This paper proposes a new approach to equilibrium selection in repeated games with transfers, supposing that in each period the players bargain over how to play. Although the bargaining phase is cheap talk (following a generalized alternating-offer protocol), sharp predictions arise from three axioms. Two axioms allow the players to meaningfully discuss whether to deviate from their plan; the third embodies a 'theory of disagreement' - that play under disagreement should not vary with the manner in which bargaining broke down. Equilibria that satisfy these axioms exist for all discount factors and are simple to construct; all equilibria generate the same welfare. Optimal play under agreement generally requires suboptimal play under disagreement. Whether patient players attain efficiency depends on both the stage game and the bargaining protocol. The theory extends naturally to games with imperfect public monitoring and heterogeneous discount factors, and yields new insights into classic relational contracting questions.


The absence of Ship-Money from the canon of judicial review creates a lacuna in the scholarship on the theoretical foundations for judicial review. This review details how the majority and dissenting opinions in Ship-Money provided Americans with two distinctive paths to a judicial power to declare laws unconstitutional. The majority opinions emphasized sovereignty. Judicial review serves to protect the will of the sovereign, be that the King, Parliament or the people. The dissents emphasized fundamental law. Judicial review serves to protect higher law principles. Marbury grounded judicial review in a theory of sovereignty. James Otis when protesting the Stamp Act grounded judicial review in higher law principles. Both approaches intertwine in American constitutional development.

The absence of Ship-Money from the canon of judicial review creates a lacuna in the scholarship on the political construction of judicial review. Increasing agreement exists among scholars of constitutional law that judicial review has political foundations. Ran Hirschl and Tom Ginsburg detail how the judicialization of politics outside the United States has similar political foundations. Talk of politics disappears, however, when conversation turns to the rise of parliamentary sovereignty in England. Distinguished histories begin with Bonham's Case, which scholars discuss as an intervention in the theory of judicial power. The English path ends with Blackstone declaring that courts have no power to declare laws unconstitutional. Parliamentary sovereignty appears to have just happened in England or Bonham perhaps aside, been the rule from time immemorial. No politics here.

Ship-Money puts politics back into explanations for the rise of parliamentary sovereignty in England and the later rise of judicial power in the United States. The judicial opinions in Ship-Money demonstrate that judicial elites in the mid-seventeenth century had developed a conception of judicial power rooted in royal sovereignty that justified striking down parliamentary legislation inconsistent with royal prerogatives. The political foundations of Ship-Money judicial review, however, collapsed almost immediately. The judicial majority in Ship-Money placed the courts firmly on what become within a decade the losing side of the English Civil War when asserting that sovereignty was vested in the King, that one aspect of this sovereignty was royal power to levy exactations without parliamentary consent, and that laws that trenched on this regal prerogative were void. Institutional power after 1648 and 1688 flowed to Parliament, the institution on the winning side of the English revolution. The new understanding of judicial power, celebrated by Blackstone, maintained that courts could not strike down legislation because Parliament was sovereign, but that justices could declare illegal royal decrees inconsistent with Parliamentary sovereignty. "Ultra vires" judicial power and only "ultra vires" judicial power does not date from "time immemorial, but became during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries the dominant philosophy of the members of Parliament who gained power after the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution.


This thesis is a study of the foreign politics of Charles James Fox and his political successors during the final decade of the Napoleonic wars. As such it is an account not only of the closing months of Fox's political life and the thought which moulded the foreign policy of his last government but also an evaluation of his legacy in foreign politics and its effect on the 'Whig' coalition which he willed to posterity. The thesis stops short of treating the mechanics of foreign policy. It is primarily a study of the effect which foreign developments had on the political fortunes of the Foxite-dominated Whig party.
I have not tried to sample the views of the ill-defined Whig party as a whole. Instead I have concentrated my efforts on the personalities who determined policy: on the peers who constituted the Foxite hierarchy; on frontbenchers in the Commons; on Fox's oldest supporters both in and out of Parliament; on political allies who disagreed fundamentally with traditional Foxite dogma; and to a lesser extent on those outside the party hierarchy who questioned and sometimes influenced the process of decision-making with their pens.
Within this framework, the thesis argues generally that Fox's fragile union with Grenville and Fitzwilliam was merely a tactical manoeuvre designed to reestablish systematic opposition to the Crown, gain office, promote Anglo-French accord, and therefore facilitate de facto Whig unity by neutralizing the issue which had caused the disintegration of the party during the debate on the French Revolution. It argues further that Fox's controversial behaviour in office was geared to the attainment of this object; that his death and failure left his lieutenants burdened with the problems which arose from a tactical coalition with former antagonists; and that the resulting delicate equipoise of agreement which at once maintained and undermined the Grey-Grenville coalition until its collapse during the hundred Days was a product of a fundamental contradiction in Foxite 'principles' which had arisen during the 1790's and which Fox had failed to remedy in 1806. This contradiction pitted the most identifiable feature of Fox's politics between 1803 and 1806— coalition on a principle of 'men before measures' for the purpose of reestablishing systematic opposition— against the unpopular Foxite concept of politics which had broken the Whig party during the 1790's.
These arguments, of course, are founded on a contention that Fox's general concept of the French Revolution and the European war continued to exert a powerful influence on Whig councils until the collapse of France's revolutionary government in 1815. The thesis therefore attempts to explain this concept, to display how it influenced the foreign policy of the Ministry of All the Talents, and to establish its continuity by examining the reactions of key statesmen to the ups and downs of the European war, particularly the Spanish Revolution and the subsequent Peninsular War, the collapse of the French Empire, and the events of the Hundred Days.


Observations of thermonuclear X-ray bursts from accreting neutron stars (NSs) in low-mass X-ray binary systems can be used to constrain NS masses and radii. Most previous work of this type has set these constraints using Planck function fits as a proxy: both the models and the data are fit with diluted blackbody functions to yield normalizations and temperatures which are then compared against each other. Here, for the first time, we fit atmosphere models of X-ray bursting NSs directly to the observed spectra. We present a hierarchical Bayesian fitting framework that uses state-of-the-art X-ray bursting NS atmosphere models with realistic opacities and relativistic exact Compton scattering kernels as a model for the surface emission. We test our approach against synthetic data, and find that for data that are well-described by our model we can obtain robust radius, mass, distance, and composition measurements. We then apply our technique to Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer observations of five hard-state X-ray bursts from 4U 1702-429. Our joint fit to all five bursts shows that the theoretical atmosphere models describe the data well but there are still some unmodeled features in the spectrum corresponding to a relative error of 1-5% of the energy flux. After marginalizing over this intrinsic scatter, we find that at 68% credibility the circumferential radius of the NS in 4U 1702-429 is R = 12.4+-0.4 km, the gravitational mass is M=1.9+-0.3 Msun, the distance is 5.1 < D/kpc < 6.2, and the hydrogen mass fraction is X < 0.09.


This thesis deals with the development o f body measurement system for making clothing pattern. Body measurement system for making clothing pattern was developed to measure upper body parts which are shoulder width, body length, chest circumference and short sleeve to produce a clothing pattern for short sleeve round neck t-shirt. The objectives of the research are to identify parts o f the human upper body should be measured to get upper body measurement and to develop a system to determine the body measurement for making clothing pattern using image processing. This research presents a method based on image processing which can extract the measurements of upper body based on reference point and distance measurement in MATLAB. Image processing using MATLAB is chosen because it can generate high speed result compare to another programming language. Graphical User Interface (GUI) in MATLAB library is been used to create the interface o f the system. In this research, 50 image o f primary student from Sekolah Kebangsaan Mohd Ariff Abdullah is used to get the measurement result. A few step need to follow in order to get the result. There are image preprocessing, image threshold and edge detection. The experiment results show that the lower of percentage accuracy system performance is still in the range o f percentage limit which is 94%. As a conclusion, the new system has been developed and the measuring system using image processing in MATLAB can be applied in body measurement. This will enhanced the system in getting precise and accurate measurement and can be used anytime and anywhere.


IZA DP No. 14274 APRIL 2021 The Effect of Child Benefits on Financial Difficulties and Spending Habits: Evidence from Poland's Family 500+ Program In response to the low fertility rate and high child poverty in Poland, the government implemented the Family 500+ program which provides cash transfers to families with two or more children, and low-income, one-child families. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we explore the causal effect of this policy on expenditure and financial difficulties of beneficiaries relative to non-eligible families. The findings suggest that after the introduction of the program, expenditures on food and cultural activities increased, and the likelihood of experiencing a hardship paying for utilities and medical care declined for the treatment relative to the control group. These results imply a beneficial effect of child benefits on tackling financial difficulties of families with children. From a policy perspective, the findings indicate that cash transfers can alleviate child poverty concerns and financial constraints to having children. JEL Classification: I38, D10, P46, J13


Anterior segment ischemic changes can occur without detachment of any muscles. The most common cause of such ischemic changes of the anterior segment is the removal of too many rectus muscles in one operation. Twenty dog eyes and eight monkey eyes were subjected to the disinsertion and detachment of various combinations of extraocular muscles. The dogs were sacrificed at intervals from 30 to 90 days. During the observation period, they were observed for gross and slit-lamp changes. The enucleated eyes were studied microscopically for signs of ischemic and necrotic changes. Two patients who were studied, observed, and treated for anterior segment ischemia following muscle surgery are described. The changes which occur after extraocular muscle surgery are extensive and include corneal edema, cataract, chemosis, corneal changes, decreases in intraocular pressure, decreases in outflow or glaucoma, and frank necrosis. The variables which lead to this reaction are described in detail. Also, some unanswered queries, such as the duration of the reaction and the time interval of the reaction after multiple muscle operations are discussed.


: The objective of the present was to evaluate the influence of local anesthetics protargol, miramistin, chlorohexidine, and photodynamic therapy (PDT) on the polyresistant strain of Candida tropicalis isolated from a sick child presenting with fungal adenoiditis. In vitro experiments were designed to estimate the inactivation potential of the Candida tropicalis blastospore suspension (5.10⁷ CFU/ml) following the preliminary incubation with a 5 mcmol/l methylene blue solution. A Kreolka FDT apparatus operated at the 680 nm wavelength was employed as the source of radiation in a broad power and time ranges. Simultaneously, experiments were carried out to determine the minimum concentration of the protargol, miramistin, and chlorohexidine solutions inhibiting the growth of the same fungal strain. The minimum growth inhibitory concentrations of these solutions were found to be 0.1%, 0.005%, and 0.005% respectively. The photodynamic therapy using the minimal inhibitory dose of 150 J with a 5 min exposition and an output power of 0.5 W completely suppressed the growth of the Candida tropicalis colonies in the presence of methylene blue as the photosensitizer.


Right atrial, right ventricular, and pulmonary artery pressures, along with change in pleural pressure, were determined with catheter-tipped micromanometers in two groups of ponies at rest, as well as during moderate (trot; heart rate = 180 beats . min-1) and severe (gallop; heart rate = 220 beats . min-1) exercise performed on a treadmill. Group A (n = 8) ponies served as controls, and group B ponies (n = 6) had laryngeal hemiplegia (LH) induced by sectioning the left recurrent laryngeal nerve 20-29 days before the study. It was observed that LH ponies could not gallop for more than 45-90 s. With both levels of exertion, pressures in the right atrium, right ventricle, and pulmonary artery increased very significantly in normal ponies. The change in pleural pressure of galloping ponies was 30.4 +/- 2.9 cmH2O, and the respiratory (and stride) frequency was 138 +/- 4 breaths . min-1. During severe exercise in normal ponies, the systolic, mean, and diastolic pressures in the pulmonary artery were 107 +/- 7, 63.5 +/- 4.2, and 46 +/- 4 mmHg, despite the fact that no alveolar hypoxia could be detected. In LH ponies pulmonary artery pressures rose to levels observed in normal ponies, but during galloping, the change in pleural pressure (delta Ppl) (92 +/- 6 cmH2O) was three times that in normal ponies, and there was no synchronization of respiratory (86 +/- 6 breaths . min-1) frequency to stride frequency (142 +/- 3 strides . min-1). Despite these respiratory adjustments (decreased frequency and increased delta Ppl), arterial PO2 decreased and arterial PCO2 increased in galloping LH ponies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Scarcity of water is a severe constraint, which hinders the wheat productivity worldwide. However, foliage application of osmoprotectants may be useful in reducing the drought-induced yield losses in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In this study, potential of foliage applied osmoprotectants (proline, gamma-aminobutyric acid) in improving the performance of bread wheat against terminal drought was evaluated. Both proline and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) were foliage applied at 50, 100 and 150 mg/L at anthesis stage (BBCH-identification code- 61), in two bread wheat cultivars viz. Mairaj-2008 and BARS-2009. After 1 week of foliage application of these osmoprotectants, drought was imposed by maintaining the pots at 35% water holding capacity. Imposition of drought caused significant reduction in the grain yield of both tested bread wheat cultivars; nonetheless, foliage applied osmoprotectants at either concentration improved the chlorophyll contents, accumulation of proline, glycinebetaine and total soluble phenolics and reduced the malondialdehyde contents, which resulted in better stay green, maintenance of grain weight and grain number under drought stress, thus resulting in better grain yield, water-use efficiency and transpiration efficiency in both wheat cultivars. However, foliage applied proline at 150 mg/L, and GABA at 100 mg/L was most effective than other concentrations of these osmoprotectants. Performance of cultivar Mairaj-2008 was quite better than cultivar BARS-2009. In crux, foliar application of proline and GABA at pre-optimized rate can be opted as a shotgun approach to improve the performance of wheat under terminal drought.


It is shown that the mechanism of rock fracture is similar both when a blunt drag bit is used to cut strong rock and when a flat-bottomed punch is pressed into the rock surface. In order to study this fracture mechanism an experimental technique was developed which involved indenting the rock specimen in a quasi-static manner, using a drag bit as the punch. The effect of directing waterjets adjacent to the bit was investigated and it was found that these jets caused a rock chip to form with lower than normal forces applied to the bit. This finding agrees with results of previous experiments where lower forces were applied to the bit during the cutting operation when waterjets were used. A hypothesis is proposed to explain the action of the waterjets on the rock to produce this reduction in the indentation force.


Renal lithium (Li) handling was studied by micropuncture at the late proximal (LPT) and early distal (EDT) tubules in control rats and rats infused with furosemide (FUR) or acetazolamide (ACTZ). In control rats, the tubular fluid-to-plasma Li concentration ratio [(T/P)Li] at the LPT exceeded unity (1.05 +/- 0.02, P < 0.05). Some 25% of the filtered load (FL) of Li and water was reabsorbed in proportion between the LPT and the EDT, and consequently the (T/P)Li at the EDT (1.03 +/- 0.03) did not change. FUR inhibited Li reabsorption in the proximal convoluted tubules (PCT), by approximately 7% of the FL. Reabsorption of Li and water in the loop segment was also inhibited, virtually in proportion, by approximately 10% of the FL. These data suggest that FUR-sensitive Li reabsorption in the loop mainly takes place in the pars recta. However, a small increase in the (T/P)Li at the EDT (to 1.10 +/- 0.01) suggested inhibition of some Li transport (approximately 2% of the filtered load of Li) without water, most likely in the thick ascending limb (TAL). In the PCT, ACTZ reduced Li reabsorption by approximately 16% of its FL. Although it is likely that ACTZ also inhibited the pars recta, net Li reabsorption in the loop was not reduced. This suggests that TAL Li reabsorption can compensate for increased delivery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


The use of spectrophotometers for color measurements on printed substrates is widely spread among paper producers as well as within the printing industry. Spectrophotometer measurements are precise, but time-consuming procedures and faster methods are desirable. Previously presented work on color calibration of flatbed scanners has shown that they can be used for fast color measurements with acceptable results. Furthermore, the rapid development of digital cameras has made it possible to transfer the methods to a camera-based system, and in this work a moderately priced consumer digital camera is used for color measurements. Earlier presented methods for color calibration have been implemented in the camera-based system and new modifications that can improve their performance are proposed. Moreover, if the spectral sensitivities of the color filters in the camera sensor can be characterized, this can further improve the performance of the color measurements. Two methods for characterization of the color filters are presented in this work together with methods that use the camera characteristics for color measurements. The findings of this work show that a consumer digital camera can be used as a fast and inexpensive alternative to spectrophotometers for color measurements on printed substrates.


Foam is used in gas-injection EOR processes to reduce the mobility of gas, resulting in greater volumetric sweep. SAG (Surfactant Alternating Gas) is a preferred method of injection as it results in greater injectivity in the field, but designing a successful process requires knowledge of foaming performance at very high foam qualities (gas fractional flows). Here the use of foam in low-permeability (~1 mD) Indiana Limestone cores for SAG foam applications is studied. Coreflood experiments were performed for a range of foam qualities at high pressure (100 bar), elevated temperature (55°C), high salinity (200,000 ppm) and in the presence of crude oil. The effectiveness of the foam was studied by differential pressure measurements along the core. Foam was still able to form under these stringent conditions, but it was a relatively weak foam (i.e. its ability to reduce gas mobility is modest). For one surfactant formulation, further analysis of the experimental results show that the foam would be able to maintain mobility control over the displaced phase, thus providing a stable displacement front, and that it can be used in a SAG foam process in these formations. For a second formulation the non-monotonic nature of the fractionalflow data require further investigation before scale-up to the field. In addition, further coreflood experiments were carried out using heterogeneous, vuggy Edwards White cores with even lower permeability (~0.5 mD). These experiments were performed to determine whether foaming is possible in heterogeneous media and especially to investigate the effects of disconnected vugs on the foaming performance. CT scans were taken during the period of foam injection to determine saturation profiles within the core. Foam was able to form inside these cores, but inside the vugs foam segregation was observed with liquid pockets visible in the bottom of the vugs and gas in the remainder. This segregation was only a local effect though, confined to the vug itself, and foam was able to persist in the rest of the core.


The writers report results on the application of four fumigants (D. D., E. D. B.-40, C. B. P. and Vapam) for control of root-knot and meadow nematodes attacking potato in beds filled with soil artificially inoculated. The data obtained were as follows: a) as reported by previous authors, potato is sensitive to C.B.P., the toxical effects of which disapearing only about 6 and half months after application. On the other hand, C.B.P. proved to have a significative residual nematicidal value, protecting the seeds from root-knot nematodes for a period of two years; b) D. D., E. D. B., and Vapam were effective for controling root-knot but with no residual value, having to be used prior to each planting; c) at the rates used, no nematicide was effective to control meadow nematodes; d) in the conditions of the experiments, all nematicides incited attacks bv Streptomyces scabies. Actually, in some cases scab did not affect any tuber from the check while the entire production from the treated beds was heavily desfigured. The writers assume that as the nematicides killed protozoa and too many bacteria-eating nematodes, they destroyed the biological equilibrium existing in the soil, thus allowing the S. scabies population to reach a high level.


Polyester textiles usually have excellent mechanical properties. However, their mechanical behaviors under extreme conditions such as in the environment with high ozone concentration usually decay after a certain time period. Aiming at increasing the mechanical behavior of commercial polyester textiles under extreme conditions, a PET thin film coated with pure aluminum (Al) on its surface has been introduced as the top layer of the fabricated material with polyester textile as the middle layer. Main purpose of the study is to evaluate the role of aluminum thin film on the surface in improving the mechanical behavior of the polyester textiles after they have been exposed in the environment with extremely high concentration of ozone gas.


The serum factor inducing hemorrhagic necrosis of transplantable tumors (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)|, and the macrophage hormone associated with cachexia in cancer and certain infectious diseases [cach-ectin| are known to be the same protein. Because an association may exist between l M and the cachectic state, we wished to examine the effect of TNF on the permeability of epithelial barriers. We present data showing that TNF affects the tight junctional region between epithelial cells, lowering the transepithelial resistance and potential difference, and increasing the flow of solute between cells and across the epithelium. These effects are dose dependent, rapidly reversible, and inhibited by a monoclonal antibody to TNF-o. We suggest that the release of TNF at various sites throughout the body will cause a general breakdown in the barrier function of an epithelial cell sheet. This may relate to the cachexia observed in certain disease states. These findings are similar to our earlier published effects of phorbol esters and diacylglycerols on tight junctions, suggesting that protein kinase C activation may be involved.


Objective: To determine the phenotypic and cellular expression of two novel connexin32 (Cx32) mutations causing X-linked Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT1X). Methods: The authors evaluated several members of two families with CMT1X clinically, electrophysiologically, pathologically, and by genetic testing. The Cx32 mutations were expressed in vitro and studied by immunocytochemistry. Results: In both families, men were more severely affected than women with onset in the second decade of life. In the first family, the phenotype was that of demyelinating polyneuropathy with variable involvement of peripheral nerves. There was clinical evidence of CNS involvement in at least three of the patients, with extensor plantar responses and brisk reflexes. In the second family, the affected man presented with symmetric polyneuropathy and intermediate slowing of conduction velocities, whereas affected women had prominent asymmetric atrophy of the leg muscles. The authors identified two novel missense mutations resulting in L143P amino acid substitution in the first family and in V140E substitution in the second family, both located in the third transmembrane domain of Cx32. Expression of these Cx32 mutations in communication-incompetent HeLa cells and immunocytochemical analysis revealed that both mutants were retained intracellularly and were localized in the Golgi apparatus. In contrast to wild-type protein, they did not form gap junctions. Conclusion: These novel connexin32 (Cx32) mutations cause a spectrum of clinical manifestations characteristic of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT1X), including demyelinating or intermediate polyneuropathy, which is often asymmetric, and CNS involvement in one family. The position and cellular expression of Cx32 mutations alone cannot fully predict these phenotypic variations in CMT1X.


Abstract In decomposer systems, fungi show diverse phenotypic responses to volatile organic compounds of microbial origin (volatiles). The mechanisms underlying such responses and their consequences for the performance and ecological success of fungi in a multitrophic community context have rarely been tested explicitly. We used a laboratory‐based approach in which we investigated a tripartite yeast–mold–insect model decomposer system to understand the possible influence of yeast‐borne volatiles on the ability of a chemically defended mold fungus to resist insect damage. The volatile‐exposed mold phenotype (1) did not exhibit protein kinase A‐dependent morphological differentiation, (2) was more susceptible to insect foraging activity, and (3) had reduced insecticidal properties. Additionally, the volatile‐exposed phenotype was strongly impaired in secondary metabolite formation and unable to activate "chemical defense" genes upon insect damage. These results suggest that volatiles can be ecologically important factors that affect the chemical‐based combative abilities of fungi against insect antagonists and, consequently, the structure and dynamics of decomposer communities.


The positive social, economic and environmental impact of transit-oriented development (TOD) in Malaysia is rather limited. This paper proposes a design and development methodology for achieving sustainable TOD in town and country planning, as part of a wider constructive research on sustainable benefits realization management within TODs. Content analysis of interview data with key stakeholders of TOD implementation in Malaysia indicates that there are three major constraints in the planning and development phase of town and country planning affecting TOD. They are: lack of multi-model planning approaches, lack of a planning coordination mobilization structure and disjunction regarding ontological categories of 'substance', 'process' and 'value'. A Benefits Realization Management Set-based Systems (BRM-SBS) planning and development methodology aimed at minimizing the said constraints is proposed. This methodology is centered on having an integrated planning practice that is less hierarchical, that also accommodates diverse planning models. Wherein TOD sustainability benefits are enhanced by using Target Value Design (TVD) and Set-based Design (SBD) approaches based on a transformation, flow, value complementary view of planning and development of TODs. This BRM-SBS methodology is to be validated as part of an extended action research project with the Malaysian National Structure Plan organization.


Abstract In this study the endogenous fluorescence signal attributed to reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) has been measured in response to photodynamic therapy (PDT)–induced damage. Measurements on cells in vitro have shown that NADH fluorescence decreased relative to that of controls after treatment with a toxic dose of PDT, as measured within 30 min after treatment. Similarly, assays of cell viability indicated that mitochondrial function was reduced immediately after treatment in proportion to the dose delivered, and the proportion of this dose response did not degrade further over 24 h. Measurements in vivo were used to monitor the fluorescence emission spectrum and the excited state lifetime of NADH in PDT-treated tissue. The NADH signal was defined as the ratio of the integrated fluorescence intensity of the 450 ± 25 nm emission band relative to the fluorescence intensity integrated over the entire 400–600 nm range of collection. Measurements in murine muscle tissue indicated a 22% reduction in the fluorescence signal immediately after treatment with verteporfin-based PDT, using a dose of 2 mg/kg injected 15 min before a 48 J/cm2 light dose at 690 nm. Control animals without photosensitizer injection had no significant change in the fluorescence signal from laser irradiation at the same doses. This signal was monotonically correlated to the deposited dose used here and could provide a direct dosimetric measure of PDT-induced cellular death in the tissue being treated.


This report examines the effect of transection of the entorhinal hippocampal projection on amygdaloid kindling. We found that: bilateral knife cuts of entorhinal cortex but not of dorsal neocortex antagonize the development of amygdaloid kindling; and bilateral knife cuts of entorhinal cortex eliminate the seizure-induced decrease in number of muscarinic receptors of dentate granule cells. We suggest the following interpretations of these data: the hippocampal formation circuitry facilitates the development of amygdaloid kindling; and the decline of muscarinic receptors after kindled seizures is due to excessive activation of granule cells by axons from entorhinal cortex, a noncholinergic afferent.


Abstract Interprofessional education (IPE) is necessary to ensure that future health care professionals are prepared to provide holistic, patient-centered prevention programs, assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans, and chronic illness management in a collaborative manner. Accrediting bodies such as the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and the American Psychological Association newly require programs to implement instruction and evaluate IPE core competency development in each year of their programs. The IPE core team at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has designed, implemented, and tested an IPE core course over the past 2 years that includes students in osteopathic medicine, clinical psychology, mental health counseling, and physician assistant programs. Throughout this process, the IPE core team has identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges. Cultural considerations, institutional resources, pedagogy for large interdisciplinary groups at different stages of training, and technology and assessment tools for student and course evaluation are all critical considerations.


A code named LARWM with non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations in cylindrical model is used to describe the instability in Tokamak plasma surrounded by a conducting wall with finite resistivity. We mainly take three factors related to the shear equilibrium plasma flow into consideration to study the stabilizing effect of the shear flow on the resistive wall modes (RWMs). The three factors are the velocity amplitude of flow, the shear rate of flow on plasma surface, and the inertial energy of equilibrium plasma flow. In addition, a local shear plasma flow is also calculated by the LARWM code. Consequently, it is found that the inertial energy of the shear equilibrium plasma flow has an important role in the stabilization of the RWMs.


The Wilms tumor-suppressor gene WT1, a key player in renal development, also has a crucial role in maintenance of the glomerulus in the mature kidney. However, molecular pathways orchestrated by WT1 in podocytes, where it is highly expressed, remain unknown. Their defects are thought to modify the cross-talk between podocytes and other glomerular cells and ultimately lead to glomerular sclerosis, as observed in diffuse mesangial sclerosis (DMS) a nephropathy associated with WT1 mutations. To identify podocyte WT1 targets, we generated a novel DMS mouse line, performed gene expression profiling in isolated glomeruli and identified excellent candidates that may modify podocyte differentiation and growth factor signaling in glomeruli. Scel, encoding sciellin, a protein of the cornified envelope in the skin, and Sulf1, encoding a 6-O endosulfatase, are shown to be expressed in wild-type podocytes and to be strongly down-regulated in mutants. Co-expression of Wt1, Scel and Sulf1 was also found in a mesonephric cell line, and siRNA-mediated knockdown of WT1 decreased Scel and Sulf1 mRNAs and proteins. By ChIP we show that Scel and Sulf1 are direct WT1 targets. Cyp26a1, encoding an enzyme involved in the degradation of retinoic acid, is shown to be up-regulated in mutant podocytes. Cyp26a1 may play a role in the development of glomerular lesions but does not seem to be regulated by WT1. These results provide novel clues in our understanding of normal glomerular function and early events involved in glomerulosclerosis.


Aphids are agricultural pest insects that transmit viruses and cause feeding damage on a global scale. Current pest control practices involving the excessive use of synthetic insecticides over many years have resulted in aphid resistance to a number of pesticides. In nature, plants produce secondary metabolites during their interaction with insects and these metabolites can act as toxicants, antifeedants, anti-oviposition agents and deterrents towards the insects. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the butanol fraction from a crude methanolic extract of an important plant species, Isodon rugosus showed strong insecticidal activity against the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. To further explore this finding, the current study aimed to exploit a bioactivity-guided strategy to isolate and identify the active compound in the butanol fraction of I. rugosus. As such, reversed-phase flash chromatography, acidic extraction and different spectroscopic techniques were used to isolate and identify the new compound, rosmarinic acid, as the bioactive compound in I. rugosus. Insecticidal potential of rosmarinic acid against A. pisum was evaluated using standard protocols and the data obtained was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative statistical approaches. Considering that a very low concentration of this compound (LC90 = 5.4 ppm) causes significant mortality in A. pisum within 24 h, rosmarinic acid could be exploited as a potent insecticide against this important pest insect. Furthermore, I. rugosus is already used for medicinal purposes and rosmarinic acid is known to reduce genotoxic effects induced by chemicals, hence it is expected to be safer compared to the current conventional pesticides. While this study highlights the potential of I. rugosus as a possible biopesticide source against A. pisum, it also provides the basis for further exploration and development of formulations for effective field application.


There has been recent discussion in the journal regarding the pathophysiological mechanisms of the development of tendinopathy.1 2 To date there has been no discussion on the role of the enveloping fascia in this condition. In other related musculotendinous conditions, there is evidence that inflammation of the fascia occurs, for example, in plantar fasciitis.3 Histological examination of this condition demonstrates a reactive-type inflammatory infiltrate with accompanying proteoglycan production and oedema seen with collagen thickening. The process is well demonstrated more diffusely in eosinophillic fasciitis, a rare scleroderma-type condition first described in 1974 by Shulman,4 which has a wide and varied clinical presentation.

Cook and Purdam1 propose a model of tendinopathy beginning with reactive change, although with no inflammatory component, which in turn leads on to tendon disrepair and ultimately tendon degeneration. What may well be missing is the "progenitor" stage, and by ignoring the potential role of the fascia and the fascia–tendon interface, we are potentially missing a critical aspect of this condition.

The gross fascial anatomy of the lower limb is poorly documented, …


Charter schools are an important and growing part of the nonprofit sector but the financial accountability and governance of the schools have received little attention from regulators or scholars. Highly publicized scandals of nonprofits have sparked strong interest in governance of nonprofits generally and have led to increased regulation. Charter schools receive more than $9 billion in public funds annually and the risk of improper use of that money merits attention. Although the charter school movement and the concerns it raises are national, this article focuses on Philadelphia as an example. In 2011-2012, one quarter of the public school students in Philadelphia attended charter schools. The Philadelphia School District provided $525 million to the 82 charter schools in the city. The vast majority of those schools also received funds from the state and federal governments as well. The District is expecting the percentage of students in charters to increase to forty percent in the near future.The article examines the weaknesses of the existing oversight system which relies primarily on disclosure of information to the School District and other governmental agencies, all of which lack adequate resources to respond effectively to the disclosures. The goal is not to enter the debate about the educational value of charter schools but rather to focus on how the schools fit into the larger debate over governance of nonprofits. Charter schools share the same challenges of overreliance on disclosure instead of enforcement of rules, insufficient education and training of board members, and a lack of transparency. Nineteen Philadelphia charter schools have been the subject of criminal investigations by federal authorities, resulting in seven convictions and one suicide. The article reviews the issues raised by the available documents which raise questions about the salaries of school officials; the complex relationships between many schools and their founding agencies; the widely varying expenditures for legal representation, accounting, and management; and the concerns about conflicts of interest raised in some cases. The article proposes increased funding for oversight, use of more nuanced tools than just revocation of the charter, greater transparency by the schools, and greater emphasis on board training.


To emphasize the importance of the kinetic boundary condition for micro- to nanoscale flow, we present an ad hoc kinetic boundary condition suitable for torturous geological porous media. We found that the kinetic boundary condition is one of the essential features which should be supplemented to the standard lattice Boltzmann scheme in order to obtain accurate continuum observables. The claim is validated using a channel flow setup by showing the agreement of mass flux with analytical value. Further, using a homogeneous porous structure, the importance of the kinetic boundary condition is shown by comparing the permeability correction factor with the analytical value. Finally, the proposed alternate to the kinetic boundary condition is validated by showing its capability to capture the basic feature of the kinetic boundary condition.


Abstract Discrimination in housing markets occurs when equally qualified people are treated differently because of their membership in a particular group. This study focuses on racial and ethnic discrimination in qualitative actions by landlords, such as making an advertised housing unit available for inspection by a customer. The data come from the Housing Discrimination study, which conducted over 1500 rental housing audits in 25 metropolitan areas in 1989. Each audit consists of a visits to a landlord by a white person and either a black or Hispanic person with similar socio-economic characteristics. Using Chamberlain's fixed-effect logic estimation, we develop a nationally representative measure of the incidence of discrimination in landlord behavior and conduct hypothesis tests on the incidence and causes of discrimination. The results indicate widespread discrimination across several types of landlord behavior and support the hypotheses that landlords discriminate both out of personal prejudice and in response to the prejudice of present and future white clients.


Detroit had been the leader city in manufacturing in the 20th century in the US. The automobile industry created and continued the thriving economy in Detroit, MI in the early to mid-1900s. When outsourcing impacted the industry, people began to leave the city. That turned into a demographic catastrophe in Detroit. Economy had continuously felt and many of the properties were foreclosed. After the housing market crash in 2008, a big economic crisis effected all country. After such a strong economic crisis, Detroit has been desperately need of economic revival which has begun to turn around very slowly in last ten years. In this paper, while defining the nature of the problem, workable solutions for Detroit area are discussed with certain and framed techniques. The main purpose is to understand the current case for Detroit after a decade of the economic crisis and bring solutions for urban redevelopment and rehabilitation for Detroit area with real examples. A detailed evaluation is carried through comparison with other cities. Paper also details the problems in Detroit area, reasons behind the complications, components/parameters, constraints/limitations, solutions, people involved and expected results.


Objective: In order to better prepare physicians to face the challenges in health care delivery today, educators have pushed for the integration of core population health competencies into undergraduate medical education. The goal is to equip future physicians with the necessary skills to not only improve the health of an individual, but also be able to advocate for a community and meet the health needs of a population. The purpose of this research study is to propose a plan to evaluate the pilot program Early Meaningful Clinical Experience (EMCE) at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University. Methods: The program is comprised of clinical experience coupled with case-based education which emphasizes both self-directed and problem-based learning. Paired students participated in clinical experiences weekly at their assigned preceptor sites. Faculty members were responsible for drafting and formulating case-studies. Student-led discussions were held each month, giving members a chance to share what they have learned. Proposed Program Evaluation & Student Assessment: Initial evaluations were conducted through surveys. Short-term evaluations also include questionnaires, student reflections, and a pre/post survey. Long-term evaluations may include Step 1, Step 2, and OSCE scores. Limitations: The study limitations included a small sample size with n=18. In addition, the students were selected from a group of highly motivated individuals which lends to selection bias. Finally, potential confounding factors exists which make it impossible to infer a causal relationship between participants and standardized test scores.


In recent years, wireless sensor network deployments for real life applications have rapidly increased. However, energy control remains one of the major barriers hindering complete exploitation of this technology because sensor nodes are usually powered by batteries with a limited lifetime. Therefore efficient energy management is key requirement for the success of a wireless sensor network. In this project, we proposed a distributed agent based model to solve the issue of energy management in WSNs. In our approach, sensor nodes are modeled as agents. One of the agents is a controller agent called the expert sensor agent (ESA). The ESA at the start of sensing sets a threshold energy level. During sensing, the ESA continuously monitors each of the other sensor agents' energy levels and if a sensor node's power level falls below the threshold, the ESA deactivates the node and at the same time activates one of the nodes currently in sleep mode. At the of the day, the sensing work load is equitably distributed across the nodes. The model was implemented using simulation experiments in OPNET. We evaluated our agent based model against none agent based technique in terms of power consumed and end to end delay (ETE). Our simulation results indicate that our agent based model achieves over 75% power savings compared to the non-agent techniques while at the same time ensuring real time delivery of data.


An analysis of accident records indicated that auto-utility trailer (A-UT) combinations are involved in a disproportionately high number of traffic mishaps. Locations which have a history of accidents involving A-UT vehicles indicated that differential crosswinds and unanticipated driving maneuvers contribute to the driver's loss of control. A-UT combinations contributed to the fatigue loss in pavement life approximately SO percent as much as single-unit, two-axle, six-tire trucks (per vehicle). In general, this vehicle type constituted approximately three percent of the total traffic stream. Analysis of speed distributions indicated an equivalency factor for A-UT combinations equal to that for trucks for similar roadway types and topographical conditions.


How informatization promotes the development of integrated transportation system is discussed in this paper. A model of the relationship between transportation development and space-time structure of economy is presented in order to explain the transportation system characteristics and development requirements in the information society. The key role of information and communication technology (ICT) is analyzed by combing through the developing clues of transport. Logistics, SCM and third-party organizations are employed as well to study integrated transportation system for comprehensive consideration.


Seneca (ca 1 B.C.-A.D. 65) sets his Troades in the immediate aftermath of the fall of Troy. The Trojan women (the troades) were to become the prizes of the victorious Greeks. As the play opens, their husbands and sons dead, their city in ruins, they wait, lamenting, to be allotted to their new masters. But before the Greek warriors sail home with their spoils, further horrors are in store. Pyrrhus, son of Achilles, demands the sacrifice of the Trojan princess Polyxena as a blood offering to his dead father. And the prophet Calchas decrees that the little son of Hecuba, wife of the Trojan prince and hero Hector, must be slaughtered. In this cruel situation the thoughts, actions and reactions of both sides, Greek men and Trojan women, create the unfolding drama. The themes of power, culture, freedom, delusion, history and death make Troades a brilliant piece of theatre, whose concerns speak as directly now as they did to the spectacular, histrionic and self-consuming world of early imperial Rome. The English translation, like that of Boyle's earlier Phaedra edition, is printed facing the Latin and aims at verbal and stylistic fidelity. The introduction and detailed commentary fill in the play's background for students of Latin and of Roman civilisation, and for the generally interested reader.


We have previously described a panel of human small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) cell lines that have profound glucocorticoid resistance, resulting from various molecular defects in glucocorticoid signalling. However, in one SCLC cell line, CORL103, the cause of the resistance is unknown. These cells are refractory to dexamethasone stimulation of MMTV even when exogenous wild-type glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is co-transfected. This is in contrast to cell lines DMS79 and CORL24 where resistance is overcome by transfection of the wild-type receptor. Sequencing of the GR from CORL103 cells revealed two point mutations, but neither of these induced dominant negative activity. Steroid hormone resistance extended to mineralocorticoid and progesterone receptor (MR, PR) activation of MMTV-luc, whereas oestrogen and thyroid hormone receptor transactivation were normal. A simpler reporter, TAT3-luc, containing three copies of the tyrosine aminotransferase glucocorticoid response element (GRE), was responsive when transfected into CORL103 cells with GR, MR and PR expression vectors and activated with their respective ligands. Similarly, pHH-luc and pAH-luc (truncated MMTV variants containing the GRE region, both derived from a different strain of MMTV), were effectively transactivated with dexamethasone. This suggests that the minor changes in the flanking sequence of the MMTV promoter are critically important in determining steroid responsiveness in CORL103 cells. We propose that minor differences in MMTV may determine recruitment of co-factors, which destabilise GR binding to the MMTV GREs. These findings represent a new, selective, model of glucocorticoid resistance that may explain specific cell and target gene differences in glucocorticoid sensitivity.


This paper proposes an adaptive template block for object tracking in typical block matching algorithms. The bounding box of moving object would have different scales while the object moves from near to far or from far to near. Therefore, the typical block matching algorithms using the fixed template block would obtain inaccurate object tracking and object recognition. The proposed adaptive template block is used in block matching algorithm to obtain accurate and reliable tracking of object with different scales. Experimental results demonstrate that the typical block matching algorithm using proposed adaptive template block have better performance than one using the fixed template block in object tracking.


Cisplatin is a powerful chemotherapy drug that is administered to treat a wide range of cancers. However, its clinical use is limited due to kidney damage and the reduction in glomerular filtration rate that occurs in 15% to 30% of patients. Several mechanisms lead to renal dysfunction after cisplatin administration, including direct damage to proximal tubular epithelial cells that causes necrosis and apoptosis. Cisplatin administration is accompanied by the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which causes lipid peroxidation, proteins and nucleic acids oxidation, cell membrane degradation, and finally reduction in glomerular filtration. The most prominent effect of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity (CIN), which can be progressive, is hypomagnesemia, Fanconi syndrome and anemia. Cisplatin nephrotoxicity is more prominent in individuals who received higher doses of this drug, or in patients who had previous chemotherapy regimen and presence of renal dysfunction. This paper is sought to describe cisplatin nephrotoxicity and the protective role of medicinal plants in preventing the renal toxicity. In this regard, the role of antioxidants will be specifically addressed.


Twenty cattles were used in this experiment to determine the quantity and quality of embryo
after injected FSH (follicle stimulating hormone ) and PMSG (pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin) in Brahman
Cross Cattle. The experiment was assigned into Completely Randomized Design with 5 treatments and 4
replications. The treatments were T1 = 4 mg of FSH twice a day intra‐ovary decreased doses, T2 = 8 mg of FSH
twice a day intra‐ovary decreased doses, T3 = 300 IU of PMSG single dose intra‐ovary, T4 = 600 IU of PMSG
single dose intra‐ovary, T5 = 40 mg of FSH twice a day intramuscular decreased doses. Trial cattle were oestrus
synchronized using 15 mg of PGF2α that gave twice at 11‐daily intervals. One day after giving FSH and PMSG
was detected the cattle's oestrus. Washing uterus was done at day 7 after AI using mixture of PBS, FCS and
streptomicyn. Data observed were cow performances, embryo quantity and embryo quality. Results of
experiment showed that 19 cattle (95%) responded oestrus synchronized treatment and super ovulation,
whereas 1 cattle (5%) did not respond oestrus synchronized treatment and super ovulation. Generally, cattle
showed oestrus at 2 – 3 days after giving PGF2α. Eleven cattle (57,90%) showed oestrus at 2 days after giving
PGF2α whereas the others (8 cattle, 42,10%) showed oestrus 3 days giving PGF2α. The treatment of giving FSH
and PMSG could increase (P<0,05) embryo. T5 was highest compared the others ( T1, T2, T3 and T4), while T2
and T4 were higher than T1 and T3. Produced total embryo was 82 with average 4,3 ± 5,67 using FSH and PMSG.
8 embryo (9,76%), 9 embryos (10,90), 20 embryo (24,40%), 16 embryo (19,50%) and 29 embryos (35,40%)
were grade A, B, C, D and E respectively. It is concluded that giving of 40 mg FSH intramusculer produce the
best embryo donor whereas and giving of FSH 8 mg intraovari was the best effeciency


Four fractions of a water-insoluble alpha-(1-->3)-D-glucan GL extracted from fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum were dissolved in 0.25 M LiCl/DMSO, and then reacted with sulfur trioxide-pyridine complex at 80 degrees C to synthesize a series of water-soluble sulfated derivatives S-GL. The degree of substitution of DS was measured by using IR infrared spectra, elemental analysis, and 13C NMR to be 1.2-1.6 in the non-selective sulfation. Weight-average molecular weight Mw and intrinsic viscosity [eta] of the sulfated derivatives S-GL were measured by multi-angle laser light scattering and viscometry. The Mw value (2.4 x 10(4)) of sulfated glucan S-GL-1 was much lower than that (44.5 x 10(4)) of original alpha-(1-->3)-D-glucan GL-1. The Mark-Houwink equation and average value of characteristic ratio C(infinity) for the S-GL in 0.2 M NaCl aqueous solution at 25 degrees C were found to be: [eta] = 1.32 x 10(-3) Mw(1.06) (cm3 g(-1)) and 16, respectively, in the Mw range from 1.1 x 10(4) to 2.4 x 10(4). It indicated that the sulfated derivatives of the alpha-(1-->3)-D-glucan in the aqueous solution behave as an expanded chain, owing to intramolecular hydrogen bonding or interaction between charge groups. Interestingly, two sulfated derivatives synthesized from the alpha-(1-->3)-D-glucan and curdlan, a beta-(1-->3)-D-glucan, all had significant higher antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) than the originals. The effect of expanded chains of the sulfated glucan in the aqueous solution on the improvement of the antitumor activity could not be negligible.


We live in the society that consume more resources and do less for the conservation. The people, in the heavily populated countries have also learnt to live amidst smelly rubbish heaps, which can otherwise be utilized as manure. Though we know composting technique, we restrict ourselves within vegetable and animal wastes. The present study would help the government and NGOs, in managing the solid waste through composting. In view of the above points, study was carried out at Tamil NaduAgricultural University, to decompose fruits and vegetables waste, generated at market. The waste frommarketwas collected and composted aerobically in heaps. Potential microbial consortia and nitrogen, phosphorous sources were used for composting. The complete degradation was achieved at the end of the ninthweek. The finishedmaterial had 2.20, 0.18 and 1.85 percent of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium respectively. The compost was subsequently inoculatedwith aerobic free living nitrogen fixing bacterium, Azotobacter chroococum for further enrichment.


Why massless particles, for example photons, can only have two helicity one-particle states is the main subject of this work. As we know, the little group which describes massive particle one-particle states' transformations under the Lorentz transformation is SO(3), while the little group describing massless states is ISO(2). In this paper, a new method is proposed to contract SO(3) group to ISO(2) group. We use this contraction method to prove that the particle can only have two helicity one-particle states from the perspective of \emph{kinematics}, when the particle mass trends to zero. Our proof is different from the dynamic explanation in the existing theories.


Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are outbursts of coronal plasma bound in magnetic structures that are explosively accelerated. Their evolution into the heliosphere can be observed with coronagraphs and heliospheric imagers, which are able to detect the photospheric light scattered by the CME's plasma through Thomson scattering. Since CME's are optically thin, multi-viewpoint observations from space-borne coronagraphs are used to reconstruct their geometry and direction of propagation. CMEs originate from magnetic active regions (ARs), primarily of bipolar nature, which are observable in magnetograms of the photosphere and extreme ultraviolet images of the lower solar atmosphere. Often the eruption of a CME is accompanied by other sudden activity phenomena located in the same AR like solar flares, filament eruptions or post eruptive arcades.
In this thesis a systematic investigation of the connection between the kinematics of CMEs and the properties of their corresponding source regions (SRs) is presented. For this purpose, a set of 21 Earth-directed CMEs between July 2011 and November 2012 was selected and analysed. The CME kinematics are obtained by applying a 3D modelling method, the Graduated Cylindrical Shell (GCS) model, to simultaneous multi-viewpoint observations taken with the SECCHI instrument suite onboard the twin STEREO spacecrafts and with the LASCO coronagraphs onboard the SOHO satellite. By using these instruments, the CME dynamics including the kinematics and geometry, are covered in high detail over a wide spatial range starting, for the majority of events, in the field of view (FOV) of EUVI below 2 solar radii and extending into the field of view of HI1 ~ 100 solar radii. An aerodynamic drag based propagation model, including distance depending models of the solar wind and the drag coefficient as well as the CME mass determined with the GCS model and Thomson scattering theory, is used to extrapolate the measured CME trajectory to larger heliospheric distances. The extrapolated solar wind and CME characteristics are compared with in-situ measurements at L1. Furthermore, the model results are used in a torus instability (TI) Lorentz force model to describe the initial acceleration phase. The CME SRs are identified by tracking the CME trajectories back onto the solar surface and searching for ARs and related activity phenomena within in a spatial window of less than ±25° in longitude and ±10° in latitude and a time window of ±8 hours to the first remote sensing observation. The ARs identified in this way as CME SRs are analysed for their magnetic and geometric properties in a time range ~ ±6 hours around the eruption time using the SMART code and line of sight magnetograms of SDO/HMI.
The results show a very good agreement between the SR and initial CME geometry with a small shift in the SR latitude towards the solar equatorial plane with respect to the CME initial latitude. A highly dynamic behaviour, including deflections and rotations in the CME geometry within the first 20 solar radii, can be seen from the GCS modelling results. In the kinematic profiles, evidence for CME oscillations with periods between 29 and 93 min are found. Significant correlations are found between the CME SR magnetic flux as well as proxies of the free magnetic energy, which is provided by the CME SR, with the CME kinematic properties. The results of the drag model describe the measured CME trajectories with high accuracy and in general the predicted CME characteristics are in good agreement with the measurements in L1, while the TI Lorentz force model shows discrepancies to the observed CME accelerations.


The effect of the urethrovesical suspension according to Pereyra (combined with vaginal repair and hysterectomy) was analyzed using urodynamic and clinical data of 30 stressincontinent women before and 1 year after the operation. Parameters of 149 patients also suffering from stress incontinence treated by anterior colporrhaphy were studied in a similar way. The comparison showed that women with an unusual short urethra ( 2O) are not expected to be continent after anterior colporrhaphy. In these cases the Pereyra suspension could be indicated to reduce the risk of recurrent incontinence.


We consider the problem of optimizing information rate upper and lower bounds for communication channels with (possibly large) memory. A recently proposed auxiliary-channel- based technique allows one to efficiently compute upper and lower bounds on the information rate of such channels. Towards tightening these bounds, we propose iterative expectation- maximization (EM) type algorithms to optimize the parameters of the auxiliary finite-state machine channel (FSMC). From a channel coding perspective, optimizing the lower bound is related to increasing the achievable mismatched information rate, i.e. the information rate of a communication system where the maximum-likelihood decoder at the receiver is matched to the auxiliary channel and not to the true channel. We provide explicit solutions for optimizing the upper bound and the difference between the upper and the lower bound and we discuss a method for the optimization of the lower bound for data-controllable channels with memory. We discuss examples of channels with memory, for which application of the developed theory results in noticeably tighter information rate bounds.


The food sector is the largest economic sector in the European Union (CIAA, 2005). It consists of a complex, global and dynamically changing network of trade streams, food supply network relations and related product flows (Fritz, Schiefer, 2008a). Food supply networks are subject to dynamically changing circumstances, which include fluctuations at primary production due to changes in weather or climate, impacting supply and demand and prices, and also impacting the quality of raw material, variations in food consumption due to seasonality or the westernization of diets in Asia (see e.g. OECD-FAO, 2006, Pingali, 2006), the development of alternative uses of raw material such as bio-fuel, and, not the least, from changing attitudes of society towards the consequences of the food system's activities for environmental, social and economic issues, captured in the term of "sustainability" (Aiking, de Boer, 2004).


Controlled flooding, while heavily contested, is being experimented with in the Dutch delta as a new and ecologically oriented strategy to deal with floods, in contrast to the conventional flood prevention paradigm. The Noordwaard project (2012–15) represents an exemplary case. At the expense of agricultural practices, land is set aside occasionally to accommodate river floods, while restored flood and tidal dynamics aim to benefit nature development. It is argued that although controlled flooding aims to restore historical land and water dynamics in the area, the role of sedimentation processes has remained largely unaddressed in relation to shaping long-term delta futures.


The desiccation cracks can be observed on dry-out soil fields or other various materials under desiccation. These cracks have a net-like structure and tessellate the surface of the materials into polygonal cells. The averaged cell size changes systematically depending on the size of the specimen. In spite of the varieties of the materials, these fundamental features of the cell topology are conserved. This implies the existence of the governing mechanism behind the desiccation crack phenomenon regardless of the materials. In this paper, the desiccation crack phenomenon is modeled by the coupling of desiccation, deformation, and fracture. We perform simulations for the reproduction of the desiccation cracking based on this coupling model. In the simulations, the finite element analysis for the desiccation problem and the analysis of particle discretization scheme finite element method for the deformation and the fracture problems are weakly coupled. The results of the simulations show the satisfactory agreements with the experimental observations in terms of the geometry of the crack pattern, the increase tendency of the averaged cell size depending on the size of the specimen, and the hierarchical sequence of the cell formation. These agreements indicate that the proposed model and method capture the fundamental features and the mechanism of the desiccation cracking.


*Corresponding Author: Selma M. H. Al-Jawad email@example.com Abstract In this research, raw multiwalled carbon nanotubes (R-MWCNT) was successfully functionalized using sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Then a hybrid (ZnO-MWCNT) synthesized by the sol-gel method where diethylene glycol was used as a solvent and stabilizer that works to prevent the accumulation of nanoparticles and reduces the viscosity of the solution. A group of diagnostic techniques, including XRD, UV-Vis, EDX and microscopy has recognized the structural and optical properties of the prepared nanoparticles. High Resolution Electronic Scanner (FE-SEM) was also used in the investigation. FE-SEM images showed the formation of the hybrid (ZnO-MWCNT) by the growth of spherical clusters on the surface of the cross-linked tubes (MWCNT). In addition, FE-SEM images confirmed the success of a ZnO-MWCNT hybrid. The emergence of spherical shapes deposited on cylindrical tubes and associated with a wrinkled surface was recognized. In addition, the particle size ratio increased. The UV-Vis spectra revealed that all the composites had good absorbency with a shift towards short wavelengths. While it was observed from the analysis of X-ray diffraction (XRD) the formation of a hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure due to zinc oxide with a polycrystalline nature. The average crystal size calculated from the Debye-spark equation increased with the increase in the concentration of the streaked material. Antibacterial activity was studied for all prepared samples against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) at different μg/ml concentrations (500, 750, and 1000). It was observed that the highest inhibition Zone for functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (FMWCNT) and ZnO-MWCNT hybrid was (17.3, 12.3mm), (22.5, 19mm) for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively.


The amount of electricity transported through the electricity grid is increasing. The main causes are the increasing use of renewable energy sources and electrification of our energy use. This causes increasing stress on the network and fluctuating voltage levels. As a solution to this problem, the Profile Steering algorithm was developed. Profile Steering aims to steer houses to spread the electricity consumption across the day to avoid problems within the grid. In profile steering a central controller sends steering signals to each house in a neighborhood. This steering signal can be used by each house to schedule electricity consumption. However, houses know too much about the goal of the central controller due to these steering signals. This goal can be used to create problems for the central controller. Furthermore, the proposed approach has no incentives in place to ensure that houses participate. Therefore, we propose a modification to the profile steering approach, where the steering signals are modified and each house tries to change its electricity consumption according to these modified signals. The houses for which the change in electricity consumption fits best the overall system goals are chosen to carry out their revised plan. These houses are compensated for their change in electricity consumption to incentivize them to carry out their profile. This leads to a game theoretic problem where the participating houses compete to get the compensation. In this thesis, the mentioned game is modeled and methods to optimize the other signals are given that lead to a flattening of the total electricity consumption.


Aims: Mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma is a rare entity, diagnosed with immunohistochemical studies. Literature mainly includes case reports and series which are very few. In our study, we aimed to report a case series from a tertiary hospital with demographics of the patients, detailed tumor and clinical findings and follow-up plus survival conditions. Methods: Pathology database was explored for patients with the pathological diagnosis of 'mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma' and patients were identified retrospectively and evaluated in means of demographics, histopathological examination, tumor properties. Results: Ten patients had been diagnosed with mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma in our center, diagnosed at a mean age of 64.7. Stomach was found to be the most common localization. Five patients (50%) were diagnosed as grade 3. Following surgery, median follow-up was 15 months with a median survival time of 20.6 months. Conclusion: This case series may contribute to the literature on the pathological and clinical aspects of the mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma of the gastrointestinal system.


The intraperitoneal administration of methyl cellulose into rats over a period of fifteen weeks resulted in the development of a syndrome characterized by massive splenomegaly, hyperplasia of the bone marrow elements, normocytic, normochromic anemia, reticulocytosis, leukopenia, a mild thrombocytopenia in 9 of the 10 animals, ascites, and infiltration of the spleen, liver and kidneys with "storage-cell" macrophages. The administration of methyl cellulose to rats previously splenectomized produced similar histologic lesions but failed to produce the hematologic abnormalities. It is suggested that the syndrome produced by methyl cellulose may represent an experimental form of the process to which, in man, the term "secondary hypersplenism" has been applied.


We show that, under equilibrium conditions, an anisotropic phase–field model of a diffuse interface leads to the notion of a divergence–free tensor, whose components are negligible away from the interface. Near the interface, it plays the role of a stress tensor, and involves the phase–field generalization of the Cahn–Hoffman ξ–vector. We show that this tensor may be used to derive the equilibrium conditions for edges in interfaces. We then extend these ideas from the phase–field model to a general class of multiple–order–parameter models. In this broader context, we demonstrate that it is also possible to construct a ξ–vector and we use it to derive the three–dimensional form of the Gibbs–Thomson equation in the sharp–interface limit. We derive the associated stress tensor for the multiple–order–parameter case and show that it also leads to the appropriate equilibrium conditions for edges in interfaces and multiple junctions in the sharp–interface limit. This approach shows that both multiple–order–parameter models and less physically based phase–field models share a common framework, the former providing a generalization of the notion of the ξ–vector for phase–field models as well as providing a connection to the classical ξ–vector theory for a sharp interface. For the special case of a phase–field model with non–convex surface energy, we show that edges can be represented by weak shocks in which the spatial derivatives of the phase field are not continuous, and we derive the associated jump conditions. In all the situations considered the notion of the ξ–vector and the stress tensor play a central role.


Objectives: The goal was to implement a risk profile that would prospectively identify youth with T1D at risk of severe hypoglycemia (SH) over the course of 1 year. We hypothesized that subjects with specific risk factors such as prior SH, a high frequency of nocturnal hypoglycemia (NH), and impaired hypoglycemia awareness would have a high rate of SH within the following year. If confirmed, an accurate assessment can lead to efficient application of interventions to reduce future risk of SH. Methods: 404 subjects were followed for 14 months for SH, defined as a seizure, coma or loss of consciousness in the setting of presumed hypoglycemia (ISPAD guidelines). Subjects completed a survey that queried about SH, NH, and hypoglycemia unawareness. Comparisons were made using Chi-squared or Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum tests for continuous variables. Results: Of the 404 enrolled, 18 subjects had SH in 14 months (4.46%). In the univariate analysis, those who had SH had indicated SH on the enrollment questionnaire (p-value 0.0015) and hypoglycemia unawareness as always or often (p-value 0.0259). Subjects with SH were more likely to wear CGMs (p-value 0.0369). Subject characteristics, T1D management, insurance, and NH were not statistically significant. In addition, we evaluated the 13 subjects who indicated on their initial questionnaire SH in the prior three months. In the univariate analysis, those subjects had more NH defined as ≥2 nights in a 3 month period (P=0.006) and less hypoglycemia awareness (P=0.030). With regards to insulin management, they had a lower insulin sensitivity factor (P=0.012) and higher proportion of basal insulin (P=0.003). Conclusions: In a diverse cohort of T1D, this study shows the ability to identify pediatric subjects at risk for SH with hypoglycemia unawareness and prior SH. As SH is a rare event, as this study is expanded, there is the opportunity for a scored risk questionnaire to capture T1D youth at risk for SH. Disclosure K. Cossen: None. J. Figueroa: None. A.B. Muir: None.


Sulfasalazine is an effective drug for maintaining remission in ulcerative colitis, but its use may be precluded by side effects. Eighty-five patients with active ulcerative colitis participated in a prospective open trial to examine the tolerance of the active constituent 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), coated with an acrylic resin, and its efficacy in inducing and subsequently maintaining a remission. Fifty-one of the patients had previously developed adverse reactions to sulfasalazine. After 4 wk of treatment with 3.2 g 5-ASA daily, a remission was achieved in 23 of 36 patients (64%) with mild or moderate disease, but in none of 43 patients with severe disease. Six patients were withdrawn because of side effects to 5-ASA, but only two of these patients had similar reactions on sulfasalazine. Supplementary corticosteroids for 6 wk or less induced a remission in 27 of the patients who had failed on 5-ASA alone. Fifty patients were therefore eligible for the maintenance phase of the trial, and 39 (78%) had a sustained clinical and endoscopic remission upon 1-yr follow-up. 5-ASA appears to be an effective drug for inducing remission in mild or moderate ulcerative colitis and for the maintenance of remission. It thus represents a valuable addition to the management of patients intolerant to sulfasalazine.


A methodology of general validity to prepare epitaxial nanocomposite films based on the use of colloidal solutions containing different crystalline preformed oxide nanoparticles (ex situ nanocomposites) is reported. The trifluoroacetate (TFA) metal–organic chemical solution deposition route is used with alcoholic solvents to grow epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films. For this reason stabilizing oxide nanoparticles in polar solvents is a challenging goal. We have used scalable nanoparticle synthetic methodologies such as thermal and microwave-assisted solvothermal techniques to prepare CeO2 and ZrO2 nanoparticles. We show that stable and homogeneous colloidal solutions with these nanoparticles can be reached using benzyl alcohol, triethyleneglycol, nonanoic acid, trifluoroacetic acid or decanoic acid as protecting ligands, thereby allowing subsequent mixing with alcoholic TFA solutions. An elaborate YBCO film growth analysis of these nanocomposites allows the identification of the different relevant growth phenomena, e.g. nanoparticles pushing towards the film surface, nanoparticle reactivity, coarsening and nanoparticle accumulation at the substrate interface. Upon mitigation of these effects, YBCO nanocomposite films with high self-field critical currents (Jc ∼ 3–4 MA cm−2 at 77 K) were reached, indicating no current limitation effects associated with epitaxy perturbation, while smoothed magnetic field dependences of the critical currents at high magnetic fields and decreased effective anisotropic pinning behavior confirm the effectiveness of the novel developed approach to enhance vortex pinning. In conclusion, a novel low cost solution-derived route to high current nanocomposite superconducting films and coated conductors has been developed with very promising features.


Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a recessively inherited disorder caused by cilia and sperm flagella dysmotility associated with axoneme ultrastructural defects. Symptoms include recurrent respiratory tract infections, sinusitis, bronchiectasis, subfertility, and laterality defects due to defective embryonic nodal cilia. PCD is genetically heterogeneous and two genes, DNAI1 and DNAH5, account for 38% of cases. To identify new PCD genes, genome wide linkage screens were undertaken in consanguineous PCD families using homozygosity mapping: (1) five Pakistani families with missing inner and outer dynein arms (2) two Arabic families with central pair agenesis and no dextrocardia. Three disease loci were mapped on chromosome llq23.3-24.3 and 17q21.31-22 (Pakistani), and chromosome 6p21.31-21.1 (Arabic), with peak multipoint LOD scores of 3.6, 6.0 and 6.7, respectively. Comparative bioinformatic analysis identified 7 positional candidate genes which were subjected to mutational analysis. A 3 bp deletion in C6ORF206 at 6p21.31-21.1 was revealed in affected Arabic PCD individuals, resulting in a predicted in-frame loss of a C-terminal lysine residue, K268. The protein encoded by C6ORF206 was identified as homologous to the Chlamydomonas reinhardtii radial spoke head protein, RSP9. Functional work was undertaken to determine if the K268del mutation was pathogenic. RSP9 is mutated in the paralysed flagella Chlamydomonas mutant, pfl 7, and transformation of pfl 7 with wild-type RSP9 rescued motility. However transformation of pfl 7 with RSP9 R261del (equivalent to human K268del) rescued motility to a lower level, resulting in an ineffective swimming stroke. Expression of RSP9 was investigated by in situ hybridisation, and zebrafish RSP9 knock-down morphants were created to investigate its role in vertebrate ciliary function. Although expressed at the vertebrate embryonic node, knockdown of RSP9 function did not affect laterality in zebrafish, however it did cause dysfunction of the nasal cilia. This data suggests that C6ORF206/RSP9 functions as a ciliary protein in ciliated organisms and that the K268del mutation likely causes PCD without situs inversus.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the utility of prophylactic treatment of stage T1 superficial tumors of the bladder with 27 mg BCG weekly for 6 weeks and to compare the results reported in the literature.

METHODS
BCG instillations were offered to 235 patients and was accepted by 111 (group A) and refused by 124 (group B). Three weeks thereafter, intravesical instillation of 27 mg BCG was administered for 6 weeks. The patients were controlled regularly according to the standard control procedures utilized in our setting.

RESULTS
39% of the patients in group A showed recurrence versus 71.7% of those in group B (p < 0.001). No differences in progression of tumor stage was observed; 6.3% for group A and 10.9% for group B. By grade, significant differences were found in the number of recurrence in those with G1 (28.5% vs 69%; p < 0.001) and G2 (47% vs 72%; p < 0.01) tumors, but not for G3 (53% vs 77%; p = n.s.). No differences were found in the number of progressions. For those with G2 and G3, the results were not as good as those reported in the literature. The incidence of toxicity was 33%.

CONCLUSIONS
The results achieved in patients with G2 and especially G3 tumors were not as good as those reported in the literature, therefore we do not recommend this approach. For those with G1 tumors and assuming a toxicity rate of 33%, the results are similar to those reported elsewhere using higher doses, and therefore this approach could be utilized.


The luminance level of thin film Y2O3:Eu3+ phosphors deposited by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique are not acceptable for field emission display (FED) because of so-called wave guiding effect. Corrugated glass plates were employed as a substrate in order to relieve the wave guiding effect and in turn improve light extraction efficiency of Y2O3:Eu3+ thin film phosphors. Integrated photoluminescent efficiency, film surface roughness and crystallinity were monitored as function of the pitch of corrugation. The integrated photoluminescence efficiency of Y2O3:Eu3+ thin film phosphor deposited on the corrugated substrate was promoted significantly. The corrugated substrate makes it possible not only to enhance the roughness of phosphor film surface but also to facilitate the film growth in a specific orientation if the pitch size condition was met.


Purpose

This paper aims to present a comparative study of the wear properties of ferrous welded materials like EN8, EN9 and mild steel (MS).

Design/methodology/approach

The material is cut into specific dimension after hardfacing and is studied for the wear properties of the material. The wear testing is done on a pin-on-disc apparatus. The microhardness of the material is studied using the Vickers microhardness measuring apparatus.

Findings

The wear properties of ferrous welded materials like EN8, EN9 and MS are studied. It is found the MS has the least wear when compared to EN8 and EN9. The microhardness of MS is higher than EN8 and EN9, thus making it more wear-resistant than EN8 and EN9. The coefficient of friction in the dry sliding condition is found to be constant throughout the experiment.

Research limitations/implications

Major restriction is the amount of time required for use-wear analysis and replication experiments that are necessary to produce reliable results. These limitations mean that the analysis of total assemblages with the intention of producing specific results, especially of worked materials, is not feasible.

Practical implications

Generally, the complexity and rigour of the analysis depend primarily on the engineering needs and secondarily on the wear situation. It has been the author's experience that simple and basic wear analyses, conducted in the proper manner, are often adequate in many engineering situations. Integral and fundamental to the wear analysis approach is the treatment of wear and wear behaviour as a system property. As a consequence, wear analysis is not limited to the evaluation of the effects of materials on wear behaviour. Wear analysis often enables the identification of nonmaterial solutions or nonmaterial elements in a solution to wear problems. For example, changes in or recommendations for contact geometry, roughness, tolerance and so on are often the results of a wear analysis.

Originality/value

The value of the work lies in the utility of the results obtained to researchers and users of the EN8, EN9 and EN24 material for their components.


In the developed world one of the pillars of ethical conduct in surgical practise is informed surgical consent. In low income developing countries only a few researchers have explored the practise of surgical consent pre-operatively. During the informed consent process, the patient has a right to make an autonomous and independent decision about his/her surgical treatment after having been provided the necessary information by the surgeon caring for the patient. Patient autonomy and independent decision-making is recommended by the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Lisbon. Family and cultural background, education, religion and socioeconomic status may all influence informed consent in surgical practise. In East Africa, few studies have reviewed consent practises among surgeons to document best surgical practise and identify areas that need improvement in the East African setting. This review reports the author's personal experience of the practise of surgical consent among surgeons in Uganda and reviews the specific challenges faced in East Africa. In Uganda, the administration and documentation of informed consent is still inadequate. Better medical ethics education and proper communication skills training in medical schools needs to be addressed. Refresher courses on medical ethics and communication skills may also be necessary for fully trained surgeons.


THE FOLLOWING is an all too common occurrence in products liability cases alleging a design defect: a plaintiff alleges he or she was injured due to a design defect in a product; the manufacturer of the product, at some point after the accident, alters the very design feature plaintiff alleges was the cause of the accident; plaintiff seeks to introduce evidence of this subsequent design change at trial, realizing the powerful impact such evidence can have with many jurors. Is such evidence admissible? Unfortunately, the answer may depend only on where the case is venued and which evidence rules apply. Federal Rule of Evidence 407 and most states exclude evidence of "subsequent remedial measures" in strict products liability cases. California, Colorado and several other states, on the other hand, allow this evidence to be admitted. How is it that these jurisdictions admit such evidence when the Federal Rules, the great majority of state courts, and strong public policy grounds exclude it? The fault lies in large part with influential Ault case, a hopelessly outdated California Supreme Court opinion putting it in the clear minority of jurisdictions. (1) For the practitioner, this article addresses the legal and policy theories cited in support of the Ault decision, demonstrates why they are flawed and why the rule set forth in the Federal Rules of Evidence is more sound and more practical--carefully balancing the needs of both plaintiff and defendant--and provides guidance for addressing this issue when it arises in competing jurisdictions. I. The Ault Decision In Ault, the plaintiff was injured in a 1964 crash involving his International "Scout" vehicle (an early SUV) which was caused by a broken gear box he alleged was defective by virtue of the weak aluminum material used in its fabrication. Evidence was introduced at trial, over defendant's objection, that "Scout" gear boxes were changed from aluminum to a much stronger malleable iron in 1967. At the time, California's newly operative Evidence Code section 1151, which codified the common law "subsequent remedial measure" exclusion, provided: When, after the occurrence of an event, remedial or precautionary measures are taken, which, if taken previously would have tended to make the event less likely to occur, evidence of such subsequent measures is inadmissible to prove negligence or culpable conduct in connection with the event. (2) The jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff and the defendant appealed. The California Supreme Court in Ault was left to decide the meaning of section 1151 in the context of a product liability case alleging a design defect. In making its decision, the Ault court identified a dual rationale for finding section 1151 inapplicable in strict liability cases, thereby paving the way for the admission of subsequent design change evidence: (1) unlike negligence actions, product liability actions do not involve "culpable conduct," and section 1151 was therefore inapplicable by its own language, and (2) the public policy arguments for the exclusionary rule (to encourage remedial conduct) were inapplicable in the product liability context because no reasonable manufacturer of mass-produced products would refrain from making a design change and thereby risk a multitude of future suits) Evidence Code section 1151 excludes subsequent remedial measures "to prove negligence or culpable conduct in connection with the event" giving rise to a lawsuit, which Ault declined to extend to strict liability actions on the assumption that negligence or culpability are not necessary that cause of action. (4) The Court reasoned that in strict liability product cases plaintiffs are not obligated to show any breach of duty of care, but only that the product was defective. (5) What the Court did, in essence, was to ignore the standard definition of culpable conduct, which is, "[b]lameable; censurable; involving the breach of a legal duty or the commission of a fault. …


The energy resolution of the conventional way of measuring a small change in a phonon dispersion curve using neutron scattering is restricted by the relatively coarse intrinsic resolution ellipsoid of the neutron triple-axis spectrometer (TAS). By implementing inelastic neutron spin echo on the host TAS using the Larmor precession of the neutron spin, the energy resolution of such measurements can be further improved without reducing the resolution ellipsoid. Measurements of the temperature-dependent phonon energy change are demonstrated using superconducting magnetic Wollaston prisms at the HB-1 instrument of the High-Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the achievable resolution is <10 µeV.


Changes in arterial and hepatic venous blood ketone bodies were investigated following transcatheter hepatic artery embolization (THAE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Acetoacetaie/ β-hydroxybuty-rate ration (ketone body ratio) in arterial blood was positively correlated with those of hepatic venous blood (r = 0.960, p < 0.001), which reflects the mitochondrial redox potential in the embolized lobe. Nine cirrhotic patients were classified into three groups according to the changes in arterial blood ketone body ratio following THAE: Type A without decrease to below 0.7; Type B with a transient decrease to below 0.7, followed by its restoration within 5 hours; and Type C with decrease to below 0.7 without recovery within 5 hours. There were no serious complications in Type A and B patients. By contrast, severe sepsis and hepatic failure developed in Type C patients, possibly due to the extended embolization of both lobes. It is suggests that THAE can be successfully performed even in severely cirrhotic patients, as long as the embolized area is restricted to one lobe. In addition, changes in arterial blood ketone body ratios can give early information about the likely consequences of the THAE procedure just performed.


Although traffic congestion is a pressing problem that drivers face every day, improving the traffic flow does not always create a healthy environment to the people residing in the neighborhood of the freeway. Improved traffic flow neither means efficient fuel consumption of the vehicles. Moreover, reduction of total emissions or travel times in a traffic network does not always guarantee reduction in the area-wide emission levels, because there are many other factors that affect the area-wide emissions. In particular, the direction and speed of wind are important factors that play a significant role in the area-wide emission levels. Therefore, in this paper, we systematically model the effect of wind on the area-wide emission levels and design a model-based traffic controller to reduce the dispersion of emissions. More specifically, a model predictive control (MPC) is used to integrate various variable speed limits in order to provide a balanced trade-off between the area-wide emissions and the travel times. Furthermore, we present a case study to demonstrate the proposed control approach.


Many chronic diseases and common risks to elderly patients can be assessed and treated through standardized training and rehabilitation programs. Unfortunately, there is a need to make risk assessment and preventative care for the elderly more easily accessible as many programs either use specialized hardware or require human supervision. We seek to reduce the barrier to entry for patients through a portable application which enables fall risk prevention assessment and rehabilitation anywhere. Our work leverages the latest in machine learning and computer vision, accomplishing pose estimation and body tracking with a simple and ubiquitous web cam. Thus patients can be screened anywhere with the ability to get feedback in near-real time.


To obtain strictest theoretical indicatrices of X-ray scattering as well as to determine the volume and surface of DNA A- and B-forms in solution a new "cube" method has been applied which has been developed earlier for description of scattering intensity and geometric characteristics of particles with a complex surface topography. A new approach to calculation of diffuse scattering intensity of strongly elongated particles in solution has been proposed. Hydration of DNA molecules has been shown to considerably affect their X-ray scattering indicatrices. It has been also shown that the known Langridge method satisfactorily describes the DNA scattering indicatrix in the large-angle region but cannot be applied to analysis of DNA scattering intensity in the small-angle and large-angle ranges of the scattering curve simultaneously.


ABSTRACT Background: The re-usable Classic laryngeal mask airway (LMA®) is widely used. There are concerns regarding the transmission of pathogens. Disposable airway devices provide a cost-effective alternative. We performed a side by side clinical comparison of these devices applicable to the South African context. Methods: Adult ASA 1–3 patients (30–100 kg) presenting for elective peripheral surgery in Tygerberg Academic Hospital were randomised to receive the gold standard Classic LMA®, or one of four disposable devices. They all received a standardised anaesthetic with propofol, fentanyl and isoflurane in 40% O2/N2O. Insertion technique, mask sizes and maximum cuff volumes were per manufacturer's instructions. The cuff was inflated to achieve an adequate airway seal (no audible leak at an airway pressure of 20cm H2O), or to the maximum recommended volume. Cuff and airway pressures were measured continuously. A protocol was followed for repeated or failed attempts. 115 of the proposed 130 patients were recruited. Categorical data was analysed using Chi squared tests, and one-way ANOVA was performed on parametric data. An alpha level of 0.05 was accepted. Results: The patients were of comparable age, weight, ASA grade and airway grading. There were no statistical differences in the number of times the airway device size had to be changed (p = 0.627), ease of insertion (p = 0.357) or insertion attempts (p = 0.909). Only the Cobra PLA™ was graded as "Grade 4: impossible to establish an airway" in 10% of cases, and the insertion time with this device was prolonged (p = 0.018). The Cobra PLA™ predictably differed from the other groups in cuff volumes (p = 0.001). Cuff pressures were significantly higher in the Ambu™ and LMA Unique™ (p = 0.001). Maximum airway pressure attainable after 5 minutes was significantly higher in the Ambu™ (p = 0.036). Airway trauma as graded by visible blood on the device was low, and similar between groups (p = 0.237). Secretions were negligible in 67.8% patients and there was no difference in the amount of suctioning required (p = 0.094). Patient comfort was exceptional and comparable, achieving similar visual analogue scores for sore throat (p = 0.742), dysphagia (p = 0.760) and hoarseness (p = 0.258). No complications were noted. Conclusions: We found no difference in routine clinical practice between the Classic LMA®, LMA Unique™, Portex Soft Seal™, Ambu™ and Cobra PLA™ in terms of ease of insertion, number of attempts, size changes, patient comfort or airway trauma. The Ambu device allowed an airway seal at higher pressures. The Cobra devices had a prolonged average insertion time. The Cobra devices were the only ones found impossible to achieve a satisfactory airway after 3 attempts in 10% of cases, although this did not reach statistical significance.