The road to maturity: navigating between craft and science

C. Ebert presents his views on the state of software engineering as a field, its roots and inherent conflicts, its relationship to other engineering disciplines, where it is headed, and what we can do to influence that direction. T. Matsubara, T. Webb, M. Pezze, and O.W. Bertelsen offer a spectrum of further insights     

Guide to conducting a psychological autopsy.

Much of the writing on the psychological autopsy is reviewed. Several writers' opinions about what should be included in a comprehensive behavioral analysis conducted after an individual's death are compiled in an Appendix. Several additional and new areas to be covered in a psychological autopsy are included. The primary emphasis is on the provision of a practical guide for the working professional. Twenty-four separate factors, ranging from reconstruction of events that occurred before the death to the deceased's family death history, are presented. Some legal considerations are examined briefly in order to acquaint the professional with the significant impact that the results can have on family benefits and criminal prosecution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characterization of strength properties of thin polycrystalline silicon films for MEMS applications

The aim of this work is to characterize the strength properties of polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) with the use of tensile and bending test specimens. The strength of thin polysilicon films with different geometry, size and stress concentrations has been measured and correlated with the effective size of the specimen and its stress distribution. The test results are evaluated using a probabilistic strength approach based on the weakest link theory with the use of STAU software. The use of statistic methods of strength prediction of polysilicon test structures with a complex geometry and loading based on test values for standard material tests specimen has been evaluated.     

A new method for seed oil body purification and examination of oil body integrity following germination

Plant seeds store triacylglycerols as energy sources for germination and postgerminative growth of seedlings. The triacylglycerols are preserved in small, discrete, intracellular organelles called oil bodies. A new method was developed to purify seed oil bodies. The method included extraction, flotation by centrifugation, detergent washing, ionic elution, treatment with a chaotropic agent, and integrity testing by use of hexane. These processes subsequently removed non-specifically associated or trapped proteins within the oil bodies. Oil bodies purified by this method maintained their integrity and displayed electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance on their surface. Compared with the previous procedure, this method allowed higher purification of oil bodies, as demonstrated by SDS-PAGE using five species of oilseeds. Oil bodies purified from sesame were further analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and revealed two potential oleosin isoforms. The integrity of oil bodies in germinating sesame seedlings was examined by hexane extraction. Our results indicated that consumption of triacylglycerols reduced gradually the total amount of oil bodies in seedlings, whereas no alteration was observed in the integrity of remaining oil bodies. This observation implies that oil bodies in germinating seeds are not degraded simultaneously. It is suggested that glyoxisomes, with the assistance of mitochondria, fuse and digest oil bodies one at a time, while the remaining oil bodies are preserved intact during the whole period of germination.     

Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumour presenting as small bowel volvulus: a rare disease with a rare presentation

A 78-year-old Chinese woman presented with recurrent postprandial abdominal pain. Computerised tomography revealed a small bowel tumour causing volvulus of a segment of the small bowel. Laparotomy confirmed an extraluminal ileal tumour with partial volvulus of the involved small bowel segment. Small bowel resection was done. Histological and ultrastructural studies confirmed a gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumour. We review the medical literature on this rare tumour.     

Physical and dosimetric aspects of a multileaf collimation system used in the dynamic mode for implementing intensity modulated radiotherapy

The use of a multileaf collimator in the dynamic mode to perform intensity modulated radiotherapy became a reality at our institution in 1995. Unlike treatment with static fields using a multileaf collimator, there are significant dosimetric issues which must be assessed before dynamic therapy can be implemented. We have performed a series of calculations and measurements to quantify head scatter for small fields, collimator transmission, and the transmission through rounded leaf ends. If not accounted for, these factors affect the delivered dose to the prostate by 5%-20% for a typical plan. Data obtained with ion chambers and radiographic film are presented for both 6 and 15 MV x-ray beams. The impact on the delivered dose of the mechanical accuracy of the multileaf collimator, achieved during leaf position calibration and maintained during dose delivery, is also discussed.     

Detection of congenital müllerian duct anomalies using three-dimensional ultrasound

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the value of 3-dimensional sonography in the diagnosis of congenital müllerian duct anomalies, which cause infertility, preterm labor, and first trimester abortion. METHODS: A prospective study was undertaken in which 40 patients with histories of repeated spontaneous abortions or infertility were first examined using conventional 2-dimensional sonography or hysterosalpingography. Three-dimensional transvaginal sonography was then performed. RESULTS: Twenty-eight women had müllerian duct abnormalities, and 12 women had normal uterine anatomy. Müllerian duct defects detected in this study were unicornuate uterus (3), bicornuate uterus (3), complete or partial septate uterus (12), arcuate uterus (9), and didelphic uterus (1). The diagnosis of müllerian duct anomalies in these patients was confirmed by laparoscopic and/or hysteroscopic examinations. Three-dimensional sonography demonstrated all congenital uterine abnormalities with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. Separate uterus and bicornuate uterus could be correctly diagnosed using 3-dimensional sonography in 11 (92%) of 12 cases and 3 (100%) of 3 cases, respectively. These 2 abnormalities were commonly confused with each other using hysterosalpingography and conventional sonography. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional sonography with image reconstruction is less expensive and less invasive than hysterosalpingography for the assessment of uterine anatomy and diagnosis of müllerian duct abnormalities. The ability to visualize both the uterine cavity and the myometrium on a 3-dimensional scan facilitates the diagnosis of uterine anomalies and enables the differentiation of septate from bicornuate uteri for preoperative surgical planning.