Search

THOMAS F. MATHEWS. Byzantium: from Antiquity to the Renaissance. 176 pages, 122 colour & b&w illustrations, 1 table. 2010. New Haven (CT) & London: Yale University Press; 978-0-300-16766-5 paperback 14.99 [...]

Aim: The TELEMAM trial aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness and costs of telemedicine in conducting breast cancer multi-disciplinary meetings (MDTs)., Methods: Over 12 months 473 MDT patient discussions in two district general hospitals (DGHs) were cluster randomised (2:1) to the intervention of telemedicine linkage to breast specialists in a cancer centre or to the control group of 'in-person' meetings. Primary endpoints were clinical effectiveness and costs. Economic analysis was based on a cost-minimisation approach., Results: Levels of agreement of MDT members on a scale from 1 to 5 were high and similar in both the telemedicine and standard meetings for decision sharing (4.04 versus 4.17), consensus (4.06 versus 4.20) and confidence in the decision (4.16 versus 4.07). The threshold at which the telemedicine meetings became cheaper than standard MDTs was approximately 40 meetings per year., Conclusion: Telemedicine delivered breast cancer multi-disciplinary meetings have similar clinical effectiveness to standard 'in-person' meetings.

Background: Some authorities recommend that colorectal cancer should be treated in specialist units but evidence that non-specialist units demonstrate comparatively poor results may be lacking., Methods: Between 1987 and 1991, 267 patients were operated on by four general surgeons, none of whom was a specialist in colorectal surgery. Procedure-related complications, postoperative mortality and disease-related survival rates were analysed., Results: There were four cases of intraperitoneal sepsis (1 per cent) and five of 189 patients (3 per cent) had clinical anastomotic dehiscence; there was no case of wound dehiscence. The postoperative mortality rate after elective and emergency surgery was 2 and 13 per cent respectively. The 5-year disease-related survival rate for curative and palliative surgery was 67 and 9 per cent respectively. There were no significant differences between the surgeons., Conclusion: Disease-related variables such as early-stage disease and fewer patients presenting as emergencies may have a greater favourable influence on ultimate survival than surgeon-related variables.

Two cases of congenital absence (agenesis) of the gallbladder seen at one hospital over a 5-year period are presented. One patient presented with ascending cholangitis due to choledocholithiasis, while the other presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain and equivocal findings on ultrasound and oral cholecystography. Although diagnosis was made at laparotomy in both cases, it is likely that the arrival of laparoscopic cholecystectomy will avoid laparotomy in the future. The place of laparoscopy in establishing the presence of this anomaly is discussed.

Over a 2-year period, 151 outpatients with a palpable breast lump requiring needle core biopsy were randomized to a Tru-Cut 14-G (T14), Bioptycut 14-G (B14) or Bioptycut 18-G (B18) needle. Use of a Biopty gun resulted in less pain than a Tru-Cut needle. An inadequate sample was obtained after two needle passes in 11 of 49 (T14), none of 51 (B14) and two of 51 (B18) patients (chi 2 = 14.6, 2 d.f., P = 0.0007). Tissue samples were assessed by a single pathologist for tissue volume and overall diagnostic value; the B14 group scored better than the B18 and T14 for both of these parameters (P < 0.003). The sensitivities were 68 (T14), 88 (B14) and 96 (B18) per cent (overall chi 2 = 7.3, 2 d.f., P = 0.026). The Biopty gun with a 14-G needle results in a higher sampling success rate, greater diagnostic sensitivity and a better specimen quality than the Tru-Cut, and is much easier to use.

In this work, the roller-shaped double V-wing honeycomb (DVWH) structure was used as the object, which was designed for forest harvesting machines. The deformation characteristics of its rotation under a specific compression were studied during the feeding process for the steel feeding roller used in the traditional combined harvesting machine for trees, which is prone to damaging the wood. The compression rate (10%–15%) and rotational speed (100 mm/s–320 mm/s) were used to analyze the relationship between compression rate, rotational speed, and deformation characteristics. The deformation characteristics, characterized by equivalent stress, radial displacement sensitivity, and energy absorption efficiency, were analyzed. The results show that the deformation characteristics of the roller-shaped DVWH structure under driven mode were more sensitive to compression rate and less sensitive to changes in rotational speed. There was a positive correlation between the equivalent stress of the node and the compression rate. The peak equivalent stress of the outermost node at 10% and 15% compression rates were 111.9 MPa and 230.9 MPa. There was a negative correlation between radial displacement–compression sensitivity and compression rate, and a decrease in radial displacement–compression sensitivity from 10% to 15% compression rate at different nodes ranges from 5% to 22%. The feed performance efficiency (EF) grew from 8.3% to 12.7% for a 1% increase in compression rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighty-one central venous catheter placements have been carried out with a serious-complication rate of 3.7%. Major long-term complications occurred in 5 patients. Malplacement of the catheter was more common when the infraclavicular subclavian route was used. Inadvertent removal occurred on 10 occasions and a new design of catheter hub is expected to eliminate this problem.

100 consecutive patients treated by Lord's dilatation for haemorrhoids were followed up for a mean of 5-1 years. 2 patients could not be traced, and 1 had died. 75 patients were symptom-free or greatly improved. For 22 patients the treatment was unsatisfactory and 19 have since undergone haemorrhoidectomy. The outcomes at six months and five years were the same in 87%. The results of this follow-up study indicate that treatment of haemorrhoids by Lord's dilatation produces satisfactory long-lasting results in most patients.

The enhancement of crop yields through manuring has been attested since early farming prehistory in many parts of the world. This article reviews the history of research into the potential archaeological evidence for this practice in Europe, the Mediterranean lands and the Near East. The focus is on the interpretation of ceramic data recovered in surface field surveys conducted since 1950 and what sorts of activities may be plausibly inferred from them. The article examines the origins of the model, objections to it, and recent analyses which again strengthen it. A particular case-study analyses the evidence for the protohistoric and early historic periods in Greece. The methodological and empirical arguments tend to strongly reaffirm the importance of artificial manuring in agrarian regimes of all periods, and its significance in furthering understandings of economic and demographic history and prehistory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of the grouting-induced ground heave and building damage in the tunnel construction of Shenzhen Metro Line 10, which passes through a crowded urban area with water-rich strata in Shenzhen, the province of Guangdong, China. It was reported that the ground surface heave of up to approximately 500 mm was observed, and the customs building above the tunnels was seriously damaged because of a 200 mm heave. Such a significant heave was closely associated with the advanced curtain grouting adopted in the tunnel construction. To this end, the heave of the ground surface and the displacement and deformation of the customs building were examined. The discrete element method (DEM) was then used to qualitatively analyze the relations between the grouting parameters and the ground disturbance. The results demonstrated that the poor dewatering work in the early stages increased the difficulty of grouting. The grouting materials with high viscosity and large grouting pressure were required for water blocking because of the large amount of confined water in the tunnel, resulting in fracture grouting. The ground was then uplifted due to the large inflow of the slurry and the excess pore water pressure. Finally, the lessons learned from this incident were discussed. The presented case study provides a reference for tunnel construction in urban areas with water-rich strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tornadoes result in death and property loss in communities around the world. To quantify the actions of tornadoes on civil structures, researchers have built physical laboratory tornado simulators to simulate tornadoes in the lab environment and tested building models in the simulated tornadic wind field, which is similar to wind tunnel testing when quantifying the wind effects induced by straight-line winds. Unfortunately, physical tornado simulators are much less common than straight-line wind tunnels, leading to the lack of research on bluff-body aerodynamics on civil structures under tornadic winds. Considering that it is expensive to conduct experimental testing in physical tornado simulators, numerical models of physical tornado simulator has been developed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. However, they have not been validated at the level of pressure distribution on the structural surface of the testing model. In this study, the numerical model developed for the large-scale tornado simulator of the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), which is based on the numerical simulation of the entire process of the physical testing in tornado simulator, will be validated by the measured data on the building model tested in the physical tornado simulator. Then, through the validated numerical simulation model, the bluff-body aerodynamics of buildings under tornadic winds will be revealed. To be specific, CFD simulation is first applied to model the entire process of experimental testing of a low-rise building model in the physical tornado simulator. Then, the obtained results are compared with laboratory-measured data to evaluate the effects of the building model on the wind field and the surface pressure on the building model. Then, the bluff-body aerodynamics on low-rise buildings under tornadic winds will be revealed based on the data obtained from numerical simulations using the relationship between streamline pattern change and velocity magnitude change (mass continuity theorem) and using the relationship between the velocity magnitude change and the pressure change (Bernoulli's theorem), as well as the flow separation and vortex shedding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood truss joist floors are increasingly used to replace traditional solid timber joist floors in low-rise timber houses. An understanding of the vibration performance of wood truss joist floors is critical for the design and serviceability of the floors. It is difficult to model wood truss joist floors accurately because of the complicated boundary conditions and numerous sophisticated flexible connections. This paper discusses three simplified modeling methods for the wood truss joist floor system. The modeling results were validated by a series of static deflection tests and vibration modes and frequencies tests of a full-size floor. And predictive analysis of human-induced vibration of the floor was also conducted. The vibration characteristics of the wood truss joist floor were investigated. The examination of the applicability of these modeling methods was provided. The results indicate that the point loading deflection more easily affects the deflection of the adjacent joist. However, the deflection influence on other joists that are three spaces away is minimal. Walking on the wood truss joist floor produces steep vibration acceleration fluctuations at the floor center for a relatively long time period. The sheathing-to-joist connections and the metal plate connections of the joists have significant influences on the vibration response of the wood truss joist floor. The modeling method, which considers the flexible metal plate connections and flexible sheathing-to-joist connections, performs best for predicting the vibration performance of the floor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current work involves entropy generation studies within nine porous containers involving identical area for Prm = 155 (engine oil), D a m = 10 − 5 − 10 − 2 at R a m = 10 6. The entropy generation maps for lesser values of Dam depict that S θ is dominant at the boundaries whereas S ψ is dominant at the central zone. On the other hand, for larger values of Dam, S ψ is found to be dominant throughout the porous containers. Zones corresponding to S θ , max are found at the bottom corners of all porous containers due to the hot cold junction whereas zones corresponding to S ψ , max vary with the shapes of porous containers. An energy efficient process corresponds to larger N u b ¯ , larger θ ̂ and lesser Stotal. Containers with curved walls are found to be thermally efficient for thermal processing of engine oil saturated porous medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are various bubble cavitation phenomena in daily production and life, and near-wall cavitation is the most common one. This paper studies the bubble cavitation dynamics between a rigid wall and an elastic wall, and by changing the distance between the two walls and the initial position of the bubble, several different bubble collapse patterns are obtained. Then, we discuss the changes in the migration distance, gravity, and maximum radius during the cavitation. Finally, numerical simulation is used to successfully acquire the satellite bubbles appearing in the process of the bubble collapse between the rigid wall and the elastic wall, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. We obtained the pressure of the satellite bubble and the elastic wall from the numerical simulation and explained the formation of the satellite bubble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For almost 400 years the Knights of St John of Jerusalem – the Knights Hospitaller – maintained a priory in Kilmainham, Co. Dublin, as their principal residence in Ireland. Nothing survives of it above ground. The priory's early history and topography are mainly shrouded in mystery, but a fourteenth-century registrum illuminates the workings of its community and the character of its members, and provides valuable evidence relating to the appearance of its architecture and layout when it was at the peak of its prosperity. Yet the registrum has never been subjected to detailed scrutiny. Recent research on the Hospitallers in Ireland on the one hand, and on the organisation of domestic space in medieval contexts in Ireland on the other, has prompted this comprehensive appraisal of the evidence in Kilmainham's registrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a public housing project conceived with a progressive commitment to socio-spatial inclusion in Bogota. With a focus on comprehensive planning goals, implementation processes, urban design features, and resident reactions, we show how and why the project's form and function failed to address inhabitants' livability concerns. After tracing this outcome to a mismatch between city-wide policy goals and neighbourhood-level actions, reinforced by divergent professional assumptions, we argue that the theory and practice of social justice planning should better take into account the mismatches of scale of well-intentioned progressive ideals, if such outcomes are to be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was used to simulate two-dimensional MHD Al2O3/water nanofluid flow and heat transfer in an enclosure with a semicircular wall and a triangular heating obstacle. The effects of nanoparticle volume fraction (0 ≤ ϕ ≤ 0. 0 5), Rayleigh number (1 0 4 ≤ R a ≤ 1 0 6) , Hartmann number (0 ≤ H a ≤ 6 0) and heating obstacle position (Cases 1–7) on flow pattern, temperature distribution and rate of heat transfer were investigated. The results show that with the enhancing Rayleigh number, the increasing nanoparticle volume fraction and the reducing Hartmann number, an enhancement in the average Nusselt number and the heat transfer appeared. The effect of Ha on the average Nu increases by increasing the Ra. It can also be found that the action of changing the heating obstacle position on the convection heat transfer is more important than that on the conduction heat transfer. The higher obstacle position in Cases 6 and 7 leads to the small value of the average Nusselt number. Moreover, the effect of Ha on average Nu in Case 1 at R a = 1 0 6 is more significant than other cases because the flow pattern in Case 1 is changed as increasing Ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently synthesized magnetic multilayers with strong perpendicular anisotropy exhibit unique magnetic properties including the formation of specific multidomain states. In particular, antiferromagnetically coupled multilayers own rich phase diagrams that include various multidomain ground states. Analytical equations have been derived for the stray field components of these multidomain states in perpendicular multilayer systems. In particular, closed expressions for stray fields in the case of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic stripes are presented. The theoretical approach provides a basis for the analysis of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images from this class of nanomagnetic systems. Peculiarities of the MFM contrast have been calculated for realistic tip models. These characteristic features in the MFM signals can be employed for the investigations of the different multidomain modes. The obtained results are applied for the analysis of multidomain modes that have been reported earlier in the literature from experiments on [Co/Cr]Ru superlattices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a solution to the problem of viscous flow in a rectangular region with two moving parallel walls is obtained by using a hybrid finite volume scheme. The discretized governing equations are solved iteratively, and thereby the flow variables are computed numerically. The results for velocity and pressure in horizontal and vertical directions through the centre of a rectangular region are elucidated. The nature of velocity profiles and pressure for different Reynolds numbers in the horizontal and vertical directions through the geometric centre was analyzed with the help of pictorial representations. The present results are compared with the available benchmark results and we have found that they are not in disagreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern gas turbine systems operate in temperatures ranging from 1200°C to even 1500°C, which creates bigger problems related to the blade material thermal strength. In order to ensure appropriate protection of the turbine blades, a sophisticated cooling system is used. Current emphasis is placed on the application of non-stationary flow effects to improve cooling conditions, e.g., the unsteady-jet heat transfer or the heat transfer enhancement using high-amplitude oscillatory motion. The presented research follows a similar direction. A new concept is proposed of intensification of the heat transfer in the cooling channels with the use of an acoustic wave generator. The acoustic wave is generated by an appropriately shaped fixed cavity or group of cavities. The phenomenon is related to the coupling mechanism between the vortex shedding generated at the leading edge and the acoustic waves generated within the cavity area. Strong instabilities can be observed within a certain range of the free flow velocities. The presented study includes determination of the relationship between the amplitude of acoustic oscillations and the cooling conditions within the cavity. Different geometries of the acoustic generator are investigated. Calculations are also performed for variable flow conditions. The research presented in this paper is based on a numerical model prepared using the Ansys CFX-17.0 commercial CFD code. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current practice in the efforts aiming to improve cooling conditions is to place emphasis on the application of non-stationary flow effects, such as the unsteady jet heat transfer or the heat transfer intensification by means of a high-amplitude oscillatory motion. The research presented in this paper follows this direction. A new concept is put forward to intensify the heat transfer in the cooling channels with the use of an acoustic wave generator. The acoustic wave is generated by a properly shaped fixed cavity or group of cavities. The sound generated by the cavity is a phenomenon analysed in various publications focused on the methods of its reduction. The phenomenon is related to the feedback mechanism between the vortices flowing from the leading edge and the acoustic waves generated within the cavity. The acoustic waves are generated by the interaction between the vortices and the cavity walls. Strong instabilities can be observed within a certain range of the free flow velocities. The investigations presented in this paper are oriented towards the use of the phenomenon for the purposes of the heat transfer process intensification. The first part of the work presents the numerical model used in the analysis, as well as its validation and comparison with empirical relations. The numerical model is constructed using the commercial CFD Ansys CFX-16.0 commercial program. The next part includes determining of the relationship between the amplitude of the acoustic oscillations and the cooling conditions within the cavity. The calculations are performed for various flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes revised reading of several inscriptions from Cabyle. Two Hellenistic fragments are shown to belong to a decree honouring Kriton, son of Euma[chos] or Euma[res], who was put in charge of the city or the neighbouring territories and provided many great services to the citizens. Two alleged mentions of Celts (Γαλά[ται]) in Hellenistic fragments are proved to be misreading. In two inscriptions of AD 135-136, the nomen of the provincial governor ---rius Fronto is reconstructed as Cavarius. A consular date corresponding to AD 208 is restored in an inscription for the construction of a temple for Jupiter Optimus Maximus Dolichenus, which provides a date for the governor of Thrace Q. Egnatius Proculus. Several inscriptions are shown to mention military officers - a prefect, a centurion, and a duplicarius. A fragment erroneously thought to belong to a funerary monument is now read as a dedication to Phoebus and is identified as a fragment from a statue of the god. A Greek inscription, which was only partially read and incorrectly dated to the first half of the third century, in fact belongs to the period of the First Tetrarchy and documents the building of the fortifications of Cabyle under the governor Domitius Domninus in AD 297. Another inscription, from the time of the Fourth Tetrarchy (AD 309-310), is about the construction of a gynaeceum (state textile workshop), being the only such inscription hitherto found on the territory of the Roman Empire. The two tetrarchic inscriptions also reveal the new status of Cabyle in that period - previously a military camp (castra), it was raised to a city, with the title “the splendid city of Cabyle” (ἡ λαμπρὰ Καβυληνῶν πόλις). The main magistrate of the new city was the λογιστής (= curator civitatis), and the first members of the city’s curia were called δεκάπρωτοι (as a translation of the Latin decemprimi). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of natural convection in rhombic enclosure has been a subject of interest in the recent past. In the current work, the effect of various shapes of the rhombic enclosure ( φ = 45°, 60°, and 75°) is investigated for fixed areas ( A = 0.5, 1, and 1.5) over an extensive range of parameters ( Prm = 0.015 − 1000, Dam = 10−5 − 10−2, and Ram = 106) for an optimal thermal configuration. The rhombic enclosure is subjected to the isothermal heating of the bottom wall along with the cold side and top walls. The results are shown in the form of entropy generation maps ( Sθ and Sψ) along with the heatlines (Π), streamlines ( ψ), and isotherms ( θ). It is observed that Sθ decreases near the left wall whereas Sθ near the top and right walls increases with φ, irrespective of A. A large regime near the bottom portion of the left wall and right portion of the bottom wall corresponds to the higher magnitude of Sψ and that extends over a wider region for the higher φ. The results in terms of total entropy generation ( Stotal), average Bejan number ( Beav), and average Nusselt number ( [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutaneous collagenous vasculopathy (CCV) is a rare acquired idiopathic microangiopathy characterised by the progressive development of diffuse asymptomatic telangiectasias over the skin. Histologically, the presence of a thick hyaline collagenous wall around the affected capillaries, comprising the accumulation of collagen type IV, is noted. We herein report the case of a 17-year-old Japanese boy with symmetrical patches of diffuse telangiectasias on the bilateral extremities that persisted for 10 months. A histological examination revealed dilated capillaries in the papillary dermis surrounded by thick perivascular deposition of hyaline-like materials, which stained positive for periodic acid-Schiff and collagen type IV. We additionally performed a review of 26 CCV patients previously reported in the English literature and summarised the clinical and histological features of generalised telangiectatic disorders, such as CCV, generalised essential telangiectasia and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. To establish an accurate diagnosis, it is important for dermatologists to recognise the clinical and histological characteristics of CCV and the importance of the histological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s architectural education saw to the emergence of radical attempts to reconnect pedagogy with ‘the real world’ and to forge greater social responsibility in architecture. From this epoch of important political, social, and environmental action, this article discusses three ‘encounters’ between architecture and pedagogy with the aim to study how architecture can contribute to learning innovation. While the International Design Conference held in Aspen in 1972, shows how architects and educators explored the potential of the city as a learning resource, architect Cedric Price’s radical proposals for mobile forms of learning, demonstrate the importance of visionary imaginations. Finally, revolutionary-anarchist architects and planners of the time, including Colin Ward and Brian Anson, experimented with the empowering potential of education. Via these three encounters, this article highlights the role of imagination and experimentation, typically associated with architecture, in triggering societal and pedagogical change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Model-form uncertainties in complex mechanics systems are a major obstacle for predictive simulations. Reducing these uncertainties is critical for stake-holders to make risk-informed decisions based on numerical simulations. For example, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations are increasingly used in the design, analysis, and safety assessment of mission-critical systems involving turbulent flows. However, for many practical flows the RANS predictions have large model-form uncertainties originating from the uncertainty in the modeled Reynolds stresses. Recently, a physics-informed Bayesian framework has been proposed to quantify and reduce model-form uncertainties in RANS simulations for flows by utilizing sparse observation data. However, in the design stage of engineering systems, when the system or device has not been built yet, measurement data are usually not available. In the present work we extend the original framework to scenarios where there are no available data on the flow to be predicted. In the proposed method, we first calibrate the model discrepancy on a related flow with available data, leading to a statistical model for the uncertainty distribution of the Reynolds stress discrepancy. The obtained distribution is then sampled to correct the RANS-modeled Reynolds stresses for the flow to be predicted. The extended framework is a Bayesian calibration-prediction method for reducing model-form uncertainties. The merits of the proposed method are demonstrated on two flows that are challenging to standard RANS models. By not requiring observation data on the flow to be predicted, the present calibration-prediction method will gain wider acceptance in practical engineering design and analysis compared to the original framework. While RANS modeling is chosen to demonstrate the merits of the proposed framework, the methodology is generally applicable to other complex mechanics models involving solids, fluids flows, or the coupling between the two (e.g., mechanics models for the cardiovascular systems), where model-form uncertainties are present in the constitutive relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indoor spraying of walls and ceilings with residual insecticide remains a primary method of malaria control. Insecticide resistance in malaria vectors is a growing problem. Novel insecticides for indoor residual spraying (IRS) which can improve the control of pyrethroid resistant malaria vectors are urgently needed. Insecticide mixtures have the potential to improve efficacy or even to manage resistance in some situations but this possibility remains underexplored experimentally. Chlorfenapyr is a novel pyrrole insecticide which has shown potential to improve the control of mosquitoes which are resistant to current WHO-approved insecticides. Method: The efficacy of IRS with chlorfenapyr applied alone or as a mixture with alpha-cypermeththrin (a pyrethroid) was evaluated in experimental huts in Cove, Southern Benin against wild free flying pyrethroid resistant Anopheles gambiae sl. Comparison was made with IRS with alpha-cypermethrin alone. Fortnightly 30-minute in situ cone bioassays were performed to assess the residual efficacy of the insecticides on the treated hut walls. Results: Survival rates of wild An gambiae from the Cove hut site in WHO resistance bioassays performed during the trial were >90% with permethrin and deltamethrin treated papers. Mortality of free-flying mosquitoes entering the experimental huts was 4% in the control hut. Mortality with alpha-cypermethrin IRS did not differ from the control (5%, P>0.656). The highest mortality was achieved with chlorfenapyr alone (63%). The alpha-cypermethrin + chlorfenapyr mixture killed fewer mosquitoes than chlorfenapyr alone (43% vs. 63%, P<0.001). While the cone bioassays showed a more rapid decline in residual mortality with chlorfenapyr IRS to <30% after only 2 weeks, fortnightly mortality rates of wild free-flying An gambiae entering the chlorfenapyr IRS huts were consistently high (50–70%) and prolonged, lasting over 4 months. Conclusion: IRS with chlorfenapyr shows potential to significantly improve the control of malaria transmission in pyrethroid resistant areas compared to pyrethroid IRS or the mixture. Thirty minute in situ cone bioassays are not predictive of the performance of chlorfenapyr IRS under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of the load-deformation behavior of geocell-stabilized subballast subjected to cyclic loading using a novel track process simulation apparatus. The tests were conducted at frequencies varying from 10 to 30 Hz. This frequency range is generally representative of Australian standard gauge trains operating up to 160 km=h. The discrete-element method (DEM) was also used to model geocell-reinforced subballast under plane strain conditions. The geocell was modeled by connecting a group of small circular balls together to form the desired geometry and aperture using contact and parallel bonds. Tensile and bending tests were carried out to calibrate the model parameters adopted for simulating the geocell. To model irregularly shaped particles of subballast, clusters of bonded circular balls were used. The simulated load-deformation curves of the geocell-reinforced subballast assembly at varying cyclic load cycles were in good agreement with the experimental observations. The results indicated that the geocell decreased the vertical and lateral deformation of subballast assemblies at any given frequency. Furthermore, the DEM can also provide insight into the distribution of contact force chains, and average contact normal and shear force distributions, which cannot be determined experimentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study provides the first large scale analysis of the age at which adolescents in medieval England entered and completed the pubertal growth spurt. This new method has implications for expanding our knowledge of adolescent maturation across different time periods and regions. Methods In total, 994 adolescent skeletons (10-25 years) from four urban sites in medieval England (AD 900-1550) were analyzed for evidence of pubertal stage using new osteological techniques developed from the clinical literature (i.e., hamate hook development, cervical vertebral maturation (CVM), canine mineralization, iliac crest ossification, and radial fusion). Results Adolescents began puberty at a similar age to modern children at around 10-12 years, but the onset of menarche in girls was delayed by up to 3 years, occurring around 15 for most in the study sample and 17 years for females living in London. Modern European males usually complete their maturation by 16-18 years; medieval males took longer with the deceleration stage of the growth spurt extending as late as 21 years. Conclusions This research provides the first attempt to directly assess the age of pubertal development in adolescents during the 10th-17th centuries. Poor diet, infections, and physical exertion may have contributed to delayed development in the medieval adolescents, particularly for those living in the city of London. This study sheds new light on the nature of adolescence in the medieval period, highlighting an extended period of physical and social transition. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:48-56, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]