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Focuses on the collaborative efforts by military scientists and researchers to study animal fossils from the Cambrian period to predict the future evolution of weapons and defense systems. Comparison between threats to global security and the evolution of life; Discussion of the theory of animal evolution during the Cambrian period; Information on the Cambrian program, a defense analysis program which aimed to study the Cambrian evolution and its implications on weapons and defense developments.

We report an unusual case of a mycotic external carotid artery aneurysm presenting in a nine-month-old infant. She presented with coryzal-like symptoms and oropharyngeal haemorrhage. This was thought initially to be due to acute tonsillitis. There was significant haemorrhage and reversible hypovolaemic arrest. A contrast computerised tomography scan (CT) confirmed the diagnosis of a mycotic external carotid artery aneurysm. This was subsequently successfully treated by percutaneous embolization with microcoil insertion.

To present a case of oncocytic variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma and review the literature on this uncommon variant.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLD) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid proliferations of varying clonal composition secondary to immunosuppression in solid-organ transplant. Most commonly are of B-cell in origin; T-cell lymphomas are rare (15% of all PTLD).

Herpes simplex lymphadenitis is a rare condition that is most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients. To date, less than 30 cases have been reported in the literature. It is most commonly seen in patients with haematological malignancy, especially with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. However, it can be associated with other neoplasms such as Hodgkin lymphoma, mantle and marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, acute and chronic myeloid leukaemia. Presentation can be varied from localised lymphadenopathy, generalised lymphadenopathy with or without a rash, and disseminated HSV infection with multiple organ involvement. Histologically, it shows areas of coalescing necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltrates including histiocytes and neutrophils. Multinucleate cells with ground glass nuclei and Cowdry type A intranuclear inclusions are diagnostic; the diagnosis can be confirmed with herpes simplex virus in-situhybridisation or immunohistochemistry. Differential diagnoses to consider include cat scratch lymphadenitis, mycobacterial tuberculosis lymphadenitis, Kikuchi-Fujimoto lymphadenitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Hodgkin lymphoma and large cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Herpes simplex lymphadenitis is an important diagnosis which can mimic transformation of an underlying haematological malignancy. We present a case of a 68-year-old male with localised lymphadenopathy and history of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

We present a case report of an unusual tumour, a Schneiderian carcinoma [also known as a cylindrical cell carcinoma, transitional (cell) carcinoma, Ringertz carcinoma or respiratory epithelial carcinoma] which is classified by the WHO as a sinonasal non-keratinising squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Describes Andrew Parker's achievement of his own ceramics style since he moved to Australia. Limitations of using tin maiolica glaze; Training background; Techniques employed in working with terracotta clay; Works' themes.

Birds in the cormorant (Phalacrocoracidae) family dive tens of metres into water to prey on fish while entraining a thin layer of air (a plastron film) within the microstructures of their feathers. In addition, many species within the family spread their wings for long periods of time upon emerging from water. To investigate whether wetting and wing-spreading are related to feather structure, microscopy and photographic studies have previously been used to extract structural parameters for barbs and barbules. In this work, we describe a systematic methodology to characterize the quasi-hierarchical topography of bird feathers that is based on contact angle measurements using a set of polar and non-polar probing liquids. Contact angle measurements on dip-coated feathers of six aquatic bird species (including three from the Phalacrocoracidae family) are used to extract two distinguishing structural parameters, a dimensionless spacing ratio of the barbule (D*) and a characteristic length scale corresponding to the spacing of defect sites. The dimensionless spacing parameter can be used in conjunction with a model for the surface topography to enable us to predict a priorithe apparent contact angles of water droplets on feathers as well as the water breakthrough pressure required for the disruption of the plastron on the feather barbules. The predicted values of breakthrough depths in water (1–4 m) are towards the lower end of typical diving depths for the aquatic bird species examined here, and therefore a representative feather is expected to be fully wetted in a typical deep dive. However, thermodynamic surface energy analysis based on a simple one-dimensional cylindrical model of the feathers using parameters extracted from the goniometric analysis reveals that for water droplets on feathers of all six species under consideration, the non-wetting ‘Cassie–Baxter’ composite state represents the global energy minimum of the system. By contrast, for other wetting liquids, such as alkanes and common oils, the global energy minimum corresponds to a fully wetted or Wenzel state. For diving birds, individual feathers therefore spontaneously dewet once the bird emerges out of water, and the ‘wing-spreading’ posture might assist in overcoming kinetic barriers associated with pinning of liquid droplets that retard the rate of drying of the wet plumage of diving birds.

We report on the development of a technique for the rapid production of exfoliated graphite oxide, using an electrochemical oxidation and exfoliation method. Vitreous carbon foam (VCF) sheets were utilised as the anode in an electrolytic cell. VCF anodes were oxidized under a maximum applied electric field of 60V and a current of 2A in NaOH electrolyte solutions. The resulting solids, collected after separation of the electrolyte, were analysed using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The preliminary analysis shows that the solids collected were comprised of graphite oxide and partially reduced graphite oxide platelets. Quartz substrates coated in partially reduced graphite oxide solutions were thermally annealed to produce conductive layers.

Endometriosis is a common benign disease among woman of reproductive age, and affects the intestinal tract in 3–37% of all patients with pelvic endometriosis. It is well known for creating diagnostic pitfalls for pathologists. This case study reports a patient with endometriosis involving the caecum and terminal ileum. The endometriosis was focally lined by intestinal epithelium in the deep endometriotic glands embedded within intestinal wall. In addition, two mesenteric lymph nodes contained foci of endometriosis. The mass effect, deep-seated intestinal epithelium, and lymphatic spread of endometriosis to mesenteric lymph nodes, closely mimicked invasive well-differentiated adenocarcinoma of the intestine.

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the breast is a rare, but distinctly recognisable entity. Characteristic pheno-typic architectural, cytological and staining patterns suggest the diagnosis.

Chronic lymphoproliferative disorders of natural killer (NK) cells is a recently described provisional entity in the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. It is characterised by a persistent increase in peripheral blood NK cells without a definite cause, often with bone marrow involvement. It occurs in adults with a median age of 60 years, has no association with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and tends to follow a chronic clinical course. In contrast, aggressive NK-cell leukaemia has a median age of 42, is EBV related, more prevalent amongst Asians and other ethnic populations, and has a rapidly progressive course irrespective of treatment.

The article offers information on information technology (IT) leaders' refocus on topics and the steps needed to support business stability in the short term. Enterprise IT is in a period of extensive change that does not simply reflect the economic crisis, according to most senior IT leaders. IT leaders are suggested to focus on business issues and maintain operational management of the rationalised systems they control.

The article discusses about external service providers, as many business enterprises turn to them. There are several established services including staff augmentation for software development projects, application outsourcing and testing and quality assurance. Enterprises stand to reap significant benefit from transferring more work to the managed outcome model. Additional advantages may include more effective knowledge retention through the provider's more industrialized knowledge systems.

The article focuses on the performance of Indian information technology (IT) service providers in various parts of the world. Despite the increase in the value of the Indian rupee against the U.S. dollar, leading Indian service providers such as Infosys Technologies Ltd. and Cognizant Corp. have achieved strong revenue growth in North America. Many Indian IT services firms earned more revenue in Europe than in North America in the year 2007.

The article offers information on activist sourcing, a new approach that will streamline computer service management and ensure that no money is wasted. A report from Forrester Research Inc. shows a rise in the use of activist sourcing. Companies adopting the approach aim to boost information technology (IT) performance, as well as eliminate cost, by building a mature approach to the full lifecycle of each supplier relationship.

The article offers the author's comments on outsourcing. It states that Forrester Research's research into outsourcing shows buyers berating providers for failing to innovate. There are two areas of focus that could close this innovation gap. It is suggested that buyers must recognise that outsourcing at its best is rooted in focused innovation and buyers of outsourcing must stop wanting to impose a contract that drives the outsourcer to deliver a rigidly commoditised service at low price.

The article focuses on a recent report from Forrester Research Inc. which sets out a three-step framework to define a more co-ordinated Information Technology (IT) outsourcing approach. First step encourages a firm to shortlist only outsourcing models that align with the current IT realities of the firm. Second step calls for the evaluation of internal IT staffing issues. Finally it suggests firms to shape the outsourcing approach to meet the IT spending and maturity issues.

The article offers advice to companies interested in avoid the IT outsourcing trends. According to the author if one's company sees a potential benefit from multisourcing, then he should involve the right internal stakeholders in planning and defining the project. He advises using an external adviser for planning and execution. The author says that one should take time to examine the multisourcing credentials of the service providers.

The article reviews the film "Angus," starring Charlie Talbert, Ariana Richards and James van der Beek.