phlebotomus papatasi collected from two different areas in Egypt (Sinai and Aswan) and the effect of Leishmania major on such activities were investigated under insectary conditions. A significant reduction (P < 0.05) was observed in the number of eggs laid by the infected females when compared to the non-infected females of the tested populations. The immatures of the Aswan population required a longer period (P < 0.05) to complete larval development. Life expectancy at emergence for infected and non-infected females was almost 13 days for the two populations. No significant difference was observed for the effect of L. major on the survivorship of tested populations. The mean generation time for the non-infected and infected females of Sinai and Aswan were 47.5, 49.8, 50.8, 49.5 days, respectively. Mean productivity (the number of females produced by one female) of the non-infected females of the Sinai population (18.1 female female/female) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the Aswan population (12.3 female female/female) while the productivity for infected females for both Sinai and Aswan populations (10.8 and 7.3 female female/female) was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). These results show Leishmania infection affects the fertility and productivity of both populations and may be a factor in controlling the insect population size in nature.


Background: Multiple studies demonstrate substantial utilization of acute hospital care and, potentially excessive, intensive medical and surgical treatments at the end-of-life. Aim: To evaluate the relationship between the use of home and facility-based hospice palliative care for patients dying with cancer and service utilization at the end of life. Design: Retrospective, population-level study using administrative databases. The effect of palliative care was analyzed between coarsened exact matched cohorts and evaluated through a conditional logistic regression model. Setting/participants: The study was conducted on the cohort of 34,357 patients, resident in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of metastatic or poor-prognosis cancer during the 6 months before death between January 2013 and December 2015. Results: Patients who received palliative care experienced significantly lower rates of all indicators of aggressive care such as hospital admission (odds ratio (OR) = 0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.04–0.06), emergency department visits (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.21–0.25), intensive care unit stays (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.26–0.32), major operating room procedures (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.21–0.24), and lower in-hospital death (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.10–0.11). This cohort had significantly higher rates of opiate prescriptions (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.21–1.33) (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Conclusion: Use of palliative care at the end of life for cancer patients is associated with a reduction of the use of high-cost, intensive services. Future research is necessary to evaluate the impact of increasing use of palliative care services on other health outcomes. Administrative databases linked at the patient level are a useful data source for assessment of care at the end of life.


Abstract. A Lagrangian approach was used to identify the moisture sources for 14 ice-core sites located worldwide for the period of 1980–2012. The sites were classified into three domains: Arctic, Central (Andes, Alps, and Kilimanjaro), and Antarctic. The approach was used to compute budgets of evaporation minus precipitation by calculating changes in the specific humidity along 10-day backward trajectories. The results indicate that the oceanic regions around the subtropical high-pressure centres provide most of moisture, and their contribution varies throughout the year following the annual cycles of the centres. For the Arctic Domain, the sources lie in the subtropical North Atlantic and Pacific. The subtropical South Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans provide moisture for the Antarctic Domain. The sources for South America are the Atlantic and South Pacific, for Europe the sources are in the Mediterranean and the North Atlantic, and for Asia the sources are the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea.


Evolution by natural selection is the fundamental backbone of the life sciences. Therefore, it is important for teacher education programs to ensure graduates possess a strong knowledge of evolution in order to teach at all levels of biology education. The main aim was to investigate the impacts of the Slovene pre-service preschool and primary school teachers' religiosity and educational background on their evolutionary content knowledge. In the present study, understanding of five evolutionary topics, religiosity and educational background of 269 students was studied. Results show that students have a very poor understanding of evolution. They very often use teleological reasoning. Although many pieces of research have shown that religiosity can be in conflict with evolutionary theory, our findings show that religiosity does not significantly correlate with evolutionary knowledge nor to the educational background of students. However, for students' understanding of evolution, it is important how many years of biology lessons they had in secondary school. This should be better taken into account by educational policymakers because evolutionary principles are becoming increasingly relevant in medicine, agriculture and other socio-scientific topics.


The lack of integration between production control and quality management has been pointed out as a common problem in the construction sector. This paper discusses the impact of this problem in the generation of waste that are typical in this sector, such as making-do, rework and uncompleted work. Based on that discussion, this paper proposes an integrated production and quality control method, which is focused on the elimination three waste categories: making-do, unfinished work, and work-inprogress. The method is divided in three modules: (a) identification and measurement of making-do events, (b) identification of informal packages, and (c) integrated production and quality control. The main contributions of this study are concerned with the understanding waste in construction, and the relationship between different types of waste.


In this paper, we presented a vehicle tracking system using GPS modem and GSM module and locking it down using remote mobile accessing. The system is designed to provide security to vehicle owners from theft and unauthorized access. The system performs multiple operations which include:-When an unauthorized person tries to gain access of your vehicle, the information is analyzed using sensors and transmitted to user through GSM. The coordinates of the location of vehicle are sent via GPS. The controlling of vehicle is done through microcontroller. The doors of the vehicles and accelerator pedal are locked down when reading instructions from the user. The speed of the motor is gradually reduced and comes to a halt. By using the control concepts listed in the paper number of control features can be implemented in the same fashion.


The correlation between the in vivo toxicity and in vitro mutagenicity of dimethylnitrosamine and the activity of dimethylnitrosamine demethylase I (DMND I) after pyrazole treatment of rats was studied. The biological effects of pyrazole were measured either as toxicity to the rats or as mutations to Salmonella TA 92. A dose-response relationship was observed between DMND I activity and the administered dose of pyrazole. Pyrazole administration increased the toxicity of dimethylnitrosamine when measured as a 50% lethal dose or as a histopathological effect on the liver. Phenobarbital and methylcholanthrene administration did not have any effect on the activity of DMND I or on the number of histidine-revertant colonies when tested using the liquid suspension method in the presence of dimethylnitrosamine and the reduced nicotinamide adenine denucleotide phosphate-generating system. When microsomes from the pyrazole-treated animals were used in the mutagenesis assay, there was a linear correlation between DMND I activity and the number of histidine-revertant colonies. It is concluded that pyrazole treatment of animals increases the activity of liver DMND I, the toxicity of dimethylnitrosamine, and the number of mutations.


We present a novel software package for tomographic reconstruction in electron microscopy, named Ettention [1]. The software consists of a set of modular building-blocks for iterative reconstruction algorithms. Ettention simultaneously features (1) a modular, object-oriented software design, (2) optimized access to high-performance computing (HPC) platforms such as graphic processing units (GPU) or many-core architectures like Xeon Phi, and (3) accessibility to microscopy end-users via integration in the IMOD package and user interface. We provide developers with a clean application programming interface (API) that allows for extending the software easily and thus makes it an ideal platform for algorithmic research while hiding most of the technical details of high-performance computing. Several case studies are provided to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept [2].


Dielectric materials and electrical components and devices employed in radiation fields and space environment are often exposed to elevated temperatures among other things. These systems must, therefore, withstand the high temperature exposure while still providing good electrical and other functional properties. In this work, experiments were carried out to evaluate glass, teflon, and tantalum capacitors for potential use in high temperature applications. The capacitors were characterized in terms of their capacitance and dielectric loss as a function of temperature up to 200/spl deg/C. At a given temperature, these properties were obtained in a frequency range of 50 Hz to 100 kHz. DC leakage current measurements were also performed in a temperature range from 20 to 200 /spl deg/C. The results obtained are discussed and conclusions are made concerning the suitability of the capacitors investigated for high temperature applications.


Previous works on Edo lexicon did not only recognize the adjectival category as a distinct word class but split it into pure and derived adjectives. This paper reviews relevant existing literature on the Edo adjective and their assumptions against the backdrop of evidence from the analysis of the internal structure of constructs assumed to be adjectives in the language. The paper demonstrates that, contrary to claims in the previous studies, there exists no basic lexical item that expresses the adjectival concept in the language. What obtains is the consistent adaptation of clausal/phrasal or complement constructions by Edo native speaker to express the adjectival concepts employed in nominal modification. A decomposition of the constituent structure of the Edo noun phrase assumed to be computed from a nominal ccommanded by an adjective is in reality an output governed by series of modification processes whose surface realization has before now been misinterpreted as adjectives that qualify Edo nominals.


Cancer remains a major public health problem and a leading cause of mortality worldwide (1). Success in prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer has resulted in a continuous decline in cancer death rates with an overall drop of 25% over the last two decades. Introduction of smart molecules and development of new therapeutic armamentarium enabled advanced cancer patients to live longer in recent years. In accordance with these developments, intensive care unit (ICU) admissions have been steadily increasing in patients with solid tumors (2,3). Acute medical problems necessitate ICU admissions in approximately 5% of patients with solid tumors. Estimated every sixth to eight patient in European ICUs has underlying cancer (4).


It has been possible for the first time to demonstrate antibodies to homologous lens proteins in rabbits without the addition of adjuvant. By means of immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase methods it has been possible not only to show for the first time that homologous lens antibodies cross-react with extraocular tissues but that the cross-reacting antigens are related to the cell mitochondria, microsomes, and the proteins associated with contractile organelles. The rabbits did not produce antibodies to gamma-crystallins even when the whole lens homogenate was injected with Freund's complete adjuvant. This suggests that gamma-crystallins are non-antigenic in homologous situations, and this may be related to both B- and T-cell tolerance. Alternatively, the failure of gamma-crystallins to induce antibody production may be due to intermolecular antigenic competition with other crystallins. The presence of mycobacteria in an adjuvant is essential for an antibody response to be detectable by agar diffusion techniques. The response to homologous lens antigens, both in magnitude as well as in duration, varied in different rabbits, which suggested to us that a central control mechanism involving the immune response (Ir) genes may plan an important role. Antibodies to homologous lens proteins as detected by immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase methods were shown to be of the IgG class. This is the first time that the kinetics of the immune response to the same homologous lens antigen in saline with or without incomplete or complete adjuvant has been examined and their relative merits compared. Systemic homologous immunisation followed by discission of the lens led to a marked Arthus type reaction in and around the lens, but a typical granulomatous phakoallergic endophthalmitis was not produced. It seems likely that the rabbit is not suitable for the production of an experimental model of this condition.


This paper treats the solution of the -vector Helmholtz equation for the case of a plane electromagnetic wave at 'nose-on' incidence, on a perfectly-conducting cone of finite size* The solution presented is exact and in the form of an infinite series of spherical harmonics* The expansion coefficients of the series are determined by a set of an infinite number of equations involving an infinite number of unknowns. A discussion and numerical investigation of the field singularities at the tip and edge of the cone are included* as well as graphs of the associated Legendre functions of non-integral degree* P*(cos 0)> and their first derivatives*


The present paper puts the argument forward that social policy analysis today lost very much its ground of systematically approaching its objective. Rather than analysing the objective relations, processes and their foundation political arguments and discourses are very much developed on moral grounds and remain on the level of studying empirical evidence. In this way they fail to provide both, a sound analysis and the development of strategic thinking for policy development. After briefly reminding at some issues brought up by classical analysis of class structures and stratification theories, the text goes on by utilising these perspectives for cursorily assessing some trends in major fields of EU social policy debates. Hereby the ground is provided for looking for principal points of tensions in policy analysis and development, not least reminding critical and left approaches to avoid the trap of a kind of left-intellectual populism.


Psychological distress among mothers of young children in rural Ghana and Uganda and its association with child health and nutritional status Eleni Vousoura Depression and anxiety, the most common mental disorders (CMDs), are highly prevalent among women of childbearing age, but are even higher among mothers in lowand middle-income countries (LMICs), possibly due to mothers' disproportionate exposure to multiple risk factors, such as poverty, gender disparities and violence, and a high prevalence of medical illness. The extra burden imposed by maternal CMDs in LMICs can be nothing short of catastrophic, affecting infant and child growth and leading to preventable illness and death among children. One possible mechanism, by which maternal CMDs lead to compromised child development, is through negatively affecting mothers' health-promoting behaviors (e.g., contraceptive use, participation in antenatal care) and child-care practices (e.g., vaccination uptake, cessation of breastfeeding, sanitation practices). The aim of this study was three-fold. First, to assess psychological distress among mothers of young children (aged 0-5 years) in Ghana and Uganda, as measured by the Kessler 6 (K6), a brief screening instrument for nonspecific psychological distress. Second, to identify sociodemographic, socioeconomic, obstetric, and psychosocial correlates of maternal psychological distress in Ghana and Uganda. Third, to explore the relationship between maternal psychological distress, child health-promoting practices, and child health outcomes and nutritional status. The study utilized cross-sectional baseline data from the Millennium Villages Project. One hundred mothers in Ghana and 100 in Uganda who had at least one child up to 5 years at the time of baseline collection participated in the study. Results provided evidence for the adequate reliability and validity of the K6 in our study. Several correlates of maternal distress were identified in the study, some of which were common for both sites, while others where site-specific. Maternal psychological distress was negatively correlated with maternal sanitation practices in Uganda. An exploratory analysis revealed a significant relationship between maternal distress and risk for child undernutrition. These findings offer partial support for the relationship between maternal psychological distress and poor child health outcomes in rural, resource-poor areas. Discussion of the study findings focuses on the social roots of maternal distress in sub-Saharan Africa. The clinical implications of the study and recommendations for future research are discussed.


This paper proposes an object-space multi-image matching procedure of terrestrial MMS (Mobile Mapping System) image sequences to determine the coordinates of an object point automatically and reliably. This image matching procedure can be applied to find conjugate points of MMS image sequences efficiently. Conventional area-based image matching methods are not reliable to deliver accurate matching results for this application due to image scale variations, viewing angle variations, and object occlusions. In order to deal with these three matching problems, an object space multi-image matching is proposed. A modified NCC (Normalized Cross Correlation) coefficient is proposed to measure the similarity of image patches. A modified multi-window matching procedure will also be introduced to solve the problem of object occlusion. A coarse-to-fine procedure with a combination of object-space multi-image matching and multi-window matching is adopted. The proposed procedure has been implemented for the purpose of matching terrestrial MMS image sequences. The ratio of correct matches of this experiment was about 80 %. By providing an approximate conjugate point in an overlapping image manually, most of the incorrect matches could be fixed properly and the ratio of correct matches was improved up to 98 %.


Galvanic skin response is a method of regulating the internal physical process by giving a biofeedback, which is effective in the treatment of phobias, anxiety and to increase the relaxation process of the subject during the hypnosis. Presently the application of GSR by certain Physiologist and Psychologist is substantially restricted by its inability to generate time varying responses. By generating these time varying graphical responses we would be able to monitor only the skin resistance response over a period of time. Moreover the condition of the most vital organ of the body. i.e.: the heart, in condition of stress, anxiety, anger as well as pressure is unavailable. To evaluate the cardiac responses at this point we have combine heart rate variability along with galvanic skin response. Here, we will be monitoring the GSR signal and ECG signal. These signals are then computer interfaced to give the responses of GSR and HRV. With the help of these responses a physician would be able to guide his patient under condition of stress, anxiety and pressure through biofeedback. Thus the physician would be able to give clinical diagnosis and management of different heart disorders, its regulation and stability, which would help the individual to self regulate his/her own health and growth. Regardless, of the method of analysis, GSR and HRV would provide a very robust biofeedback that can be easily used for diagnosis and communicating responses.


BACKGROUND
Acute appendicitis is a very common surgical emergency, but its etiology and pathology remain incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE
To elucidate epidemiological aspects of acute appendicitis related to skin color, gender and age.

METHODS
Five-hundred patients operated on for acute appendicitis, and other 500 patients treated for different diseases and considered as a control group were studied at "Hospital das Clinicas", Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Gender, age and skin color were investigated. The results were compared by chi-square test.

RESULTS
There was no prevalence related to gender. A significant prevalence of white patients (73.8%) was verified in this series. The number of white men with appendicitis was significantly higher than white men in the control group. The incidence of black patients with appendicitis was significantly lower than black patients of the control group. The mean age was 23.2 years old for the white patients with appendicitis and 32.3 years old for the black patients.

CONCLUSIONS
The present paper shows an evident relation between appendicitis and white skin color.


We answer a question posed by Michael Aissen in 1979 about the $q$-analogue of a classical theorem of George Pólya (1922) on the algebraicity of (generalized) diagonals of bivariate rational power series. In particular, we prove that the answer to Aissen's question, in which he considers $q$ as a variable, is negative in general. Moreover, we show that the answer is positive if and only if $q$ is a root of unity.


ABSTRACT Consumption is a political relationship. This article considers competing political discourses around consumption as different versions of a hypothetical right to consume. In the first section, we consider how the domain of consumption can express the critical potential of the "right to the city," a concept inspired by Henri Lefebvre that has had widespread influence in urban studies and related fields. In the second section we consider how the right to consume can also become a bulwark for capitalist ideologies of an individualistic and destructive right to consume. A third section concludes on recent trends in consumption studies that point to ways that capitalism seeks to assuage and manage these tensions through ongoing innovations in consumer technology and finance. New questions about rights and democracy must emerge to confront this new techno-economy of consumer relations. In short, while we affirm the right to consume for the most vulnerable, we also insist on deconstructing the system of consumption as it is currently configured.


Attendance system is a system that is used to track the attendance of a particular person and is applied in the industries, schools, universities or working places. The traditional way for taking attendance has drawback, which is the data of the attendance list cannot be reuse and tracking and tracing student's attendance is harder. The technology-based attendance system such as sensors and biometrics based attendance system reduced human involvement and errors. Thus in this paper, a NFC-based attendance system is presented. A comparative study between this both NFC and RFID is also discussed thoroughly, especially in terms of their architectures, functionality features, benefits and weakness. Overall, even both NFC and RFID attendance system increases the efficiency in recording attendance, NFC system is providing more conveniences and cheaper infrastructure in both operational and setup cost.


Background: Hodgkin's lymphoma is a hematologic malignancy of lymphocyte cells. Intrahepatic or extrahepatic disorders can cause jaundice associated with lymphoma. An extrahepatic obstructive jaundice due to lymphoma is still rarely reported, the incidence is only 1.3% out of 370 patients. Case Description: A male patient, 44 years old, admitted to the hospital because his eyes and all over his body became yellowish. He also felt itchy on his skin, and his stool color was pale. The patient was diagnosed with a post-chemotherapy relapse of Hodgkin's lymphoma twice with different regimens. The first chemotherapy was with the CHOP regimen. We evaluated the patient nine months after the chemotherapy with abdominal CT-scan, and we found paraaortic lymphadenopathy with infiltration to the spleen and gaster. Then, the patient was re-chemotherapy using Mesna's ICE regimen. Seven months after the second chemotherapy, the patient was re-admitted to the hospital with jaundice throughout his body. His laboratory results were 25.3 mg/dl for total bilirubin, 21.5 for direct bilirubin, 199 U/L for AST, 213 U/L for ALT, 469 mg/dl for ALP, and 6,400/mm3 for leukocytes. We found gall bladder hydrops and Intra-Hepatic Bile Duct Dilatation (IHBD) during an abdominal ultrasound examination. The results of the PET-scan showed multiple metastases to the peritoneal/omentum and diffuse lymphomatous infiltration in the gastric. After that, the patient was given the third chemotherapy with gemcitabine and vinorelbine regimens. His laboratory results in three weeks post-chemotherapy were, 6.4 mg/ dl for total bilirubin, 5.87 mg/dl for direct bilirubin, 82 U/L for AST, and 36 U/L for ALT. We also found significant clinical improvement after the third chemotherapy. Conclusion: The diagnosis is difficult to establish because many other things can also cause obstructive jaundice. Chemotherapy is one therapeutic choice in the management of obstructive jaundice related to Hodgkin's lymphoma.


The postprandial period is a dynamic state of hormone and lipoprotein metabolism that can be influenced by dietary composition. The objective of this study was to determine whether the source of dietary fat [dairy (D) vs. nondairy (ND)] would modify the lipemic, insulin and cholecystokinin (CCK) response to high or low fat meals. Men and women (n 24) consumed 4 test meals with a similar polyunsaturated:saturated (P:S; 0.12:1) fat ratio. The diets were high (38% energy) or low (20% energy) in fat, with or without fat from dairy sources. CCK responses were greater after consumption of meals containing D than ND, and for high compared with low fat meals. Women had higher CCK responses than men and were more sensitive to the differences in dietary treatments. Consumption of low fat meals resulted in greater insulin responses than high fat meals. However, after consumption of the low fat meals, the insulin response of D was about half of the ND response; no differences in insulin response were detected after the high fat meals. Triacylglyceride response was influenced primarily by the fat content of the diet. Consumption of dairy products containing fat was associated with an enhanced CCK response, which may have implications for the regulation of food intake. Blunting glucose and insulin response in low fat meals containing fat from dairy products may be useful for glycemic control. J. Nutr. 133: 4124–4128, 2003.


Ice concentration measurements are important information e.g., for navigation, ice modeling, and climate change research. Here we present an algorithm for estimating ice concentration from C-band SAR data. The resolution of SAR data is significantly higher than the resolution of the current operational ice concentration products based on radiometer data. Our algorithm is based on segment-wise autocorrelation distributions. The algorithm results were compared with two reference data sets: ice concentrations from the Finnish Ice Service (FIS) ice charts, and ice concentrations from the radiometer-based operational ice concentration algorithm of University of Bremen. The new algorithm gives reasonable ice concentration estimates in a high resolution (500 m) for an arbitrary segmentation.


In this paper, the finite-time boundedness and stabilization problems of a class of networked control systems (NCSs) with bounded packet dropout are investigated. The main results provided in the paper are sufficient conditions for finite-time boundedness and stability via state feedback. An iterative approach is proposed to model NCSs with bounded packet dropout as jump linear systems (JLSs). Based on Lyapunov stability theory and JLSs theory, the sufficient conditions for finite-time boundedness and stabilization of the underlying systems are derived via linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) formulation. Moreover, both sensor-to-controller and controller-to-actuator packet dropouts are considered simultaneously. Lastly, an illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results.


Recent studies are increasingly shifting away from viewing drug and alcohol problems as individual medical disorders and recognising the significant role of environmental and community factors. In keeping with this, the Partysafe project, being implemented in the remote North West town of Carnarvon in Western Australia (WA), is utilising a community mobilisation approach to reducing harm associated with alcohol consumption in private residences. Carnarvon, like most rural communities in WA, has a higher rate of alcohol consumption than in the metropolitan region, hence its selection as the target site. An additional reason for selecting a remote town was the belief that national and state level prevention strategies cannot always be successfully implemented due to a region?s unique social and environmental influences. This paper discusses the community mobilisation methodology, giving a practical insight into the specific interventions and evaluation techniques developed for the Partysafe project. The process of identifying community-based alcohol issues and the problems associated with implementation and evaluation are illustrated. A combination of archival quantitative data and community based qualitative data will be used to assess the project?s success. Collection and use of this data is also practically depicted.


Abstract—We present a novel Bayesian network (BN) to classify strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex (MTBC) into six major genetic lineages using mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units (MIRUs), a high-throughput biomarker. MTBC is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), which remains one of the leading causes of disease and morbidity world-wide. DNA fingerprinting methods such as MIRU are key components of modern TB control and tracking. The BN achieves high accuracy on four large MTBC genotype collections consisting of over 4700 distinct 12-loci MIRU genotypes. The BN captures distinct MIRU signatures associated with each lineage, explaining the excellent performance of the BN. The errors in the BN support the need for additional biomarkers such as the expanded 24-loci MIRU used in CDC genotyping labs since May 2009. The conditional independence assumption of each locus given the lineage makes the BN easily extensible to additional MIRU loci and other biomarkers.


Control of power systems relies on the availability and quality of sensor measurements. However, measurements are inevitably subjected to faults caused by sensor failure, broken or bad connections, bad communication, or malfunction of some hardware or software. These faults, in turn, may cause the failure of power system controllers and consequently, severe contingencies in the power system. To avoid such contingencies, this paper presents a sensor evaluation and (missing sensor) restoration scheme (SERS) by using auto-associative neural networks (auto encoders) and particle swarm optimization. Based on the SERS, a missing-sensor-fault-tolerant control is developed for controlling a static synchronous series compensator (SSSC) connected to a power network. This missing-sensor fault-tolerant control (MSFTC) improves the reliability, maintainability, and survivability of the SSSC and the power network. The effectiveness of the MSFTC is demonstrated by a real-time implementation of an SSSC connected to the IEEE 10-machine 39-bus system on a Real Time Digital Simulator and TMS320C6701 digital signal processor platform. The proposed fault-tolerant control can be readily applied to many existing controllers in power systems.


An electronic health record (EHR)-based tool was developed for EPIC My Practice at Cleveland Clinic to aid treatment decisions and combat therapeutic inertia in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and suboptimal glycemic control (A1C ≥8%). The tool consists of three separate components activated during an office visit: a best practice alert (BPA) if a patient had an A1C ≥ 8% within the past 6 months, a Smartform (patient summary and order entry form), and a Smartset for T2D medications to achieve patient-centered treatment goals, supplies, laboratory, and consult orders. The provider may acknowledge the BPA and pursue therapy intensification or defer. The tool was piloted for 3 months (primary care providers (PCP) n=12, endocrinology providers n=5). BPA acknowledgement and utilization practices were recorded by specialty. The CollaboRATE survey (3 items, scale 0-9) was used to assess patient perceptions of shared decision-making afforded by the tool. The BPA appeared for 420/1,766 T2D patients at an office-based encounter with a PCP or endocrinology provider. While the BPA was acknowledged at most endocrinology visits (95%) and approximately 50% of primary care visits, use of all three components of the tool only occurred in ∼10% of eligible encounters. The CollaboRATE survey was administered to a subset of 83 patients exposed to the tool. Most chose the highest rating for questions assessing if efforts were made to: 1. help them better understand their health issue (87%), 2. listen to what matters most to them about their health issue (93%) and 3. integrate what matters to them into next steps (92%). Use of an EHR-based tool to aid treatment decisions is variable by specialty, though appears to lead to a high perception of shared decision-making for T2D patients. Additional provider education and improved incorporation of the tool into PCP work-flow may help to address therapeutic inertia in routine clinical practice. Disclosure K.M. Pantalone: Consultant; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc., Sanofi. Research Support; Self; Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. A.D. Misra-Hebert: Research Support; Self; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. S. Rajpathak: None. T. Weiss: Employee; Self; Merck & Co., Inc. M. Hamaty: Consultant; Self; Applied Clinical Intelligence, LLC. R.S. Zimmerman: Consultant; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. Research Support; Self; Merck & Co., Inc., Novo Nordisk Inc. Speaker9s Bureau; Self; Johnson & Johnson Diabetes Institute, Merck & Co., Inc.


Presented in this paper is a finite-element-method-based model for phase change material actuators, modeling the active material as a fluid as opposed to a solid. This enables the model to better conform to localized loads and offering the opportunity to follow material movement in enclosed volumes. Modeling, simulation, and analysis of an electrothermally activated paraffin microactuator have been conducted. The paraffin microactuator used for the analysis in this study exploits the large volumetric expansion of paraffin upon melting, which, combined with its low compressibility in the liquid state, allows for high hydraulic pressures to be generated. The purpose of this study is to supply a geometry-independent model of such a microactuator through the implementation of a fluid model rather than a solid one, which has been utilized in previous studies. Numerical simulations are conducted at different frequencies of the heating source and for different geometries of the microactuator. The results are compared with the empirical data obtained on a close to identical paraffin microactuator, which clearly show the advantages of a fluid model instead of a solid-state approximation.