Objective assessment of cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills of 10-11 year-old schoolchildren using two different external chest compression to ventilation ratios

Study which shows that 10-11 yr olds are capable of effective CPR after a single 2 hour training session using the ABC for Life programme. However they perfrom more effective CPR when using a ratio of 15:2 rather than 30:2 chest compressions : ventilations

Linear quadratic and tumour control probability modelling in external beam radiotherapy

The standard linear-quadratic (LQ) survival model for external beam radiotherapy is reviewed with particular emphasis on studying how different schedules of radiation treatment planning may be affected by different tumour repopulation kinetics. The LQ model is further examined in the context of tumour control probability (TCP) models. The application of the Zaider and Minerbo non-Poissonian TCP model incorporating the effect of cellular repopulation is reviewed. In particular the recent development of a cell cycle model within the original Zaider and Minerbo TCP formalism is highlighted. Application of this TCP cell-cycle model in clinical treatment plans is explored and analysed.

Evolution of Clay Morphology in Polypropylene/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites upon Equi-biaxial Stretching: A Solid-State NMR and TEM Approach

Solid-state NMR and TEM were used to quantitatively examine the evolution of clay morphology upon equibiaxial stretching of polypropylene/montmorillonite (PP-MMT) nanocomposites up to a stretch ratio (?= final length/initial length) of 3.5. 1 H spin-lattice relaxation times were measured by the saturation-recovery sequence. For the nanocomposites, initial portions of the magnetization recovery
curves (e~20 ms) were found to depend on v t, indicative of diffusion-limited relaxation and in agreement with calculations based on estimates of the spin-diffusion barrier radius surrounding the paramagnetic centers in the clay, the electron-nucleus coupling constant, and the spin-diffusion coefficient. Initial slopes of these magnetization recovery curves directly correlated with the fraction of clay/polymer interface. New clay surface was exposed as a near linear function of strain. Long-time portions of the magnetization recovery curves yielded information on the average interparticle separations, which decreased slowly before reaching a plateau at ?=~2.5 as particles aligned. TEM images supported these findings and were used to define and quantify degrees of exfoliation and homogeneity from the NMR data. Exfoliation, defined as (platelets/ stack)-1, increased from 0.38 (unstretched) to 0.80 at ? = 3.5 for PP-MMT nanocomposites stretched at
150 C and 16 s-1. A lower stretch temperature, 145 C, which is slightly below melting onset, led to an exfoliation degree of 0.87 at ?= 2.8, consistent with the ability of higher melt viscosities to allow for higher shear stress transfer. Exposure of new clay surface is attributed to aggregate breakup and orientation at low strains (? e ~2) and to platelets sliding apart at higher strains.

Biological influence on the morphology and micromorphology of selected Podzols (Spodosols) and Cambisols (Inceptisols) from the Eastern United States and Northeast Scotland

Biological activities greatly influence the formation of many soils, especially forest soils under cool humid climates. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of vegetation and soil biota on the formation of selected soils. Field morphology, micromorphology, and carbon and organic matter analysis were determined on six Podzols (Spodosols) and two Cambisols (Inceptisols) from the eastern United States and north-east Scotland. Humification of plant material by soil fauna and fungi occurs in all organic horizons. Thick organic coatings are observed on soil peds and rock fragments from the E1 to the Bs horizon in a Haplic Podzol from Clingmans Dome Mt., TN. Thin sections reveal large accumulations of root material in different stages of decomposition in the spodic horizons of a Haplic Podzol from Whiteface Mt., NY. Organic carbon ranges from 5.4 to 8.5% in the spodic B horizons of the Whiteface Mt. Podzol. Earthworms and enchytraeids have a great effect on the structure of the surface and subsurface horizons in the Dystric Cambisols from Huntly and Clashindarroch Forests, Scotland and a Cambic Podzol from the Corrie Burn Basin, Scotland. Podzols from Speymouth Forest, Scotland (Gleyic Podzol), Cling-mans Dome Mt., and Whiteface Mt. have thick organic horizons. The Podzols from the Flatwoods in Georgia, the Pine Barrens in New Jersey, the Corrie Burn Basin, and the Cambisol from Huntly Forest have only A horizons at the surface. The Clashindarroch Forest soil has a very thin organic horizon. Warm and humid climates and sandy parent material are responsible for thick E horizons and lack of thick organic horizons in the Flatwoods (Carbic Podzol) and Pine Barrens (Ferric Podzol) soils. Earthworms and enchytraeids thrive in the Corrie Burn Basin and Huntly Forest soils due to the vegetation and the highly weathered basic parent material. The site at Clashindarroch once carried oak, and then birch forest, both of which produce a mild litter and also encourage earthworm and enchytraeids. This fauna is responsible for much mixing of the topsoil. The present conifer vegetation will eventually produce a deep litter and cause podzolization.

A bargaining set for monotonic simple games based on external and internal stability

A new bargaining set based on notions of both internal and external stability is developed in the context of endogenous coalition formation. It allows to make an explicit distinction between within-group and outside-group deviation options. This type of distinction is not present in current bargaining sets. For the class of monotonic proper simple games, the outcomes in the bargaining set are characterized. Furthermore, it is shown that the bargaining set of any homogeneous weighted majority game contains an outcome for which the underlying coalition structure consists of a minimal winning coalition and its complement.

The Rights of Religious Associations to External Relations: A Comparative Study of the OSCE and the Council of Europe

This paper argues that religious associations have a number of substantive rights when it comes to their external relations. It does so though comparing the position of the OSCE and the Council of Europe. This paper considers whether the emerging framework includes: (1) a right to legal entity status, (2) a right to establish and run charitable or educational institutions, (3) a right to privileges and substantive benefits and (4) a right to anything else. It concludes that the current developments are welcome because religious freedom has a collective aspect that is essential to the lives of many believers.

Marshallian External Economies

This paper argues that, in the absence of indivisibilities, the expansion of an industry cannot generate economies of scale unless individual firms introduce the same change s in the way they carry out their activities. In the absence of some plausible focusing device, there is no good reason to expect this to happen.