The “Djedi” Robot Exploration of the Southern Shaft of the Queen's Chamber in the Great Pyramid of Giza,Egypt

There are many unanswered questions regarding the construction and purpose of the Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt. A climbing robot called “Djedi” has been designed, constructed, and deployed to explore shafts of the queen's chamber within the Great Pyramid. The Djedi robot is based on the concept of inchworm motion and is capable of carrying a long reach drill or snake camera. The robot successfully climbed the southern shaft of the Great Pyramid, deployed its snake camera, and revealed writing not seen for thousands of years. This paper details the design of the robot, including climbing steps in the shaft and lessons learned from experimental deployment. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Time is money: Comparative impacts of volumetric and demand charges

Renewed interest in electric rate design for small customers due to the proliferation of new technologies for consuming, shifting, and generating energy suggests the need for comparing the effects of demand-based rate design concepts with the status quo of energy-only rates. The article finds various forms of demand charges subvert the customer-demand/utility-cost relationship, and concludes time-varying rates are simpler, avoid customer confusion, and remove the information barrier from the customer transaction, providing actionable price signals.     

Evolutionary ciphers against differential power analysis and differential fault analysis

Side channel analysis(SCA) focuses on attacking cryptographic algorithm implementations by collecting leaked information and analyzing the correlation between the leaked and key information in the cryptographic system.Currently,SCA is the main threat to cryptographic implementations,with DPA(differential power analysis) and DFA(differential fault analysis) being two of the most threatening types of SCA.However,the existing countermeasures against DPA and DFA have shortcomings and can hardly protect cipher designs perfectly.Based on a comprehensive analysis of DPA and DFA,this paper proposes a new idea of using an evolutionary cipher(EVOC) against DPAs based on the model proposed by Kocher,and several different new types of DFAs.In fact,an EVOC is a kind of dynamic cipher designing method.Moreover,combined with intelligent searching algorithms and cryptography design policies,EVOCs utilize the dynamic and unpredictable properties of TRNG(a truly random number generator) to ensure cipher design at a high level of security.Therefore,with an EVOC we could design cryptography algorithms with high security to resist mathematical analysis as well as DPAs and DFAs.This paper analyzes and proves the security,efficiency,cost,and original features of EVOCs against DPA and DFA both theoretically and experimentally.Compared with existing countermeasures against SCAs,EVOCs use dynamic non-linear operations to destroy the bases of DPA and DFA.At the algorithm level,EVOCs are more efficient than other resistance methods.Based on the theory and experiments,this paper proposes certain modifications to the EVOC in the AES(advanced encryption standard) algorithm,which can be referenced by other dynamic designs of cryptographic algorithms.     

Office and ambulatory blood pressure in patients with craniomandibular disorders

To assess the physiologic response to daily life stress in patients with craniomandibular disorders (CMD), office and ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were studied in 25 female patients and 25 controls. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the groups for heart rate before the clinical examination and that in the patient group when compared before and after the clinical examination. Higher values were found for mean daytime systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the control group compared with the patient group (p < 0.05). The mean number of systolic blood pressure > or = 140 mmHg during 24 h and daytime was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the control group than in the patient group. In this study the CMD patients with muscular diagnosis were not more stressed than healthy subjects in the daily activities as evaluated by ambulatory blood pressure measurements.     

Relationships of orbital computed tomographic findings and activity scores to the prognosis of corticosteroid therapy in patients with Graves'' ophthalmopathy

PSD-95/SAP90, which binds to the C-terminus of NMDA receptor and Shaker-type potassium channel, is one of the major postsynaptic density proteins. Recently, novel classes of proteins interacting with the guanylate kinase domain of PSD-95 have been identified, guanylate kinase-associated protein (GKAP) and SAP90/PSD-95-associated proteins (SAPAPs). Here we report the isolation of new isoforms of PSD-95 binding protein (GKAP/SAPAP1) using the yeast two-hybrid system. The isolated protein directly interacts with the guanylate kinase domain of PSD-95. Northern blot analyses revealed that the expression of these isoforms containing distinct N-terminal sequences is differentially regulated during brain development. The present findings suggest that each isoform of the PSD-95 binding protein is differentially expressed in a development-dependent manner and may be involved in the complex formation of PSD-95 and channel/receptors at the postsynaptic density.     

Interaction between childhood temperament and parental discipline practices on behavioral adjustment in preadolescent sons of substance abuse and normal fathers

We conducted this study with a sample of sons of fathers having a Psychoactive Substance Use Disorder (PSUD+, n = 55) and sons of fathers who did not qualify for a PSUD (PSUD-, n = 97). Parental discipline practice from the child's perspective was investigated in relation to the child's difficult temperament to determine their association with sons' externalizing and internalizing behavior problems reported by mothers. PSUD+ status, difficult temperament in the boys, and their ratings of parental discipline practices accounted for a significant proportion of variance with respect to their externalizing behavior (11%), but only PSUD+ status had a main effect on internalizing behavior. However, the main finding of this study was that the interaction of parental discipline and difficult temperament in the child moderated both externalizing and internalizing behavior problems, accounting for an additional 5% of an explained variance. Thus, this study illustrates the importance of the conjoint influence of children's temperament characteristics and parental discipline practices on the children's adjustment. These results support the findings from previous studies showing that a difficult temperament disposition places the child at risk for maltreatment by parents and for development of a disruptive behavior disorder. Both outcomes have been found in many investigations to presage alcohol and drug abuse in adolescence. The findings also underscore the importance of both individual and contextual variables for understanding the development of psychopathology. In this regard, the results show the need for prevention and treatment to encompass strategies directed at disaggregating the basis of maladaptive family interaction patterns.     

Effects of isolated limb perfusion with tumour necrosis factor-alpha on the function of monocytes and T lymphocytes in patients with cancer

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of isolated limb perfusion (ILP) with tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and melphalan in patients with cancer on, first, plasma levels of cytokines, second, systemic monocyte and T-lymphocyte distribution and, third, the ability of mononuclear cells to produce cytokines upon stimulation in vitro. Six patients undergoing an ILP were entered into the study (group 1). In addition, patients undergoing a major surgical operation (group 2) minor operation (group 3) as well as healthy volunteers (group 4) were included as control groups. Sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to measure TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 (IL-6) plasma levels at various time points during and after operation. Furthermore, the percentage of monocytes and T lymphocytes was determined in all studied groups using a FACScan. In addition, cytokine production upon stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a combination of anti-CD3/anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies in whole-blood cultures was investigated. Increased plasma levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 in patients undergoing ILP was observed, but only IL-6 appeared to be increased in patients treated with a major operation. No significant fluctuations were found in the other groups studied. Concerning the number of monocytes, a significant decrease was observed only in patients treated with ILP. Furthermore, a decreased production of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 upon various types of stimulation in vitro was found in those patients, but also after a major operation. In conclusion, the results of the present study show increased plasma levels of cytokines in patients treated with ILP and major operation. Furthermore, a decrease in numbers of monocytes in the circulation and the ability of mononuclear cells to produce cytokines in vitro may be induced by administration of TNF-alpha in ILP. Although similar results were found in patients treated with major operation, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon remain to be elucidated.     

Antipsychotic drugs: is more worse? A meta-analysis of the published randomized control trials

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography before electrical cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation and to determine the mechanism of thromboembolism after cardioversion. BACKGROUND: Thromboembolic complications after electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation have been attributed to the dislodgment of preexistent left atrial thrombus during the resumption of atrial contraction. Transesophageal echocardiography has been proposed as a method of screening patients for left atrial thrombus before cardioversion. METHODS: Seventy transesophageal echocardiographic studies were performed in 66 patients, predominantly with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, before direct current cardioversion. In addition, transesophageal echocardiography was performed during the cardioversion procedure in 15 patients and immediately after in 1 patient. RESULTS: Left atrial thrombus was detected in one patient (1.4%), and cardioversion was cancelled. Thromboembolic complications occurred in 4 patients, none of whom had evidence of left atrial thrombus before cardioversion. Within 10 s of successful cardioversion, left atrial spontaneous echo contrast appeared in five patients, increased in one patient and was unchanged in nine patients. Patients with new or increased spontaneous echo contrast had more impaired atrial contraction and slower initial heart rates after cardioversion than those without. Left ventricular contraction was also impaired transiently by cardioversion. CONCLUSIONS: Transesophageal echocardiographic detection of left atrial thrombus before direct current cardioversion is important but infrequent in patients with predominantly nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. The occurrence of thromboembolic complications in the absence of demonstrable left atrial thrombus and the new development of spontaneous echo contrast in association with the transient atrial dysfunction ("stunning") caused by cardioversion suggest that cardioversion may promote new thrombus formation, in which case all patients should receive full anticoagulant therapy at the time of cardioversion.     

Reduction and stabilization without laminectomy for unstable degenerative spondylolisthesis: a preliminary report

Fifty-two patients with unstable degenerative spondylolisthesis treated with the "AO internal fixator" and posterolateral fusion were reviewed. The major purpose of this study is to observe whether this pedicle fixation system could adequately decompress the nervous system tissue by the restoration of the spinal canal and, hence, replace the conventional decompressive laminectomy for the treatment of this disease entity. The results were satisfactory, showing that 92% of the patients with radicular pain, 89% of the patients with low back pain, and 86% of the patients with intermittent claudication improved postoperatively. Observing the results, only two groups of patients with unstable degenerative spondylolisthesis are not suitable for this treatment modality. The first group consists of those patients who have a spondylolisthesis with borderline instability. The second group consists of those patients who have a positive Lasèque's sign.     

Amygdala atrophy and seizure outcome after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery

Surgical outcome in hippocampal atrophy (n = 44) and amygdalohippocampal atrophy (n = 14) were compared. Hippocampal atrophy had better seizure-free outcome than amygdalohippocampal atrophy (80% versus 50%, p = 0.043). Severity of hippocampal atrophy correlated with duration of epilepsy in patients with hippocampal atrophy (r = 0.4, p = 0.007), but not in those with amygdalohippocampal atrophy, suggesting that these two groups may have a different pathogenesis.