Current research on the relationship of the adrenal cortex to connective tissue encompasses at least three phases, namely, an elucidation of the action of adrenocortical steroids on connective tissue which is (a) normal, (b) subjected to mechanical or chemical trauma or (c) is a participant in various reactions involving a state of hypersensitivity. This presentation is concerned with the first two of these aspects. One desirable objective of our discussion might well be to discover why excessive amounts of adrenal hormones are damaging to normal or mechanically traumatized connective tissue while, on the other hand, ACTH and cortisone protect against allergic phenomena and cardiovascular lesions produced by anaphylactic hypersensitivity. This latter property of the adrenal secretions has been demonstrated convincingly by Rich (6, 21), Soffer (24) and Germuth (12) and their colleagues. The original observations to be presented will deal almost entirely with the local action of adrenocortical hormones on connective tissue. It has been known for some time that certain steroid hormones, when applied to the skin in an appropriate vehicle, are absorbed readily into the circulation. Thus, Calvery, Draize and Laug (7), in a review of the literature published prior to 1946, concluded that when estrogens and androgens are dissolved in volatile organic solvents and placed on the skin, they are systemically as effective as when injected subcutaneously. In contrast, with adrenocortical hormones one can induce histological effects at the site of percutaneous application without modifying the microscopic structure of other parts of the body (3). This type of effect is illustrat-1


Jesus' last extended teaching about how the lost would spend eternity came in His description of the sheep-and-goat judgment in Matt 25:31-46 where He made pronouncements of judgment regarding two groups. The pronouncements will come when He returns to earth to initiate His millennial reign and will deal specifically with the living Gentiles on earth at that time. He will reach His verdict on the basis of how the two groups have treated believing Israelites during the persecutions of Daniel's seventieth week, treatments that will reflect whether they have trusted in Him to receive eternal life. The consequences of Jesus' pronouncements will be happy for believers, but for unbelievers they will be unspeakably horrible. The latter group, the goats, will depart from His presence into unending punishment worse than the suffering one experiences when he has his flesh consumed with fire. Evangelicals who have flirted with notions of watering down Jesus' teachings on the subject would do well to pay closer attention to His words.


The level of efficiency of a company in utilizing fixed assets can be measured by calculating the turnover of fixed assets to measure the level of profit generated in relation to its fixed assets by calculating the profitability ratio, proxied by return on assets. This study aims to determine the effect of fixed asset turnover on return on assets at PT. BPRS HIK Parahyangan Bandung. The research method used is descriptive with quantitative data types. While the type of research is explanatory level research that explains the position of the variables studied and the relationship between one variable and another. Data collection techniques using documentation, interviews and literature study. The data analysis technique used simple linear regression analysis. The results obtained show that there is no influence between the turnover of fixed assets on the return on assets at PT. BPRS HIK Parahyangan Bandung.


A novel nanocomposite consisting of poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT/PSS) and CuI was synthesized via the reduction of CuCl2 by NaI in an aqueous PEDOT/PSS solution. The CuI in the composite was pure γ-phase, as was characterized by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The dye-sensitized solar cell with PEDOT/PSS-CuI (15% in wt) nanocomposite as hole-transport electrolyte exhibited a considerable photocurrent, photovoltage and energy conversion efficiency (i.e. Jsc = 0.50 mAcm-2, Voc = 0.44 V, η = 0.1%).


Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus are potentially deadly bacterial infections that are largely preventable through vaccination, though they remain in the population. This issue reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and current recommended emergency management of these conditions. Disease-specific medications, as well as treatment of the secondary complications, are examined in light of the best current evidence. Resources include obtaining diphtheria antitoxin from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and best-practice recommendations with regard to testing, involvement of government health agencies, isolation of the patient, and identification and treatment of close contacts. Most importantly, issues regarding vaccination and prevention are highlighted. [Points & Pearls is a digest of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Practice].


Abstract

Under the theoretical framework of international trade political economy, this paper examines whether interest groups can dominate the voting of the US Exchange Rate Manipulation Act in 2015 from the perspective of RMB appreciation. Taking 100 senators as samples, this paper makes model estimation by using Full Information Maximum Likelihood Method (FIML), and quantitatively investigates the deep-seated driving factors behind the voting results of the US Exchange Rate Manipulation Act. The empirical results show that the influence of political donations from different interest groups on the voting behavior of parliamentarians is different. The political donations from American labor organization significantly affect the voting behavior of parliamentarians, but business groups and ideological organizations do not play a significant role in the voting results. In addition, senators' personal characteristics affect the political donation of the bill to a certain extent, but do not affect the voting results. In the future, China needs to continuously pay attention to the latest progress of US exchange rate policy, correctly evaluate its impact on China's economy, and maintain communication and coordination with important US interest groups to reduce the negative impact on related industries in China.

JEL classification numbers: F14, F50, F31.
Keywords: RMB Appreciation, Trade Protection, Bills Voting, Political Donation, Interest Group.


Battery systems are one of key factors in the effective use of renewable energy systems because self-production of electricity by renewables for self-consumption has become profitable for building applications. This study investigates the appropriate capacity of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) installed in all electric zero energy power houses (AEZEPHs). The AEZEPH used for this study is a high energy-efficient house, and its criteria indicates that all the electricity energy within the house is covered based on the generated electricity from on-site renewable energy systems, including that the annual net site energy use is almost equal than zero. The AEZEPHs used for this study is located in Daejeon, South Korea, and the experiment for measured data of electricity consumed and generated in the buildings is carried out for a year (i.e., Jan. through Dec. 2014). Based on the measured data, patterns of the electricity consumed by the AEZEPH and generated by an on-site renewable energy system (i.e., photovoltaic (PV) system), and the appropriate capacity of BESS is then analyzed and evaluated using the EES analysis tool, named Poly-sun. Results from this study indicate that the self-consumption can be increased up to 66% when the ESS system is installed and used during operated hours of the PV system, and the amount of received electricity during the week tends to be reduced by about two times.


A method for predicting the stability of thin-walled workpiece milling process is described. The proposed approach takes into account the dynamic characteristics of workpiece changing with tool positions. A dedicated thin-walled workpiece representative of a typical industrial application is designed and modeled by finite element method (FEM). The workpiece frequency response function (FRF) depending on tool positions is obtained. A specific 3D stability chart (SC) for different spindle speeds and different tool positions is then elaborated by scanning the dynamic properties of workpiece along the machined direction throughout the machining process. The dynamic optimization of cutting parameters for increasing the chatter free material removal rate and surface finish is presented through considering the chatter vibration and forced vibration. The investigations are compared and verified by high speed milling experiments with flexible workpiece.


In Germany, the "Inventor's Law" has, in the past, granted German university professors an exemption from the standard legal obligation, known throughout industry, of notifying the employer of an invention. The inventor-professor was at the same time the sole beneficiary of any and all financial income achieved by the commercialization of the invention. It was frequently argued that, in essence, this old legislation was denying the German universities and, thereby, the German economy an economically valuable intangible asset. Thus, legislation has very recently abolished the so-called "professor's privilege," with great financial and political consequences.


In this study, a new correlation for estimating thermal conductivity (TC) of carbon dioxide was developed based on 2319 data points. The data points were at the temperature ranging from 250 to 1100 K, pressure ranging from 1 to 3000 bar and density ranging from 0.3 to 1400 Kg.m-3 in different phases of liquid, vapor and supercritical. The statistical parameters including average absolute deviation (AAD%), average percent relative error (ARE%), sum of absolute residual (SAR) and the coefficient of determination (R2) have been calculated to evaluate the accuracy of present correlation. The obtained values of AAD%, ARE%, SAR and R2 were 1.98, −0.64, 3510.1 and 0.995, respectively. The predictions of proposed correlation were also compared with three widely used correlations. The results showed that the proposed correlation is able to accurately calculate thermal conductivity of carbon dioxide. In addition, the proposed model is superior to all the existing empirical models considered.


In the coming decades robots and artificial intelligence will fundamentally change our world. In doing so they offer the hope of a golden future, but there are dangers. This book looks at both the history of robots, in science and in fiction, as well as the science behind robots. Specific chapters analyse the impact of robots on the labour market, people's attitudes to robots, the impact of robots on society, and the appropriate policies to pursue to prepare our world for the robot revolution. Overall the book strikes a cautionary tone. Robots will change our world dramatically and they will also change human beings. These important issues are examined from the perspective of an economist, but the book is intended to appeal to a wider audience in the social sciences and beyond.


This study was carried out to determine crop water stress index (CWSI) using the infrared thermometer data; to estimate irrigation time from this index and to obtain yield-CWSI relationships for maize under Cukurova Region conditions. In this research, irrigation water levels were 100% (I 100 ), 80% (I 80 ), 60% (I 60 ), 40% (I 40 ), 20% (I 20 ) and 0% (I 0 ) of water depleted in the 120 cm soil profile in every ten days, so different level of water stress treatments were created. A total of 752 mm and 823 mm of irrigation water were applied to I 100 irrigation treatment, in which water depletion was determined as 999 mm and 1052 mm in 1993 and 1994, respectively. Grain yield obtained from the above mentioned irrigation treatment was 1001.5 kg/da in the first year and 1003.5 kg/da in the second year of the experiment. In the first and second experimental year, non-water-stressed (LL) and water-stressed (UL) baselines were developed as Tc-Ta=2.9- 2.66 VPD and Tc-Ta=2.41-2.045 VPD; 4.25 o C and 3.50 o C, respectively. The yield reudction threshold CWSI values were determined as 0.21 using the infrared thermometer (IRT) readings. Linear relationship was also found between grain yield and CWSI.


Whether we realize it or not, microbes play an ever-present role in our daily lives. Foodborne infections, epidemics, and pandemics are frequently headline news. The Microbial Challenge: Science, Disease, and Public Health, Second Edition, presents a fascinating look at human-microbe interactions and examines the disease producers while discussing how, with knowledge-based preparation, we can live in harmony with microbes. It also discusses the ways in which beneficial microbes are involved in the cycles of nature and in the food industry, and how they are used as research tools. Ideal for undergraduate non-science majors and allied and public health students, this unique text is a hybrid of microbiology and public health and includes material on prions, helminths (worms), biological warfare and terrorism, antibiotic resistance, the global impact of microbial diseases, and immunization. The text helps students better understand the biology of the microbial world and the societal factors that are both the cause and consequences of microbial disease. With up-to-date content, current information on health organizations, including the CDC and WHO, and a new chapter on bacterial genetics, The Microbial Challenge provides a gripping account of the burden of microbial diseases throughout the world.


Measurement is a key issue in the literature on price incentive bias induced by trade policy. We introduce a general equilibrium measure of the relative effective rate of protection, which generalizes earlier protection measures. For our fifteen sample countries, results indicate that the agricultural price incentive bias generally perceived to exist during the 1980s was largely eliminated during the 1990s. Results also demonstrate that general equilibrium effects and country-specific characteristics are crucial for determining the sign and magnitude of agricultural bias. Our comprehensive protection measure is therefore uniquely suited to capture the full impact of trade policies on relative agricultural price incentives. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.


Since the first report of RNA interference (RNAi) less than a decade ago, this type of molecular intervention has been introduced to repress gene expression in vitro and also for in vivo studies in mammals. Understanding the mechanisms of action of synthetic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) underlies use as therapeutic agents in the areas of cancer and viral infection. Recent studies have also promoted different theories about cell-specific targeting of siRNAs. Design and delivery strategies for successful treatment of human diseases are becomingmore established and relationships between miRNA and RNAi pathways have been revealed as virus-host cell interactions. Although both are well conserved in plants, invertebrates and mammals, there is also variabilityand a more complete understanding of differences will be needed for optimal application. RNA interference (RNAi) is rapid, cheap and selective in complex biological systems and has created new insight sin fields of cancer research, genetic disorders, virology and drug design. Our knowledge about the role of miRNAs and siRNAs pathways in virus-host cell interactions in virus infected cells is incomplete. There are different viral diseases but few antiviral drugs are available. For example, acyclovir for herpes viruses, alpha-interferon for hepatitis C and B viruses and anti-retroviral for HIV are accessible. Also cancer is obviously an important target for siRNA-based therapies, but the main problem in cancer therapy is targeting metastatic cells which spread from the original tumor. There are also other possible reservations and problems that might delay or even hinder siRNA-based therapies for the treatment of certain conditions; however, this remains the most promising approach for a wide range of diseases. Clearly, more studies must be done to allow efficient delivery and better understanding of unwanted side effects of siRNA-based therapies. In this review miRNA and RNAi biology, experimental design, anti-viral and anti-cancer effects are discussed.


From the Publisher:
Today companies face different problems on Software technologies. Difficulties on system design, on programs maintenance, on the cooperation to non experts are example of substantial problems that produces heavy economic losses. On the author's mind they come out the theoretical roots of computer science since today small theories are unable to provide the complete culture the professionals need. The author develops an original mathematical framework and puts under a new light the analysis and programming methodologies. These are not given as facts but are inferred, they are discussed and are critically evaluated. The reader's mind is solicited to reason out the every day problems. This style is the authentic side of the book that comes out a theoretical research conducted for nearly twenty years.

In details the first part of the book gives the theoretical and cultural contents. The second part clarifies the Software technologies. The book is centered on the structured methods and makes mentions even of the object and visual technologies. In short the work aims to be both a textbook and an handbook.


This paper proposes a theory of human control of robot teams based on considering how people coordinate across different task allocations. Our current work focuses on domains such as foraging in which robots perform largely independent tasks. The present study addresses the interaction between automation and organization of human teams in controlling large robot teams performing an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) task. We identify three subtasks: perceptual search-visual search for victims, assistance-teleoperation to assist robot, and navigation-path planning and coordination. For the studies reported here, navigation was selected for automation because it involves weak dependencies among robots making it more complex and because it was shown in an earlier experiment to be the most difficult. This paper reports an extended analysis of the two conditions from a larger four condition study. In these two "shared pool" conditions Twenty four simulated robots were controlled by teams of 2 participants. Sixty paid participants (30 teams) were recruited to perform the shared pool tasks in which participants shared control of the 24 UGVs and viewed the same screens. Groups in the manual control condition issued waypoints to navigate their robots. In the autonomy condition robots generated their own waypoints using distributed path planning. We identify three self-organizing team strategies in the shared pool condition: joint control operators share full authority over robots, mixed control in which one operator takes primary control while the other acts as an assistant, and split control in which operators divide the robots with each controlling a sub-team. Automating path planning improved system performance. Effects of team organization favored operator teams who shared authority for the pool of robots.


The duration of opioid therapy after surgery is the strongest known predictor of ultimate misuse, and researchers have reported that the number of days for which medication was prescribed and the total number of postoperative prescriptions each predicts long-term use. This article addresses the question of rating the impairment for an individual with no history of substance use disorder before a work injury, who is prescribed opioids for this injury, and who subsequently develops opioid use disorder (OUD). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, should be used in conjunction with the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, (AMA Guides), Sixth Edition. A person who is prescribed opioids is not yet at maximum medical improvement (MMI) and cannot be rated. Referral for substantiation of the diagnosis and for initiation of treatment are necessary before OUD is confirmed and the patient is at MMI. The AMA Guides is based on impairments of activities of daily living (ADL), so a patient's MMI should result in a happy outcome and no impairment, although the burden of treatment compliance may be a relevant consideration. The article concludes with an extensive literature review, including abstracts of published articles regarding OUD in various settings.


SUMMARY Over the last decade, many large organizations have been shifting from developing their own information system (IS) to licensing and installing large software packages known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. These organizations now face the challenge of maintaining these costly systems and many are about to make their first upgrade decisions. The study reported herein aims to address the following research questions from the ERP-client perspective: (1) What are the fundamental factors driving ERP maintenance and upgrade decisions? (2) How do these factors differ from those for traditional custom, in-house software? and (3) Do existing software and hardware replacement models suffice for ERP maintenance and upgrade decision modeling? A single case study method and empirical data analysis were conducted and are presented here. We observe that ERP maintenance and upgrade characteristics are indeed unique in three ways: (1) most organizations maintain and upgrade their ERP systems in order to realize increased business benefits from the systems; (2) a new version upgrade reduces the number of ERP-client-done enhancement modifications; and (3) a new version upgrade potentially reduces future legal change patch (LCP) maintenance distributed by the ERP vendor. It was also found that on average LCP maintenance is almost as costly as user enhancements. Based on these findings, we conclude that the existing in-house software and hardware replacement models are insufficient for ERP situations. We propose a preliminary ERP decision model that overcomes the observed insufficiencies.


Fabrication of electronic devices on different flexible substrates is an area of significant interest due to low cost, ease of fabrication, and manufacturing at ambient conditions over large areas. Over the time, a number of printing technologies have been developed to fabricate a wide range of electronic devices on nonconventional substrates according to the targeted applications. As an increasing interest of electronic industry in printed electronics, further expansion of printed technologies is expected in near future to meet the challenges of the field in terms of scalability, yield, and diversity and biocompatibility. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of various printing electronic technologies commonly used in the fabrication of electronic devices, circuits, and systems. The different printing techniques based on contact/noncontact approach of the printing tools with the target substrates have been explored. These techniques are assessed on the basis of ease of operation, printing resolutions, processability of materials, and ease of optimization of printed structures. The various technical challenges in printing techniques, their solutions with possible alternatives, and the potential research directions are highlighted. The latest developments in assembling various printing tools for enabling high speed and batch manufacturing through roll-to-roll systems are also explored.


The corrosion related electro-magnetic signature is easily detected by modern sensor deployed in mine and other signal measurement system, so the importance of reducing is rapidly growing today. The eliminating effect of shaft frequency signature by shaft insulating technique, passive grounding technique and active grounding technique was comparatively studied by physical scale model (PSM), and their influence on static electromagnetic signature was also studied by boundary element method (BEM). Simulation results suggested that active shaft grounding technique was the best way for eliminating shaft frequency signature, but static electromagnetic signature was stronger than that when the shaft was insulated from hull.


A contour sub-division algorithm on each layer arising from slicing a heterogeneous object is proposed. Within each slice, the material grading is decomposed into subcontours according to the different grading variation. A parameter called "grading step-width" is defined to control the number of sub-contours and resolution of the grading. With such discretization, it is, therefore, possible to build a heterogeneous object on layered manufacturing machines of different fabricating precision specification.


A natural convection solar dryer, a unit of agicultural produce processing system using solar energy as a renewable energy source for producing heat, was developed and tested. This natural convection solar dryer consists of solar air heater and drying chamber. In the developed natural convection solar dryer, Thompson seedless grapes were successfully dried. For quantitative analysis, the traditional; (open sun and shade) drying tests were carried out. The result shows that the solar dryer reduces the drying time of grapes significantly and is most efficient and more effective. Sensory evaluation shows that the organoleptic qualities of raisins produced in solar dryer are of superior quality than those produced using traditional drying methods.


Context Simulation based courses are known to improve team work1 however transfer training has been of questionable validity with training resources generally didactic lecture based.2 Following feedback identifying deficits in current transfer training for novices we devised a hands on multidisciplinary in situ simulation programme reflecting the patient journey from resuscitation room packaging, intra –hospital transfer and then inter – hospital transfer in the sim – ambulance with the aim of improving confidence in the undertaking of such transfers. Methodology The devised programme paired a trainee clinician to either an ODP, or intensive care nurse. Each team underwent 2 'ICU packaging' simulations, transfer through the hospital and then 2 'ambulance transfer' simulations. This was supplemented by a clinical vignettes workshop. A survey was undertaken pre and post course. Results/outcomes 13 candidates underwent training 100% follow up was achieved. All participants' pre-course goals and objectives were met, in principle determining an improvement in confidence for practical transfers. For ICU packaging simulations 90.4% participants were very satisfied for Ambulance transfer simulations 92.3% very satisfied, and for clinical vignettes 83% scored very satisfied. Conclusion and recommendations Feedback following our intervention suggests that an in situ multidisciplinary simulation based transfer teaching approach facilitates improved skills, knowledge and self – confidence in undertaking critical care transfers. References Hunt EA, et al. Simulation: translation to improved team performance. Anesthesiol Clin 2007;25(2):301–319 Handy JM, Suntharalingam G, Walsh A. Improved patient safety during critical care transfers resulting from a sustained Network approach. Critical Care Network North West London. Poster Presentation (http://www.londonccn.nhs.uk)


Abstract. The volume of Earth Observation data is increasing immensely in order of several Terabytes a day. Therefore, to explore and investigate the content of this huge amount of data, developing more sophisticated Content-Based Information Retrieval (CBIR) systems are highly demanded. These systems should be able to not only discover unknown structures behind the data, but also provide relevant results to the users' queries. Since in any retrieval system the images are processed based on a discrete set of their features (i.e., feature descriptors), study and assessment of the structure of feature space, build by different feature descriptors, is of high importance. In this paper, we introduce a clustering-based approach to study the content of image collections. In our approach, we claim that using both internal and external evaluation of clusters for different feature descriptors, helps to understand the structure of feature space. Moreover, the semantic understanding of users about the images also can be assessed. To validate the performance of our approach, we used an annotated Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image collection. Quantitative results besides the visualization of feature space demonstrate the applicability of our approach.


Coverage is a factor to reflect the network service quality of the Underwater Wireless Sensor Network (UWSN). Existing UWSN has problems of void-hole and low coverage, which is reducing UWSN lifetime and ability to monitor deployment areas. To improve network coverage and network lifetime, a coverage optimization method based on virtual force and particle swarm optimization (VF-PSO) is proposed in this article. By action of virtual force, the underwater mobile nodes would move to a better position to improve network coverage in this method. For the VF-PSO algorithm, the virtual force can guide the optimization of particles and accelerate the convergence of particles to the global optimal solution. This algorithm could not only optimize the movement trend of nodes to maximize the coverage ratio but also adjust the node distance threshold to reduce the network coverage redundancy. Simulation presents that compared with other typical algorithms, VF-PSO can improve the network connectivity and coverage of the UWSN area, and effectively avoid the network void-hole problem.


Photorespiration, commonly viewed as a loss in photosynthetic productivity of C3 plants, is expected to decline with increasing atmospheric CO2, even though photorespiration plays an important role in the oxidative stress responses. This study aimed to quantify the role of photorespiration and alternative photoprotection mechanisms in Zostera marina L. (eelgrass), a carbon-limited marine C3 plant, in response to ocean acidification. Plants were grown in controlled outdoor aquaria at different [CO2]aq ranging from ~55 (ambient) to ~2121 μM for 13 months and compared for differences in leaf photochemistry by simultaneous measurements of O2 flux and variable fluorescence. At ambient [CO2], photosynthesis was carbon limited and the excess photon absorption was diverted both to photorespiration and non-photochemical quenching (NPQ). The dynamic range of NPQ regulation in ambient grown plants, in response to instantaneous changes in [CO2]aq, suggested considerable tolerance for fluctuating environmental conditions. However, 60 to 80% of maximum photosynthetic capacity of ambient plants was diverted to photorespiration resulting in limited carbon fixation. The photosynthesis to respiration ratio (P E : R D) of ambient grown plants increased 6-fold when measured under high CO2 because photorespiration was virtually suppressed. Plants acclimated to high CO2 maintained 4-fold higher P E : R D than ambient grown plants as a result of a 60% reduction in photorespiration. The O2 production efficiency per unit chlorophyll was not affected by the CO2 environment in which the plants were grown. Yet, CO2 enrichment decreased the light level to initiate NPQ activity and downregulated the biomass specific pigment content by 50% and area specific pigment content by 30%. Thus, phenotypic acclimation to ocean carbonation in eelgrass, indicating the coupling between the regulation of photosynthetic structure and metabolic carbon demands, involved the downregulation of light harvesting by the photosynthetic apparatus, a reduction in the role of photorespiration and an increase in the role of NPQ in photoprotection. The quasi-mechanistic model developed in this study permits integration of photosynthetic and morphological acclimation to ocean carbonation into seagrass productivity models, by adjusting the limits of the photosynthetic parameters based on substrate availability and physiological capacity.


Background: We developed and implemented the Substance Abuse Research Education and Training (SARET) program for medical, dental, nursing, and social work students to address the dearth of health professionals pursuing research and careers in substance use disorders (SUD). SARET has 2 main components: (1) a novel online curriculum addressing core SUD research topics, to reach a large number of students; (2) a mentored summer research experience for in-depth exposure. Methods: Modules were integrated into the curricula of the lead institution, and of 5 external schools. We assessed the number of Web modules completed and their effect on students' interest in SUD research. We also assessed the impact of the mentorship experience on participants' attitudes and early career trajectories, including current involvement in SUD research. Results: Since 2008, over 24,000 modules have been completed by approximately 9700 individuals. In addition to integration of the modules into curricula at the lead institution, all 5 health-professional partner schools integrated at least 1 module and approximately 5500 modules were completed by individuals outside the lead institution. We found an increase in interest in SUD research after completion of the modules for students in all 4 disciplines. From 2008 to 2015, 76 students completed summer mentorships; 8 students completed year-long mentorships; 13 published in SUD-related journals, 18 presented at national conferences, and 3 are actively engaged in SUD-related research. Mentorship participants reported a positive influence on their attitudes towards SUD-related clinical care, research, and interprofessional collaboration, leading in some cases to changes in career plans. Conclusions: A modular curriculum that stimulates clinical and research interest in SUD can be successfully integrated into medical, dental, nursing, and social work curricula. The SARET program of mentored research participation fostered early research successes and influenced career choice of some participants. Longer-term follow-up will enable us to assess more distal careers of the program.


Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a very lethal disease with a low survival rate, making timely and accurate diagnoses critical for successful treatment. PC classification in computed tomography (CT) scans is a vital task that aims to accurately discriminate between tumorous and non-tumorous pancreatic tissues. CT images provide detailed cross-sectional images of the pancreas, which allows oncologists and radiologists to analyse the characteristics and morphology of the tissue. Machine learning (ML) approaches, together with deep learning (DL) algorithms, are commonly explored to improve and automate the performance of PC classification in CT scans. DL algorithms, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), are broadly utilized for medical image analysis tasks, involving segmentation and classification. This study explores the design of a tunicate swarm algorithm with deep learning-based pancreatic cancer segmentation and classification (TSADL-PCSC) technique on CT scans. The purpose of the TSADL-PCSC technique is to design an effectual and accurate model to improve the diagnostic performance of PC. To accomplish this, the TSADL-PCSC technique employs a W-Net segmentation approach to define the affected region on the CT scans. In addition, the TSADL-PCSC technique utilizes the GhostNet feature extractor to create a group of feature vectors. For PC classification, the deep echo state network (DESN) model is applied in this study. Finally, the hyperparameter tuning of the DESN approach occurs utilizing the TSA which assists in attaining improved classification performance. The experimental outcome of the TSADL-PCSC method was tested on a benchmark CT scan database. The obtained outcomes highlighted the significance of the TSADL-PCSC technique over other approaches to PC classification.


The 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has drawn a substantial amount of attention from science educators and educational policymakers because it marked the first time that PISA assessed students' ability to evaluate and design scientific inquiry using computer‐based simulations. We undertook a secondary analysis of the PISA 2015 Taiwan dataset of 7,973 students from 214 schools to identify critical issues of student learning and potentially reshape our educational system and policies. Thus, this study sought to identify potential latent clusters of students' scientific literacy performance according to a set of focus variables selected from the PISA student questionnaires. In addition, significant determinants of students' scientific literacy and resiliency were analyzed. Cluster analysis results demonstrated the presence of four clusters of high, medium, low, and inferior scientific literacy/epistemology/affective dispositions. Specifically, students in cluster 1 compared with other clusters showed that the higher the scientific literacy scores are, the more positive epistemic beliefs about science, achievement motivation, enjoyment of science, interests in broad science, science self‐efficacy, information and communications technology (ICT) interest, ICT autonomy, more learning time, more teacher supports and teacher‐directed instructions are. Regression results indicated that the most robust predictor of students' scientific literacy performance is epistemic beliefs about science, followed by learning time, interest in broad science topics, achievement motivation, inquiry‐based science teaching and learning practice, and science self‐efficacy. Decision tree model results showed that the descending order of the variables in terms of their importance in differentiating students as high‐ versus low‐performing were epistemic beliefs about science, learning time, self‐efficacy, interest in broad science, and scientific inquiry, respectively. A similar decision tree model to determine students as resilient versus non‐resilient also was found. Various interpretations of these results are discussed, as are their implications for science education research, science teaching, and science education policy.


The assessment of the completeness of milk-out in dairy cows is one of the indicators used to evaluate and optimise the milking process. A number of different methods and thresholds are available for this purpose, but procedures and validation of the methods are not always described in detail, and may vary between studies. The objective of this study was to introduce and evaluate a new, precisely defined hand-milking method (DEFINED) and to compare its outcome with two commonly applied methods to assess the completeness of milking: visual scoring of the degree of quarter filling (VISUAL) and quantitative assessment of the number of easy strips (EASYSTRIPS). Each of the three methods was applied in 131 Holstein cows of six dairy herds in northern Germany. The assessment of milk-out was carried out by three experienced but non-regular milkers (evaluators). Each evaluator visited the six herds once during afternoon milking. To avoid any transitions, the interval between visits of two evaluators was at least 2 days. Maximum hand-milking time per cow was set to 60 s. The total strip yield collected in 60 s (SY60) by the application of a strip frequency of 1 Hz was used as a reference for the amount of milk left in the investigated quarter after machine-milking. The three methods were evaluated by analysing their statistical relationship with SY60, and by ranking their suitability for quantitative or qualitative assessment of milk-out. VISUAL and SY60 were not related, indicating that VISUAL was unsuitable for estimating the amount of milk left actually in the udder quarters. The strip yield in 15 s (DEFINED) and SY60 was significantly related, but results varied among evaluators. With regard to EASYSTRIPS, a significant relationship with SY60 was found, but the results were influenced by evaluator and herd. The findings of this study imply that DEFINED allows a rapid and farm-independent quantitative estimate of the post-milking strip yield. Likewise, EASYSTRIPS was meaningful in assessing milk-out of quarters in a given herd, whereas VISUAL allowed neither a quantitative nor a qualitative assessment of post-milking strip yield or milk-out. Thresholds for complete or incomplete milk-out by DEFINED must be lower than those commonly applied in 15 s of post-milking.


The demand for higher output efficiencies, greater specific power output, increased reliability, and ever reduced emissions has been rising. Due to its availability one promising alternative is the use of butanol in internal combustion engines. In this study, the effects of n-butanol addition (5%, 15% and 25% by volume) to diesel fuel on the performance and exhaust emissions of a 6 cylinder four stroke turbocharged direct injection CI Diesel engine were investigated using GT-Power computational simulation tool. The simulations were performed by varying the engine speed between 1000 and 2000 rpm at four different loads of brake mean effective pressure (bmep) (4.5, 8.5, 10.5 and 12.75 bar). The performance and exhaust emissions of the engine when working with the three butanol-diesel blends were compared with neat diesel fuel. The results showed that the butanol-diesel blends reduced carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NO X ) by about 40% and 70% respectively, However carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and unburned hydrocarbon (HC) emissions increased. It was also found that the brake thermal efficiency (BTE) improved by more than 20% for butanol diesel blends when compared with the corresponding diesel fuel. Due to its optimum values in terms of emission and performance parameters 15% butanol-diesel blend was found to be the best choice.


An automatic irrigation control system has
been designed to facilitate the automatic supply of
adequate of water from a reservoir to field or
domestic crops in all agricultural seasons. One of the
objectives of this work is to see how human control
could be removed from irrigation and also to
optimize the use of water in the process. The method
employed is to continuously monitor the soil moisture
level to decide whether irrigation is needed, and how
much water is needed in the soil. A pumping
mechanism is used to deliver the needed amount of
water to the soil. The work can be grouped into four
subsystems namely; power supply, sensing unit,
control unit and pumping subsystems which make up
the automatic irrigation control system. A moisture
sensor was constructed to model the electrical
resistance of the soil; a regulated 12 volts power
supply unit was constructed to power the system; the
control circuit was implemented using operational
amplifier and timer; and the pumping subsystem
consisting of a submersible low-noise micro water
pump was constructed using a small dc-operated
motor. System response tests were carried out to
determine the time taken for the system to irrigate
potted samples of different soil types having different
levels of dryness. The results obtained showed that sandy soils require less water than loamy soils and
clay soils require the most water for irrigation.


In the urban centers of the United States hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually on police patrol forces, deployed for the maintenance of public safety. Despite this vast expenditure of public funds, little is known about the effectiveness of current patrol strategies and about the incorporation of computers and other technological devices into patrol planning.In "Urban Police Patrol Analysis, " Professor Larson combines his knowledge of metropolitan police forces with the analytical processes of operations research to devise a wide range of quantitative models that bear on police patrol. These include models of the patrol and response functions that indicate the effectiveness of a particular patrol allocation and allow the comparison of different allocations, patrol strategies, and response strategies. Also included is the description of a recently implemented simulation model that allows the planner to predict the consequences of a wide variety of complex patrol procedures without having to disrupt current police operations.The opening chapters of the book provide the background to many of the problems related to police patrol and outline the issues that require analysis. A special chapter simulates a group of planners and analysts in a hypothetical city who are engaged in redesigning patrol and dispatch operation. In following the group's work through the model building, designing, testing, and implementation stages, the reader is given a preview of models developed in later chapters and an outline of the process by which the technical analyst and the police planner can combine to produce innovations for implementation.The six technical chapters that follow develop and discuss the details of models of police response time, preventive patrol effectiveness, workload distribution, dispatch delays, inter-sector cooperation, and a number of other performance measures.Included is an evaluation of automatic vehicle location systems, indicating potential advantages of revising patrol deployments when car positions are known to dispatchers. Each chapter includes a nontechnical summary to guide the reader. Numerous references to related works are provided in footnotes and the work contains an annotated bibliography which, at this writing, is the most complete information available on the field of quantitative police patrol management.Most of the methods presented in "Urban Police Patrol Analysis" have been developed recently and are the first efforts in the application of mathematical modeling to police patrol. As such they represent a major improvement over inadequate traditional methods, and accordingly, this book will be invaluable to police patrol administrators, technical advisors and consultants to police departments, criminal justice planners, staffs of city management, operations researchers who are involved in public systems problems, students of law enforcement, and operations research studies of public systems problems.


A 25 kg, 4 years old, Boxer breed bitch which had ovariohysterectomy section 2 years ago, was presented with weakness, loss of appetite, masses on abdominal and inguinal mammary glands and vaginal bleeding. Transmissible venereal tumor (TVT) was diagnosed with vaginal cytology. Intra-abdominal mass around the iliac artery and remnant ovary behind the right kidney were determined on ultrasonographic examination. The remnant ovary and the masses on mammary glands were removed by surgical approach. However, intra-abdominal mass could not be extirpated because of its localization during the same laparotomy. A biopsy was taken from the vaginal mass. According to histopathology, TVT and collagenous hamartoma were detected on mammary glands. Also, TVT was observed in vaginal and intra-abdominal masses. Chemotherapy protocol was arranged for intra-abdominal mass and vaginal TVT which occupied for ten weeks. Hemogram, vaginal smear and transabdominal ultrasonography were repeated before each chemotherapy course. Size of the intra-abdominal mass, pulsatility index (PI) and relative index (RI) values of iliac artery were evaluated with B-mode ultrasonography and doppler ultrasonography during the treatment, respectively. As a result, positive correlation between PI and RI values were determined. In the presented case, TVT and its metastases were successfully treated with both surgery and chemotherapy. It was concluded that evaluation of the metastases with doppler ultrasonography will be favorable to reveal the hemodynamic alterations of related organs or tissues.


This paper studies the potential of personalized "smart" information interven- tions to improve teacher assignment results in the context of a centralized choice and assignment system (CCAS) in Ecuador. Specifically, we focus on the impact that a personalized non-assignment risk warning, coupled with a list of "achiev- able" teaching position recommendations, had on teacher applications in the "I Want to Become a Teacher" selection process. We study the causal effect of the intervention on teachers school choices, assessing its impact on the equilibrium probability of being assigned and on the overall results of the selection process, both in terms of the percentage of filled vacancies and the selection scores of as- signed teachers. We find that treated teachers, in equilibrium, are much more likely to modify their application and obtain an assignment. This result highlights the potential of similar information interventions in other contexts. We furthermore present evidence that the intervention led to increased overall assignment rates and selection scores.


Recently, the performance of the DSP and FPGA is developed remarkably. So, fully digital control is enabled in switch mode power supplies. However, in many cases, the control system is built by very complicatedly and very difficult theories such as the adaptive control, predictive control, and so on. Furthermore, in most popular PID control, its design method of the parameters is not clear, so derivation of the optimal parameters is very difficult. This paper proposes revolutionary control technique which is cancelled the transfer function of the converter completely by using pole-zero-cancellation method. This technique is very simple and easy to stability design.


This is the official website for Glasstire, an online magazine that covers visual art in Texas and Southern California. Founded in 2001, Glasstire was one of the earliest online art journals in the United States. It is a non-profit publication supported in part by grants from The Houston Endowment, The Brown Foundation, the the National Endowment for the Arts, the Greater Houston Community Foundation, the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, and the Texas Commission for the Arts. It includes articles, news about local art events, videos, and classifieds.


Abstract:The four essays by Sanford Gifford collected in this journal issue trace the passage of psychoanalysis from Europe to the U.S. They focus specifically on the work of émigré analysts in Boston and their significance in the institutional history of BPSI. The essays explore the careers of Jenny Waelder-Hall and Walter Langer, and the interaction between Felix Deutsch and Sigmund Freud during the years that Freud was diagnosed with cancer and first responded to the diagnosis.


Aim There is increasing evidence to suggest the presence of chronic inflammation in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Some CF patients continue to have very severe GI symptoms despite conventional CF treatment. In our centre, these patients are managed in a CF gastroenterology clinic, jointly with a gastroenterologist. A number of them have required GI endoscopy and biopsy. The aim of our study was to characterise these patients and determine whether endoscopy and biopsy changed their management. Methods We reviewed all the patients seen in the CF gastroenterology clinic from 2004 to 2009, who had GI endoscopies performed. The GI symptoms these patients were experiencing ranged from abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, rectal bleeding, severe failure to thrive, diarrhoea to constipation. These patients had already received intensive input from the dieticians and physicians in the CF clinic prior to referral to the gastroenterologist. Results 12 patients were identified. The mean [SD] age at referral to the CF gastroenterology clinic was 4.9 (4.1) years. Their body mass index was 15.1 (1.8). 25% were homozygous delF508. Two patients had previously had meconium ileus as neonates and both had required surgery for this. One other patient had needed abdominal surgery for intussusception. 92% were pancreatic insufficient, 25% were chronically infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 17% were on regularly three monthly intravenous antibiotics. Of the 10 patients who were able to perform spirometry, mean (SD) FEV1 was 95 (30)% predicted. The biopsies in three patients were normal, but the rest (nine) showed evidence of inflammation including duodenitis with mucosal eosinophilic infiltrate, duodenitis with severe partial villous atrophy, colitis and chronic inactive gastritis. In the nine patients with evidence of GI inflammation on biopsy, immunomodulators were commenced, including sodium cromoglycate, prednisolone, azathioprine, methotrexate, ketotifen, mesalazine and sulphasalazine. 4 were started on a special feed such as an elemental feed, and 1 patient had such severe symptoms associated with GI inflammation, she was commenced on TPN. Conclusion In summary, GI endoscopy and biopsy has a significant role in the management of CF children with severe GI disease. In our study, it influenced the management in 75% of patients with severe GI symptoms. Furthermore, if severe GI inflammation is identified on biopsy, management with immunomodulatory agents may be helpful.


The overall system reliability of complex or safety critical systems is of increasing importance. Composite materials are increasingly used instead of conventional construction materials due to advantageous mechanical properties, such as high specific strength resulting from their complex structure. Therefore, different nondestructive testing techniques, which indicate developing damages in composites, are proposed for continuous monitoring to ensure reliability and safety. Here passive emitted Acoustic Emission (AE) in combination with frequency analysis is used to identify characteristic features related to different failure modes of composites. The use of different filtering and classification methods to identify damages in composites results in various performance of classifiers. Ensuring high accuracy of the decisions evaluating faults, system changes or even the State-of-Health, the assignments from different classifiers evaluating the same situation can be fused to one final decision stating a similar statement but with improved probability of belief. Some factors just influencing only one individual filtering or classification can be compensated. Using ensemble selection strategies, only suitable classifiers are selected to be considered in the fusion process. In this contribution specific selection strategies and fusion algorithms are used to combine results of differently classified Acoustic Emission measurements to evaluate and distinguish different kind of damage of composite structures. The individual properties of suitable classifiers to be fused as well as the kind of selection are crucial for the overall accuracy. The results show the advantages of the combination of different assignments to ensure the reliability of a monitored system as well as the SHM system for monitoring.


Filling hard disk drives with air-helium gas mixtures instead of pure helium can balance performance improvement, such as reduced power cost, increased capacity and improved reliability, against manufacturing cost increase. A consistent approach is proposed here to investigate the flying performance of thermal flying height control sliders flying in air-helium gas mixtures. It is found that the smallest power required for a designated flying height appears when the gas mixture is composed of about half helium and half air. The proposed numerical approach can also find application in investigating a slider's flying performance in a humid environment.


Critically ill patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been observed to be hypercoagulable, but the mechanisms for this remain poorly described. Factor VIII is a procoagulant factor that increases during inflammation and is cleaved by activated protein C. To our knowledge, there is only 1 prior study of factor VIII and functional protein C activity in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Here, we present a case series of 10 critically ill patients with COVID-19 who had severe elevations in factor VIII activity and low normal functional protein C activity, which may have contributed to hypercoagulability.


A theory for describing the elasticity of solids at
simultaneous high pressures and high temperatures is developed
by incorporating the fourth-order ahnarmonic theory of lattice
dynamics into finite strain theory. The theory is applied
to the analysis of a variety of data for MgO, SiO2 and
NaCl, and the results for MgO and SiO2 used as the basis of
a discussion of the constitution of the lower mantle. New
results are reported of measurements of elastic properties
of MgO shock-compressed to over 500 Kb. The condition that finite strain equations be frame-
indifferent is shown to require that only strain tensors
belonging to a class of frame-indifferent strain tensors be
used in finite strain expansion. It is shown that the
generality of finite strain theory is not impaired by the
inclusion of an explicit theory of thermal effects. Explicit
equations for isotherms, isentropes and Hugoniots and for
the effective elastic moduli of materials of cubic symmetry
under hydrostatic stress are derived. The primary parameters
of these equations are related to the elastic moduli and
their pressure and temperature derivatives in an arbitrary
reference state using thermodynamic identities, some of which
are derived here. Hugoniot data corresponding to different initial sample
densities of MgO, SiO2 and NaCl and original ultrasonic data
of NaCl are used to test both the compressional and thermal
parts of the theory, and to refine the equations of state of
these materials. The frame-indifferent analogue, E, of the
usual "Eulerian" strain tensor, e, is found to usually give
faster convergence of finite strain expansions than the
"Lagrangian" strain tensor, η. The effect of usinq different
strain measures on the values of parameters derived from
data is demonstrated, and the adverse effects of using inappropriately
derived parameters in extrapolation equations is demonstrated.
Thermal effects in Hugoniot data are reasonably well described,
but higher-order anharmonic effects appear to be required in the
theory in order to describe the high temperature ultrasonic and
thermal expansion data. Measured velocities of rarefaction waves propagating
into shocked MgO are in accord with a two-stage longitudinal
(elastic)-hydrodynamic (plastic) decompression model, and
constrain the high-pressure elastic moduli of MgO. The effects on the determination of the lower mantle constitution
of temperature, varying composition, the presence of phases denser
than oxides mixtures, and the presence of iron in the "low-spin"
electronic state are estimated, and a trade-off between many
of these factors demonstrated. Iron content could range between 6% and
15% by weight of FeO. Silica content could range from 33% to 50% or
more by weight. Phases a few percent denser than oxides mixtures
seem to be likely. The temperature is very indeterminable.


BACKGROUND
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are wound infections that occur after invasive (surgical) procedures. Preoperative bathing or showering with an antiseptic skin wash product is a well-accepted procedure for reducing skin bacteria (microflora). It is less clear whether reducing skin microflora leads to a lower incidence of surgical site infection.

OBJECTIVES
To review the evidence for preoperative bathing or showering with antiseptics for the prevention of hospital-acquired (nosocomial) surgical site infection.

SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register (December 2005), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2005), MEDLINE (January 1966 to December 2005) and reference lists of articles.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials comparing any antiseptic preparation used for preoperative full-body bathing or showering with non-antiseptic preparations in patients undergoing surgery.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two authors independently assessed studies for selection, trial quality and extracted data. Study authors were contacted for additional information.

MAIN RESULTS
Six trials involving a total of 10,007 participants were included. Three of the included trials had three comparison groups. The antiseptic used in all trials was 4% chlorhexidine gluconate (Hibiscrub). Three trials involving 7691 participants compared chlorhexidine with a placebo. Bathing with chlorhexidine compared with a placebo did not result in a statistically significant reduction in SSIs; the relative risk of SSI (RR) was 0.91 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80 to 1.04). When only trials of high quality were included in this comparison, the RR of SSI was 0.95 (95%CI 0.82 to 1.10). Three trials of 1443 participants compared bar soap with chlorhexidine; when combined there was no difference in the risk of SSIs (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.84). Two trials of 1092 patients compared bathing with chlorhexidine with no washing, one large study found a statistically significant difference in favour of bathing with chlorhexidine (RR 0.36, 95%CI 0.17 to 0.79). The second smaller study found no difference between patients who washed with chlorhexidine and those who did not wash preoperatively.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
This review provides no clear evidence of benefit for preoperative showering or bathing with chlorhexidine over other wash products, to reduce surgical site infection. Efforts to reduce the incidence of nosocomial surgical site infection should focus on interventions where effect has been demonstrated.


A high-resolution spectroscopic analysis is presented for a new highly r-process-enhanced ([Eu/Fe] = 1.27, [Ba/Eu] = −0.65), very metal-poor ([Fe/H] = −2.09), retrograde halo star, RAVE J153830.9–180424, discovered as part of the R-Process Alliance survey. At V = 10.86, this is the brightest and most metal-rich r-II star known in the Milky Way halo. Its brightness enables high-S/N detections of a wide variety of chemical species that are mostly created by the r-process, including some infrequently detected lines from elements like Ru, Pd, Ag, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, and Th, with upper limits on Pb and U. This is the most complete r-process census in a very metal-poor r-II star. J1538–1804 shows no signs of s-process contamination, based on its low [Ba/Eu] and [Pb/Fe]. As with many other r-process-enhanced stars, J1538–1804's r-process pattern matches that of the Sun for elements between the first, second, and third peaks, and does not exhibit an actinide boost. Cosmo-chronometric age-dating reveals the r-process material to be quite old. This robust main r-process pattern is a necessary constraint for r-process formation scenarios (of particular interest in light of the recent neutron star merger, GW170817), and has important consequences for the origins of r-II stars. Additional r-I and r-II stars will be reported by the R-Process Alliance in the near future.


This paper deals with the problem of guiding mobile sensors (or robots) to a phenomenon across a region covered by static sensors. We present a distributed, reliable and energy-efficient algorithm to construct a smoothed moving trajectory for a mobile robot. The reliable trajectory is realized by first constructing among static sensors a distributed hop count based artificial potential field (DH-APF) with only one local minimum near the phenomenon, and then navigating the robot to that minimum by an attractive force following the reversed gradient of the constructed field. Besides the attractive force towards the phenomenon, our algorithm adopts an additional repulsive force to push the robot away from obstacles, exploiting the fast sensing devices carried by the robot. Compared with previous navigation algorithms that guide the robot along a planned path, our algorithm can (1) tolerate the potential deviation from a planned path, since the DH-APF covers the entire deployment region; (2) mitigate the trajectory oscillation problem; (3) avoid the potential collision with obstacles; (4) save the precious energy of static sensors by configuring a large moving step size, which is not possible for algorithms neglecting the issue of navigation reliability. Our theoretical analysis of the above features considers practical sensor network issues including radio irregularity, packet loss and radio conflict. We implement the proposed algorithm over TinyOS and test its performance on the simulation platform with a high fidelity provided by TOSSIM and Tython. Simulation results verify the reliability and energy efficiency of the proposed mobile sensor navigation algorithm.


It has been established in the medical literature that self-medicating with imperfect information about either the use of a genuine or counterfeit drug or based on wrong self-diagnosis of ailment, which is predominant especially in developing countries, is a risky investment in health capital. This paper models the decision to self-medicate and the demand for self-medicated drugs. We suppose that investment in self-medication depends on the perception of its effectiveness. The results obtained show that the decision to self-medicate depends on the relative price and perceived effectiveness of self-medication, the elasticity of the shadow value of health with respect to the quantity of health capital, and the relative effectiveness of self-medication in reducing the unpredictable changes in health capital. Furthermore, if an individual self-medicates, self-medication becomes a normal good: it increases if income increases; and it obeys the law of demand (i.e. it increases if its price, relative to that of the risk-free medication, decreases). Moreover, we have shown that some optimum subsidy can discourage self-medication.


Forests are an incredibly important resource across the globe, yet they are threatened by climate change through stressors such as drought, insect outbreaks, and wildfire. Trailing edge forests—those areas expected to experience range contractions under a changing climate—are of particular concern because of the potential for abrupt conversion to non‐forest. However, due to plant‐climate disequilibrium, broad‐scale forest die‐off and range contraction in trailing edge forests are unlikely to occur over short timeframes (<~25–50 yr) without a disturbance catalyst (e.g., wildfire). This underscores that explicit attention to both climate and disturbance is necessary to understand how the distribution of forests will respond to climate change. As such, we first identify the expected location of trailing edge forests in the intermountain western United States by mid‐21st century. We then identify those trailing edge forests that have a high probability of stand‐replacing fire and consider such sites to have an elevated risk of fire‐facilitated transition to non‐forest. Results show that 18% of trailing edge forest and 6.6% of all forest are at elevated risk of fire‐facilitated conversion to non‐forest in the intermountain western United States by mid‐21st century. This estimate, however, assumes that fire burns under average weather conditions. For a subset of the study area (the southwestern United States), we were able to incorporate expected fire severity under extreme weather conditions. For this spatial subset, we found that 61% of trailing edge forest and 30% of all forest are at elevated risk of fire‐facilitated conversion to non‐forest under extreme burning conditions. However, due to compounding error in our process that results in unknowable uncertainty, we urge caution in a strict interpretation of these estimates. Nevertheless, our findings suggest the potential for transformed landscapes in the intermountain western United States that will affect ecosystem services such as watershed integrity, wildlife habitat, wood production, and recreation.


This study examined the performance of Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Kitale town under K-REP loans. The study investigated the determinants of the performance of the (MSEs) in Kenya by focusing on those that had already received credit from K-REP. Profits of (MSEs) were used as a measure of performance. Data and information were collected using structured questionnaires from a sample of 80 entrepreneurs, which were administered to selected clients by the researcher. Data analysis was done using Eviews Econometric software and descriptive statistics. Interpretations were based on a log-linear Ordinary Least Square (OLS) model. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that the operators of MSEs be advised on stocking and sales practices, which will enable them to purchase their wares at low prices and sell them at more profitable prices. It is also important to formulate programmes to enhance marketing of products ofMSEs. K-REP and other Micro Finance Institutions should work on loan policies that will enable the MSEs to get more credit, and with ease. Establishing a branch of the KREP bank in the Western region of the country to serve MSEs located there could help to achieve this.


A new class of post-industrial technologies is gradually being introduced into various sectors of the economy. However, the lack of application experience may hinder their spread. The article examines two issues of post-industrial technologies. Firstly, there is a need to identify promising (advanced) production technologies that are fundamentally different from traditional industrial technologies. Secondly, the study aims to assess the current stage of the development and application of these technologies on the example of the North-West of Russia. This assessment may be of interest for understanding the advantages of the technologies' use and the possibility of their distribution. The article describes the application of post-industrial technologies, giving examples of their use for attracting business and expanding the functions and responsibilities of regional authorities. Based on the structural method, post-industrial technologies were divided into various types: renewable energy sources, nanotechnologies, and information and communication technologies (ICTs). The article shows their distribution across the regions of the North- West of Russia, companies that implement post-industrial technologies and their products. The paper reveals the characteristics and definition of post-industrial technologies, as well as the specificity of their application in regions. In the North-West of Russia, regions with large resources in wind and water as well as partly solar energy sectors use renewable energy sources applying hybrid power systems (wind/solar, wind/solar/diesel) to supply power to remote small villages without centralised electricity systems. Nanotechnology are applied in the production of composite materials, metal-ceramic materials, nanoelectronics, laser cladding. Biotechnologies are used for processing animal waste and resources of the White Sea for the production of compound fertilisers, fast-degradable polymers, and biocomposites. Digital technologies are applied for the development of smart cities, smart power system, digital shipyard, robotics with artificial intelligence elements. The paper identifies the field of business application of post- industrial technologies, highlighting the increasing localisation and individualisation of production due to such technologies. The research results can be used for the elaboration of socio-economic development strategies, recommendations for business structures in the implementation of post-industrial technologies. Further studies should focus on the economic analysis of postindustrial technologies application, their convergence in production processes.


The mantle electromagnetic and tomography (MELT) experiment on the east Pacific rise near 17°S was the first large teleseismic experiment on a midocean ridge. During the six-month deployment, no compressional arrivals were well recorded above 0.5 Hz. In comparison, the ICEMELT experiment in Iceland recorded compressional arrivals at 1-2 Hz from about 2 earthquakes per month. We compare noise spectra from the two experiments and show that this difference in detection is at least in part a result of noise. Near 1 Hz, seismic noise in the oceans is produced locally by wind-generated waves. At both experiment sites, 1-Hz noise levels are well correlated with local sea-surface-wind speeds derived from satellite observations. For a given wind speed, 1-Hz noise levels are about 10-20 dB lower in Iceland. At the MELT site, cross-correlations of wind speed with the logarithm of noise in a narrow-frequency band yield correlation coefficients exceeding 0.7 at frequencies between 0.4 Hz and 2 Hz. Noise levels at 1 Hz increase with wind by 1.3-1.4 dB per m/sec for wind speeds less than 10 m/sec. For the ICEMELT experiment, high correlation coefficients extend to markedly higher frequencies for coastal stations, and there is a 10-dB drop in 1-Hz noise levels 100-km inland. Noise levels increase by about 0.8 dB per m/sec. The strong correlation between wind speed and 1-Hz seismic noise provides justification for using satellite wind speed data to search for locations on the global spreading system where there is a better probability of recording high-frequency arrivals. The calmest sites are found on the northern east Pacific rise, near the equator in all oceans, and near 34° N and 22° S on the mid-Atlantic ridge.


Summary.  Haemophilia A individuals displaying a similar genetic defect have heterogeneous clinical phenotypes. Our objective was to evaluate the underlying effect of exogenous factor (f)VIII on tissue factor (Tf)‐initiated blood coagulation in severe haemophilia utilizing both empirical and computational models. We investigated twenty‐five clinically severe haemophilia A patients. All individuals were on fVIII prophylaxis and had not received fVIII from 0.25 to 4 days prior to phlebotomy. Coagulation was initiated by the addition of Tf to contact‐pathway inhibited whole blood ± an anti‐fVIII antibody. Aliquots were quenched over 20 min and analyzed for thrombin generation and fibrin formation. Coagulation factor levels were obtained and used to computationally predict thrombin generation with fVIII set to either zero or its value at the time of the draw. As a result of prophylactic fVIII, at the time of the blood draw, the individuals had fVIII levels that ranged from <1% to 22%. Thrombin generation (maximum level and rate) in both empirical and computational systems increased as the level of fVIII increased. FXIII activation rates also increased as the fVIII level increased. Upon suppression of fVIII, thrombin generation became comparable in both systems. Plasma composition analysis showed a negative correlation between bleeding history and computational thrombin generation in the absence of fVIII. Residual prophylactic fVIII directly causes an increase in thrombin generation and fibrin cross‐linking in individuals with clinically severe haemophilia A. The combination of each individual's coagulation factors (outside of fVIII) determine each individual's baseline thrombin potential and may affect bleeding risk.


Almost all practical cryocoolers embody, directly or indirectly, at least some elements of the Stirling cycle in its reversed form. Through its involvement in the analysis, design and development of both Stirling engines and refrigerating applications, the Stirling Cycle Research Group at the University of Canterbury has, over several years, encountered a number of aspects of the practical realisation of the Stirling cycle – and indeed some aspects of its ideal realisation – which are, in our view, easily overlooked or misinterpreted. Being unaware of these aspects may possibly lead to less-than-optimal design of Stirling machines and/or misinterpretation of modelling predictions and the performance data from actual machines. The points of intended clarification are: The misleading, or at best easily misinterpreted, typical textbook representations of the ideal Stirling cycle in both p-v and T-s property diagrams; The difference between direct and reversed implementations of the Stirling cycle in terms of the role which the regenerator plays; A Carnot alternative to the regenerator: The regenerator is a device that 'conditions' the working gas locally and not 'globally' as would happen in a Carnot machine. Another difference between direct and reversed implementations of the Stirling cycle in terms of approaching the ideally isothermal heat transfer processes;


Chemical investigation of the dichloromethane extract of the leaves of Alstonia scholaris (L.) R. Br. has yielded mixtures of erythrodiol (1a), uvaol (1b), and betulin (1c) in a 1:1:1 ratio, oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in a 2:1 ratio, β-amyrin acetate (3b) and α-amyrin acetate (3b) in a 1:4 ratio, and β-sitosterol (4a) and stigmasterol (4b) in a 3:2 ratio; squalene (5), β-sitosteryl-3β-glucopyranoside-6'I¾-O-fatty acid esters (6), and chlorophyll a (7). The structures of 1–7 were identified by comparison of their NMR data with literature data.


The purpose of this paper is to discuss the nonlocal effect on dynamic crack propagation velocity. Some experimental phenomena in dynamic fracture and simulative results using molecular & atom dynamics were analyzed and discussed in this paper. The authors found that there were still some disagreements on the dynamic crack propagation velocity. Based on these researches, we introduced nonlocal field theories into the estimation of dynamic crack propagation velocity. The dynamic crack propagation velocity is affected not only by the crack instability, but by characteristic length of material. A nonlocal characteristic length parameter M is defined through a double pile-up dislocation model. According to the Mott's research method for crack velocity in dynamic fracture and the nonlocal field theories, an approximate theoretical dynamic propagation velocity is obtained. And we conclude that the velocity is related to the combined activity of the nonlocal characteristic length parameter M, the velocity of longitudinal wave, constant k, crack length and Poisson's ratio.


Abstract The high hydrogen content in complex hydrides such as M[AlH4]x and M[BH4]x (M = Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca) stimulated many research activities to utilize them as hydrogen storage materials. An understanding of the dynamical properties on the molecular level is important to understand and to improve the sorption kinetics. Hydrogen dynamics in complex hydrides comprise long range translational diffusion as well as localized motions like vibrations, librations or rotations. All the different motions are characterized by their specific length- and timescales. Within this review we give an introduction to the physical properties of lightweight complex hydrides and illustrate the huge variety of dynamical phenomena on selected examples.


In 1984, the research committee of the council for learning disabilities (CLD) noted that the available descriptions of individuals with LD in research reports were vague and inconsistent. Recognizing that such descriptions made it difficult to evaluate research findings, the committee recommended that specific guidelines for participant descriptions be followed in reports on research involving individuals with LD. Eight years after this call for greater uniformity, vague participant descriptors remain a matter of great concern. What follows is a report on this issue from the current cld research committee. Updated guidelines for the description of participants are provided for both small-sample and large-group research activities. Also, suggestions for promoting compliance with the minimum standards are forwarded. Rather than being viewed as a fixed, immutable product, the current attempt at identifying the minimum standards for the description of participants should be viewed merely as one step in an ongoing process. Clearly, as our multidisciplinary field continues to learn more about LD, additional information about participants may be deemed necessary. With this in mind, the cld research committee welcomes your comments on the present set of guidelines and invites your suggestions for future iterations of this document.


OBJECTIVE
To examine communication between primary care doctors and specialists on the question of patient referral.

DESIGN
It was a prospective, longitudinal three-month long study, using observation and without a control.

SETTING
Within Health Area II in Zaragoza, at the Rebolería, Oviedo and Seminario Primary Health Care centres (PCC) and the Ramón y Cajal specialist centre.

PATIENTS
265 referrals during a month from the three PCC's to three specialist departments, Trauma, Neurology and Urology. The selection criterion for the referrals was the use of the internal mail system to make appointments at the specialist centre.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
85% of the patients referred to specialists had a Clinical History in Primary Care. Of the three specialties examined, the Trauma Clinic received 63.7% of the referrals. The average time elapsed from referral to receiving back the information was 34 days (+/- 20) for those patients who completed the cycle.

CONCLUSIONS
The study identified both a large number of "mislaid" patients and a low level of information fed back to the Primary Care doctors, for example reports not containing a diagnosis or the treatment to be followed. This leads us to think that the absence of a work-system which facilitates the inter-professional relationship of the doctors at these two care levels makes the follow-up and treatment of patients more difficult and in general lowers the standards of health care.


The sociocultural model of eating disorders highlights the role of internalization of the thin ideal in the development of negative body image and disordered eating. Considering the limited diversity of models in mainstream media, individuals belonging to minoritized cultural groups may resist identifying with and internalizing mainstream beauty messages. The extent of internalization may also depend on an individual's acculturation status and experiences of acculturative stress. This study applied the sociocultural model to culturally Deaf women. Data were collected from 96 deaf, female, undergraduate students. Results support the sociocultural model; higher rates of internalization were associated with negative body image and disordered eating behaviors. However, neither Deaf nor Hearing acculturation predicted internalization. Despite this finding, stronger acculturation with either Deaf or Hearing culture predicted more positive body image, and higher rates of acculturative stress predicted negative body image and disordered eating behaviors. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.


Acute aortic syndromes represent a spectrum of life-threatening aortic pathologies. Prompt diagnosis and proper management of these syndromes are important in reducing overall mortality and morbidity, which remains high. Acute aortic dissections represent most of these aortic wall pathologies, but intramural haematomas and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers have been increasingly diagnosed. Type A dissections require prompt surgical treatment, with endovascular options on the horizon. Type B dissections can be complicated or uncomplicated, and treatment is determined based on this designation. Complicated Type B dissections require prompt repair with thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) becoming the preferred method. Uncomplicated Type B dissections require medical management, but early TEVAR in the subacute setting is becoming more prominent. Proper surveillance for an uncomplicated Type B dissection is crucial in detecting aortic degeneration and need for intervention. Intramural haematomas and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers are managed similarly to aortic dissections, but more research is needed to determine the proper management algorithms. Multi-disciplinary aortic programmes have been shown to improve patient outcomes and are necessary in optimizing long-term follow-up.


Efficient water management in agricultural crops is necessary to increase productivity and adapt to climate change. Evapotranspiration (ET) data are key in determining the water requirements of crops and set efficient irrigation schedules. Estimating ET at the regional scale (for example, in irrigation districts) is a technically complex task that has been tackled by using data acquired by remote sensors on satellites that can be validated with scaled up field measurements when area sources are matched. Energy and matter flux measurements using the eddy covariance (EC) technique are challenging due to balance closure issues, claimed to be due to the different footprints of the energy-balance components. We describe net radiometer footprints in terms of the sun-sensor geometry to characterize the bidirectional distribution functions of albedo and thermal emissions. In this context, we describe a one-parameter model of the components of net radiation that can be calibrated with a single data point. The model was validated in an experiment with five agricultural crops (bean, sorghum, chickpea, safflower, and wheat) at Valle del Yaqui, in Sonora, Mexico, using different sun-sensor geometry configurations. The results from the experimental fits were satisfactory (R2 > 0.99) and support the use of the model for albedo and radiative (surface) temperature in order to estimate net radiation. The analysis of the implications regarding a mismatch among footprints of the components of the energy balance showed that net radiometer fluxes are overestimated most of the time, implying that the closure problem could be solved by using a similar footprint as the aerodynamic components of the energy balance.


We have developed a recombinant vector, termed pMIT, for transient expression of genes delivered to yeast mitochondria by biolistic transformation. Using that vector, we introduced a hybrid RNA maturase (splicing) gene into mitochondria of rho 0 petite cells and showed the gene to be functional in crosses. The hybrid maturase is an in-frame fusion between the N-terminal half of the maturase encoded by intron 1 of the COXI (cytochrome oxidase) gene and the C-terminal half of a similar maturase encoded by COXI intron 2. pMIT transformants can provide a functional maturase in crosses to restore respiration and COXI polypeptide synthesis to a respiratory-deficient strain defective in the synthesis of a maturase encoded by COXI intron 1; the transformant will also restore respiration to two splicing-defective cis mutants of COXI introns 1 and 3. We detect a 68-kDa polypeptide comparable in abundance to other major mitochondrial translation products as a likely product of the hybrid maturase gene. Transformants containing an internal 218-amino acid deletion mutation of the hybrid maturase gene no longer express a functional maturase in crosses and produce the expected shortened polypeptide of approximately 40 kDa; however, those transformants still restore respiration to the COXI cis mutants. These studies show the utility of the pMIT transformation system for the expression and reverse genetic analysis of yeast mitochondrial genes.


Human resource is the one of the most important elements in the company. Therefore, the company must have related strategies to retain these workers. One of them is by increasing employee loyalty and satisfaction through flexibility of work and work life balance. The strategy chosen is based on the unique characteristics of the majority of workers who entered the millennial generation. Some companies are already implementing these strategies, including startup companies. This study aims to investigate the influence of the flexibility of working on loyalty and employee satisfaction with work life balance. This research was conducted using convenience and snowball sampling technique to the 121 respondents with a millennial generation background which is worked in startup companies in Indonesia. Data obtained from respondents were processed and analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results of this study indicate that flexibility of work has significant and positive influence to loyalty and employee satisfaction. However, flexibility of work has positive and significant impact on loyalty and employee satisfaction. This research prove that work life balance have partial mediating influence in relationship between flexibility of work and loyalty. In the other hands, work life balance have no mediating a relationship between flexibility of work and the satisfaction of employee with millennial background that is worked in startup companies.


A copper oxide nanowire network electrode has been fabricated through an electrodeposition procedure using mesoporous silica film as the template on Ni foam. The metal oxide nanostructures on Ni foam as a three dimensional electrode provide a very high surface area to the electrode built on a low cost material. These electrode features were considered with X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The electrochemical properties of the electrodes have also been studied. The prepared electrode was applied as a glucosamine sensor. The presented sensor possesses a high electrochemically active surface area and demonstrates high current density for glucosamine electro-oxidation. The presented sensor has a wide dynamic range of four orders of magnitude to glucosamine in two linear ranges from 1.45 μM to 0.32 mM and 0.32 mM to 36.4 mM, with a high sensitivity of 9.23 mA mM−1 cm−2 in the first range and 1.85 mA mM−1 cm−2 in the second range and a low practical detection limit of 0.32 μM. It also showed outstanding long-term stability, good reproducibility and accurate measurement in the pharmaceutical sample.


Cracks in the upper crust are the result of either local or regional tectonic stress. Such structural elements are conduits for fluids in the crust. In Pamukkale, hot water which is rich in calcium carbonate emerges from fissures. The hot water issuing from the fissures precipitates travertine both in the fissures and on the surface. As a result, a ridge, which is called fissure-ridge travertine, forms along the central fissure. Fissure-ridge travertines are lens-shaped at the surface. Since fissure-ridge travertines are of great tectonic significance, their surface characteristics have been studied in detail. However, the subsurface geometry of travertine ridges is not well known. GPR was used to examine the subsurface geometry of fissure-ridge travertine and the central fissure. GPR profiles were combined across the ridge to produce a three-dimensional (3D) subsurface image of the travertine mass. The 3D image showed that the thickness and width of the travertine mass are at a maximum near the centre of the ridge and they both decrease asymmetrically towards the ends. Perpendicular GPR slices across the central fissure showed that the thickness of the vertically banded fissure-travertine increases with depth. 3D modelling suggests that the lateral propagation of the central fissure is asymmetric.


Due to its distinct, atypical features and possible applications, three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical nanoflowers have sparked considerable interest. Copper (II) ions were employed as inorganic components in this study, whereas various extracts from Aspergillus terreus and their extracted main components were used as organic components. Extracts from A. terreus and its isolated principal component molecules can first form complexes with copper ions, and these complexes subsequently become nucleation sites for primary copper phosphate crystals, showing interactions using an easy and successful self-assembly template synthesis technique. Therefore, the process results in the formation of 3D nanoflowers among the A. terreus extract and its remoted important additives in addition to copper ions, ensuing in a completely unique round flower-like shape containing loads of nanopetals under the most excellent conditions along with pH, attention of organic–inorganic additives, temperature, and the quantity of copper nitrate on nanoflower formation. Furthermore, A. terreus and its isolated major components, Cu3(PO4)2 nanoflowers, seemed to have a remarkable antibacterial effect. Our findings highlight the benefits of nanoflowers made with A. terreus and its isolated secondary metabolites of inorganic structures, which could be used in industrial biocatalysts, biosensors, and environmental chemistry.


Schistosomiasis is the third most devastating tropical disease worldwide caused by blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma. Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice for treating all species of schistosomes. However, PZQ kills only adult Schistosoma worms, not immature stages. The inability of PZQ to abort early infection or prevent re-infection, and the lack of prophylactic effect prompt the need for novel drugs and strategies for the prevention of schistosomiasis. Tumor burden can be developed in Schistosoma-infected patients. The present study aimed to determine the host responses to mutual interaction between cancer, represented by Ehrlich ascites, and infection, represented by Schistosomiasis. Mice infected with Schistosoma and challenged with tumor 4-5 weeks later showed the same anti-schistosomal (worm and egg burden) and antitumor (total tumor cell count and mouse survival) parameters when compared to mice infected with Schistosoma alone or challenged with tumor cells alone. As expected, combinatorial treatment with PZQ and cisplatin of Schistosoma-infected mice that were challenged with tumor cell line decreased the tumor burden as well as the worm and egg burden after treatment as compared to the non-treated controls; while the worm burden and egg counts were significantly decreased (P <0.001) in treated group (VI) treated with cisplatin (0.5 mg/kg), group (VII) treated with cisplatin (2 mg/kg), group (VIII) treated with PZQ/ cisplatin (0.5 mg/kg) and group (IX) treated with PZQ / cisplatin (2 mg/kg) by 44.55% , 74%, 100% and 97.8% in worm burden, and by 47%, 78.7%, 96% and 97% in liver egg count , respectively than that of group (II) non treated S. mansoni infected alone and (IV) non treated S. mansoni/EAC alone. Also, Group IX caused a significant reduction (P <0.05) in worm burden than that of group VI. Also, total ascetic volume and the tumor cell counts in Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma (EAC)-cells were significantly decreased (P <0.001) in groups VIII and IX than that of the group (III) non-treated (EAC) inoculated alone. There was no mutual interaction between schistosomiasis infection and tumor burden. Also, whereas, PZQ did not affect on the antitumor parameters, cisplatin even at low doses had anti-schistosomal effects.


Creativity-stimulating leadership is necessary for successful innovation in groups and organizations. Such leadership requires deep and extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of creation, as well as general and specific leadership abilities and skills that promote creativity in a team. By applying the emergence perspective, social dynamics in leadership and in the creative team may be understood as the interplay between team members' interaction that organizes the work. This paper argues that the essential competencies for the team emerge in the interaction between all the members of the team, including the leader. Creative developmental phases demand other kinds of attitudes and qualities of interaction between group members than production on a daily basis. Team members need to develop creative thought styles and creative action patterns, combined with the ability to temporarily change those patterns.


Louisiana was one of the first areas in America distant from the Atlantic Ocean to attract the attention of travellers and other observers who made geological commentaries on the regions they visited. The great Mississippi River and reports about the potential of the river for trade and access to the immense interior of North America formed the basis for this attraction. Before the year 1900, more than forty individuals did important geological work or made significant observations about the geology of the state of Louisiana. In 1899, Gilbert D. Harris and Arthur C. Veatch reviewed the contributions of many of these observers in some detail. Among the early contributors, the work of five men can be considered to be major in its significance to the knowledge of Louisiana geology. These are, in chronological order, John L. Riddell, Sir Charles Lyell, Raymond Thomassy, Eugene W. Hilgard, and Gilbert D. Harris.


The isotropic conductive adhesive (ICA) mounting technology is of growing interest, but reliability concerns are still preventing its broad application. Reports on environmental testing results are related to both high temperature storage and thermal cycling. Additionally, the influence of moisture has been investigated for both pressure cooker test and humidity storage with exposure times up to several weeks. In an ICA, the conductive particles are embedded in a polymeric matrix material, where they can form conductive paths. This mechanical part of the conductive mechanism was studied in more detail using a finite element (FE-) model, because only a little information is available on this subject. A joint of a chip resistor on an organic board was selected for the model. The conductive adhesive is not treated as a homogeneous material, but split into the polymeric matrix material and idealized conductive particles. A temperature dependent viscoelastic constitutive description has been used to model the epoxy behavior. Additionally, moisture diffusion analyzes of the adhesive joints were conducted. The contacting pressure of the particles is shown to depend on cure shrinkage, temperature changes, and moisture swelling effects.


A short cut review was carried out to establish which intraosseous device is best for use in the prehospital environment. A total of 2100 papers were found using the reported search, of which 2 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results, and study weaknesses of these best papers are tabulated. The clinical bottom line is that traditional manual intraosseous infusion devices have better success rates and faster insertion times compared with semi-automatic intraosseous infusion devices in the prehospital setting.