Статті в журналах з теми "Normal Lamb's waves"

Abstract An exact analytic solution of Lamb's problem is presented with no approximation or restriction for material parameters or source observer geometries. The transient-wave field for a directional point force normal to the surface of an elastic half-space is given in terms of its constituent components: the body waves, the surface wave, and the near field. In contrast to other known solutions, ours enables us to characterize these wave phenomena separately. Some outstanding features should be mentioned: the singularities appearing in the Green's function solution of the problem are integrable. The transient-wave solution presented is well-suited for numerical computation.

Abstract We examine a staggered pseudospectral method to solve a two-dimensional wave propagation problem with arbitrary nonlinear constitutive equations, and evaluate a general image method to simulate the traction-free boundary condition at the surface. This implementation employs a stress-velocity formulation and satisfies the free surface condition by explicitly setting surface shear stress to zero and making the normal stress antisymmetric about the free surface. Satisfactory agreement with analytical solutions to Lamb's problem is achieved for both vertical point force and explosion sources, and with perturbation solutions for nonlinearly elastic wave propagation within the domain of validity of such solutions. The Rayleigh wave, however, suffers much more severe numerical dispersion than do body waves. At four grids per wavelength, the relative error in the Rayleigh-wave phase velocity is 25 times greater than the corresponding error in the body-wave phase velocity. Thus for the Rayleigh wave, the pseudospectral method performs no better than a low-order finite difference method. A substantial merit of the image approach is that it does not assume any particular rheology, the method is readily applicable even when stresses are not analytically related to kinematic variables, as is the case for most nonlinear models. We use this scheme to investigate the response of a nonlinear half-space with endochronic rheology, which has been fit to quasi-static and dynamic observations. We find that harmonics of a monochromatic source are generated and evolve with epicentral range, and energy is transferred from low to higher frequencies for a broadband source. This energy redistribution characteristic of the propagation is strain-amplitude dependent, consistent with laboratory experiments. Compared with the linear response, the nonlinear response of an endochronic layer near the surface shows a deamplification effect in the intermediate-frequency band and an amplification effect in the higher-frequency band. The computational method, with modifications to accommodate realistic nonlinear soil characteristics, could be applied to estimate earthquake strong ground motions and path effects.

AbstractExperiments are conducted to examine the mechanisms behind the coupling between corner separation and separation away from the corner when holding a high-Mach-number ${M}_{\infty } = 1. 5$ normal shock in a rectangular channel. The ensuing shock wave interaction with the boundary layer on the wind tunnel floor and in the corners was studied using laser Doppler anemometry, Pitot probe traverses, pressure sensitive paint and flow visualization. The primary mechanism explaining the link between the corner separation size and the other areas of separation appears to be the generation of compression waves at the corner, which act to smear the adverse pressure gradient imposed upon other parts of the flow. Experimental results indicate that the alteration of the $\lambda $-region, which occurs in the supersonic portion of the shock wave/boundary layer interaction (SBLI), is more important than the generation of any blockage in the subsonic region downstream of the shock wave.

Positive occipital sharp transients of sleep (POSTS) and lambda waves have similar morphology and location. We studied a possible association between these 2 normal EEG patterns. We reviewed a series of consecutive unselected ambulatory EEGs during a 3-month period (October 16, 2017 to January 19, 2018) and identified records with POSTS and records with lambda waves. Statistical analysis was performed using a chi-square test. A total of 140 ambulatory EEGs were reviewed. Duration of EEGs ranged from 24 to 168 hours (mean 76 hours). The population was 34% males, with ages ranging from 3 to 93 years (mean 48 years). Of the 140 records, 30 were abnormal, including 20 with epileptiform abnormalities. A chi-square test for independence (with Yates continuity correction) indicated a significant association between POSTS and lambda waves, χ2(1, n = 140) = 69.208, p < .001, φ = 0.72. In addition, 100% of records with lambda waves had POSTS, and 72% of records with POSTS had lambda waves. There is a high association between lambda waves and POSTS. This suggests a strong similarity between the 2 waveforms, and possibly a common occipital generator.

We have studied the propagation of 12 MHz transverse ultrasonic waves in a porous ceramic containing liquid 4He. Both the sound velocity and the attenuation clearly show the superfluid nature of helium. The helium in the pores increases the system's effective density by an amount proportional to the normal-fluid density and so decreases the sound speed. The decoupling of the superfluid fraction below the lambda transition allows us to use the shear wave essentially as a "high-frequency torsional oscillator" to determine the superfluid density and pore tortuosity. The sound attenuation in this system is due to the same mechanism as for fourth sound, namely, viscous losses due to motion of the normal-fluid component. We observed an attenuation proportional to the normal-fluid density and compare this result to predictions of the Biot theory of sound propagation in fluid-filled porous media.

Abstract The aerodynamic performance of supercritical aerofoils at transonic speeds is strongly influenced by the shock wave-boundary-layer interaction. Passive shock control is one of the techniques used for controlling the undesirable effects of strong shock wave-boundary-layer interaction leading to extensive separation. Using passive shock control, the stall margin is increased and the onset of buffeting is delayed. Passive shock control is modelled by introducing a closed plenum chamber underneath a perforated surface at the foot of the shock wave where a combination of blowing and suction is generated. As a result, a strong normal shock wave is changed into a series of weak shock waves with lambda shape. Since the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model has been used extensively for passive shock control modelling, which exhibits poor predictability for separated flows, an attempt has been made to modify the Reynolds normal stresses for this model so as to improve the accuracy of numerical results for flows with separation. Further modification to the Baldwin-Lomax model has been employed so that the mass transpiration effects are taken into account for the passive shock control computations. In this paper, a brief description on an implicit finite-volume TVD scheme in general coordinates is given and the details of the Balwin-Lomax turbulence model and its modifications are presented. The validated numerical results for several RAE 2822 aerofoil problems plus corresponding results for the modelled methods are presented and compared with some experimental data and other numerical results.

This paper reports on a generalization of Lamb's problem to a linear elastic, infinite half-space with random fields (RFs) of mass density, subject to a normal line load. Both, uncorrelated and correlated (with fractal and Hurst characteristics) RFs without any weak noise restrictions, are proposed. Cellular automata (CA) is used to simulate the wave propagation. CA is a local computational method which, for rectangular discretization of spatial domain, is equivalent to applying the finite difference method to the governing equations of classical elasticity. We first evaluate the response of CA to an uncorrelated mass density field, more commonly known as white-noise, of varying coarseness as compared to CA's node density. We then evaluate the response of CA to multiscale mass density RFs of Cauchy and Dagum type; these fields are unique in that they are able to model and decouple the field's fractal dimension and Hurst parameter. We focus on stochastic imperfection sensitivity; we determine to what extent the fractal or the Hurst parameter is a significant factor in altering the solution to the planar stochastic Lamb's problem by evaluating the coefficient of variation of the response when compared with the coefficient of variation of the RF.

Abstract This paper looks at active control of the normal shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction (SBLI) using smart flap actuators. The actuators are manufactured by bonding piezoelectric material to an inert substrate to control the bleed/suction rate through a plenum chamber. The cavity allows rapid thickening of the boundary-layer approaching the shock, which splits into a series of weaker shocks forming a lambda shock foot, thus reducing wave drag. Active control allows optimisation of the interaction, as it would be capable of either positioning the control region around the original shock position using a series of unimorph flaps or fixing the shock position by controlling the rate of mass transfer. The level of control achieved by unimorph piezoelectric actuators is not large because of small amounts of deflection possible. It is believed that to provide optimal control a piezoelectric material, which can provide greater strain and hence higher amounts of deflection is needed. However, currently such a piezoelectric material is not commercially available.

The effects of pulsatile hemodynamics on right ventricle-pulmonary circulation interactions were studied in control lambs and in two lamb models of altered pulmonary hemodynamics induced at infancy: elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) was created by the infusion of monocrotaline pyrrole (MCTP), and elevated pulmonary arterial blood flow was obtained by the creation of an arteriovenous fistula (Shunt). High-fidelity PAP, midvessel Doppler blood velocity (PAV), and cardiac output (CO) were measured in open-chest, anesthetized lambs. PAV waveforms were normalized to match the measured CO. Measured pressure and flow signals were separated in the time domain into forward and backward components. Pulmonary input impedance and indexes quantifying the timing of the reflected wave pulse (beginning of reflected pulse, duration of reflected pulse in systole, and duration of reflected wave in diastole) were calculated for each group. Results indicate that in control animals the reflected wave returned late in systole and extended through much of diastole, thereby increasing diastolic pressure like a counterpulsation balloon. No significant differences in the timing indexes were found between Shunt and control animals. In the MCTP group, the reflected wave returned significantly earlier than normal with the peak reflected pulse occurring before valve closure. The resulting augmentation of systolic pressure and, therefore, large pulse pressure is consistent with pressure waveforms observed in clinical pulmonary hypertension. We conclude that early wave reflection exerts a detrimental effect in pulmonary hypertension by unfavorably loading the still-ejecting right ventricle.

This work introduces a spectral collocation scheme for the viscoelastic wave equation transformed from Cartesian to generalized coordinates. Both the spatial derivatives of field variables and the metrics of the transformation are calculated by the Chebychev pseudospectral method. The technique requires a special treatment of the boundary conditions, which is based on 1-D characteristics normal to the boundaries. The numerical solution of Lamb’s problem requires two 1-D stretching transformations for each Cartesian direction. The results show excellent agreement between the elastic numerical and analytical solutions, demonstrating the effectiveness of the differential operator and boundary treatment. Another example, requiring 1-D transformations, tests the propagation of a Rayleigh wave around a corner of the numerical mesh. Two‐dimensional transformations adapt the grid to topographic features: a syncline, and an anticlinal structure formed with fine layers.

Abstract Infant-directed speech (IDS) in humans, AKA motherese, is different from normal speech with a higher pitch, higher frequency range, slower pace, and more repetition. infants usually are believed to react differently to IDS compared to adult-directed speech. Studies showed that IDS facilitates infant’s speech segmentation, word memory, word learning, and communicative development. IDS is common across languages and cultures, but the evolutionary origin of IDS is a myth. The objective of this study is to find out whether the special style of vocalization namely infant-directed vocalization (IDV), which differs from adult-directed vocalization (ADV), can be also observed in non-human, even non-primate species. The ADV and IDV of ewes were recorded. The sound wave features of the recordings were analyzed by visualization and machine learning. The ADV had representative peak frequencies at 175, 720, and 860Hz, while IDV only had one peak characteristic frequency at 245Hz. The machine-learning algorithm was able to clearly identify (overall accuracy was 89.3%) the distinguishing characteristics between ADV and IDV. Then we tested if the lamb reacts differently to the ewe’s IDV and ADV. The recording was played when the pre-weaning lambs were individually kept and the behavior of the lambs was recorded. The results showed that the lambs looked towards the sound source when IDV was played more than ADV (6.1 vs 3.1 times/5 min); they moved towards the sound source of IDV 8.6 times per 5 min compared to ADV which was 2.8 times/5min), and they bleated back to the sound source when IDV was played (18.0 times/5 min) more than when ADV was played (11.3 time/5 min); within 2 min after the recording played, lambs bleated back to IDV 8 times compared to ADV 4.8 times. This indicated the ewes’ IDV and ADV show different socio-emotional and attention effects on their lambs.

SUMMARYPrime lamb live weight response to lime application on pasture was measured in a grazing experiment in the high rainfall zone of the southwestern slopes of New South Wales, Australia. The pastures were limed every 6 years over 15 years. First cross South African Meat Merino lambs were used as test animals. Pre- and post-grazing pasture dry matter (DM) yield, botanical composition, feed quality and lamb live weight were monitored over 12 weeks in 2007. Results showed that liming significantly increased pasture DM yield of high quality species and improved overall pasture quality due to increased digestibility and metabolic energy content. As a result, the limed perennial and annual pastures carried 24.0% (3.6 lambs ha−1) and 29.0% (4.4 lambs ha−1) more stock than the unlimed perennial and annual pastures, respectively. Averaged across pasture types, the limed pastures produced 30.6% (131 kg ha−1) more lamb live weight gain than the unlimed pastures over 12 weeks. The live weight gain varied between grazing cycles depending on the availability of feed-on-offer and feed quality, which were closely related to the rainfall pattern. The perennial pastures did not show any advantage in animal production over annual pastures during the experimental period due to lack of moisture in the deep soil profile because of severe drought in the previous year. More seasons with normal or above average rainfall are needed to compare animal production on perennial pastures and annual pastures to investigate the advantage of perennial pastures in animal production.

Abstract Background: Although neuropathies complicating multiple myeloma (MM) are common as a result of medications and spinal cord compression, neuropathy as a consequence of cross reactivity between the paraprotein and neural tissues is rare. In CANOMAD syndrome (chronic ataxic neuropathy, ophthalmoplegia, M-protein, agglutination, anti-disialosyl antibodies) IgM paraproteins with shared reactivity between Campylocacter jejuni lipopolysaccharides and human peripheral nerve disialylated gangliosides including GQ1b have been described. In POEMS syndrome (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes) cerebral spinal fluid concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may be markedly elevated, similar to other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy yielding flaccid areflexic paralysis that, to our knowledge, has only been reported once as a complication of MM. Case reports: At Hackensack University Medical Center we have observed 5 cases of GBS complicating MM since 2002 (approximate incidence &lt;0.5%). Details are described below. In all five cases, blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures, anti-GQb1, anti-GM1, and anti-MAG antibodies were negative and radiographic imaging including computerized axial tomographic scan (CT) of the head and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain were unrevealing. In four patients cerebrospinal fluid examination showed albumin/cytologic dissociation. Conclusions: Our observation represents the first series of patients with GBS complicating MM, and suggests that GBS, although rare, should be considered as part of the neurologic complications of plasma cell dyscrasias. Case Age Sex Type of Myeloma MM Therapy Presenting symptoms 1 68 M IIIB IgD lambda VAD, Mel 200 PBSC, month 9, recurring CN VI palsy, areflexia upper extremities, hyporeflexia lower extremities, paresthesias feet & side face 2 63 M IIIA IgA kappa Dex-Thal, Mel 200 PBSC, week 2 Parasthesias hands, legs, and feet. Motor weakness lower extremities ascending. 3 68 M IIIA IgG kappa Dex-Thal, CDEP, Mel 200 PSCT, wk 3 Bilateral facial, sternocleidomastoid, neck muscle weakness with sluggish gag reflex. Upper and lower muscles weak and hyporeflexic. 4 81 F III A IgA kappa + urine Dex-Lenolidomide Lower extremity weakness, with areflexia and severely ataxic gait. Sensory defects in LE. 5 25 M IgA lambda plasma-cytomas None (GBS presenting feature) Marked LE weakness CSF protein Motor Nerve Conductions Sensory Nerve Conductions Treatment & Response 1 126 mg/dl Prolonged median F wave latency Prolonged DSL superficial peroneal Plasmapheresis, dex, thalidomide (improved) 2 77 mg/dl Severely prolonged DML, Reduced CMAP amplitudes, Slow CV, Conduction block Absent SNAPs Plasmapheresis (no response), IVIG (improved) 3 76 mg/dl Prolonged F wave latencies, Slow CV, Reduced CMAP amplitudes Absent SNAPs IVIG (minimal response), plasmapheresis (slow improvement) 4 202 mg/dl Prolonged distal motor latencies, Reduced amplitudes of CMAPS in lower extremities, Prolonged F wave latencies, Slow CV in lower extremities Absent or reduced amplitudes of SNAPs IVIG (no response), plamapheresis (improved) 5 59 mg/dl Prolonged DML, Prolonged F wave latencies or absent F waves, Mild slowing CV, Mild reduction of CMAP amplitudes Normal IVIG and plasmapheresis (no response, paraplegia), Mel 200 PBSC X2 (improved)

A numerical technique for wave‐propagation simulation in 2‐D heterogeneous anisotropic structures is presented. The scheme is flexible in incorporating arbitrary surface topography, inner openings, liquid/solid boundaries, and irregular interfaces, and it naturally satisfies the free‐surface conditions of complex geometrical boundaries. The algorithm, based on a discretization mesh of triangles and quadrilaterals, solves the problem using integral equilibrium around each node instead of satisfying elastodynamic differential equations at each node as in the finite‐difference method. This study is an extension of previous work for the elastic‐isotropic case. Besides accounting for anisotropy, a simplified quadrilateral grid cell with low computational cost is introduced. The transversely isotropic medium with a symmetry axis on the horizontal or vertical plane, as typically caused by a system of parallel cracks or fine layers, is discussed in detail. A 2‐D algorithm is presented that can handle the situation where the symmetry axis of the anisotropy does not lie in the 2‐D plane. The proposed scheme is successfully tested against an analytical solution for Lamb's problem with a symmetry axis normal to the surface and agrees well with a numerical solution of the reflectivity method for a plane‐layered model in the isotropic case. Computed radiation patterns show characteristics such as shear‐wave splitting and triplications of quasi‐SV wavefronts, as predicted by the theory. Examples of surface‐wave propagation in an anisotropic half‐space with a semicylindrical pit on the surface and mixed liquid/(anisotropic) solid model with an inclined liquid/solid interface are presented. Moreover, seismograms are modeled for dome‐layered and plane‐layered anisotropic structures.

Abstract Background Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is characterized by transient regional systolic dysfunction of the left ventricle, mimicking myocardial infarction. Although systolic left ventricular (LV) function normalizes in most cases, the outcome is not always favourable. Recently, a rare electrocardiogram (ECG) finding, lambda wave ST elevation or ‘triangular QRS-ST-T waveform’, was suggested as a possible marker of poor outcome in Takotsubo patients Case summary After a brief episode of chest pain and shortness of breath, a 67-year-old woman developed cardiogenic shock. Her resting ECG showed widespread ST elevations, which soon evolved into a pattern of triangular QRS-ST-T waveforms in the inferior leads and V3–V6. Emergent coronary angiography was normal. The ejection fraction was 20% with apical ballooning and an LV thrombus. At 1-month follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and the ECG showed only T-wave inversions. Discussion The triangular QRS-ST-T waveform ECG pattern has recently been introduced as a high-risk marker in the Takotsubo syndrome.

The effectiveness of yard weaning to manage the weaning transition period for Merino sheep was investigated on three commercial properties in the New South Wales Central Tablelands. Three experiments were conducted, Experiment 1 investigated the duration of yard weaning, Experiment 2 compared two alternative rations provided to yard-weaned animals, while Experiment 3 compared yard weaning with paddock weaning. The ‘Control’ for each of the three experiments was each producers’ normal paddock-weaning strategy with comparisons based on post-weaning growth rates and weaner survival. Liveweights were recorded at weaning and at 15, 50 and 180 days post-weaning. Growth rates were calculated from liveweight measurements. Survival was determined by the continuing presence of an individual animal at subsequent measurements. Compared with the paddock-weaned Control group, variable responses in liveweight, growth rates and weaner survival to 50 and 180 days post-weaning occurred in the three experiments. Yard weaning was not superior to any of the producers’ normal paddock-weaning practices, however, favourable seasonal conditions in early 2010 prompted high growth rates in the paddock-weaned Control animals relative to those achieved by the yard-weaned animals. Further research is required to determine the optimum duration of confinement and ration (including composition and method of delivery). This work should include comparisons of the behaviour of paddock- and yard-weaned animals and model production benefits versus economic costs for a range of production systems and market scenarios.

ObjectivesConstruct updated birth weight-for-gestational age centile charts for use in the UK and compare these to the currently used UK-WHO charts.DesignSecondary analysis of national birth data.ParticipantsCentiles were constructed using 1 269 403 singleton births occurring in England and Wales in 2013–2014 as part of the MBRRACE-UK national perinatal surveillance programme. These were then validated using 642 737 singleton births occurring in England and Wales in 2015.Main outcome measuresSex-specific birth weight-for-gestational age centiles. Centiles were created using the lambda-mu-sigma method via the GAMLSS package in R. This method transforms the skewed birth weight distribution to approximate a normal distribution, allowing any birth weight centile to be produced.ResultsThe new centiles performed well in the validation sample, with the observed and expected proportion of births below a given centile in agreement. Overall, driven by the predominance of term births, the UK-WHO charts classify a smaller proportion of infants as below a given centile. For example, the UK-WHO estimates classified only 1.32% (8035/606 430) of term infants born in 2015 as below the second centile, compared with 1.97% (11 975/606 430) using the new MBRRACE-UK centiles. At the earliest gestational ages, however, the opposite is observed, with the UK-WHO classifying a larger proportion of infants as below a given centile, particularly at the lower end of the birthweight distribution.ConclusionsWe have constructed and validated updated birth weight-for-gestational age centiles using a contemporary sample of births occurring in England and Wales. The benefits of these updated centiles will be first to assist the national surveillance of perinatal mortality programme by improving the identification of the proportion of stillbirths and neonatal deaths affected by intrauterine growth restriction and, second, to aid clinicians by more accurately identifying babies who require increased monitoring in the period immediately following birth.

Experiments have been performed in a supersonic cascade facility to elucidate the fluid dynamic phenomena and loss mechanism of a strong shock-wave turbulent boundary layer interaction in a compressor cascade. The cascade geometry is typical for a transonic fan tip section that operates with a relative inlet Mach number of 1.5, a flow turning of about 3 deg, and a static pressure ratio of 2.15. The strong oblique and partly normal blade passage shock-wave with a preshock Mach number level of 1.42 to 1.52 induces a turbulent boundary layer separation on the blade suction surface. The free-stream Reynolds number based on chord length was about 2.7 × 106. Cascade overall performance, blade surface pressure distributions, Schlieren photographs, and surface visualizations are presented. Detailed Mach number and flow direction profiles of the interaction region (lambda shock) and the corresponding boundary layer have been determined using a Laser-2-Focus anemometer. The obtained results indicated that the axial blade passage stream sheet contraction (axial velocity density ratio) has a significant influence on the mechanism of strong interaction and the resulting total pressure losses.

Context Dual-purpose crops (for grazing and grain) are an important part of the feedbase in mixed farming systems in the medium-rainfall zone of southern Australia. On these farms, non-wool sheep breeds such as the Dorper may provide an opportunity to increase lamb production while reducing labour costs compared with traditional sheep breeds. Aims This study was designed to compare lamb production systems based on White Dorper and Merino ewes joined to a terminal sire, while exploiting a feedbase that included dual-purpose crops. Methods Two experiments were conducted at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, during 2013 (Expt 1) and 2014 (Expt 2). In February in both experiments, White Dorper ewes were joined to either White Dorper or White Suffolk rams (lambs designated DD and WSD, respectively), and Merino ewes were joined to White Suffolk rams (lambs designated WSM). In Expt 1 a dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop was established and the paddock subdivided into nine plots (0.93 ha each). Pregnant ewes were allocated to plots on the basis of genotype (DD, WSD or WSM grazing separate plots) after blocking for number of fetuses identified at mid-pregnancy scanning, with three replicates based on genotype. Lambing commenced on 28 June, and ewes grazed the crop from 27 June to 14 August and then continued to graze in the same groups on a lucerne (Medicago sativa L.)–clover (Trifolium spp.) pasture subdivided into nine plots (2.1 ha), maintaining the same replicates until weaning on 2 October. In Expt 2, the cropping paddock was subdivided into six plots (1.86 ha each) sown to either dual-purpose wheat or canola (Brassica napus L.), with three replicates. Lambing commenced on 13 July. Merino and White Dorper ewes grazed the crops concurrently from 19 June to 12 August, and then lucerne–clover pasture until weaning on 29 September. In both experiments a mineral supplement was fed to ewes grazing wheat during the crop-grazing period. Key results Feed on offer was low (0.33 t/ha) in dual-purpose wheat crops at the start of grazing in Expt 1 and did not differ among genotypes at the cessation of grazing crops. Feed on offer was higher in wheat than canola at the commencement of grazing in Expt 2 (2.6 vs 2.3 t/ha; P = 0.009), and a higher stocking rate was maintained on wheat than canola from the start of lambing. White Dorper ewes maintained a higher body condition score than Merino ewes throughout both experiments. In Expt 2, some ewes had serum magnesium and calcium levels below the normal range, and a high number of ewes (20%) required assistance at lambing. Number of lambs weaned per ewe scanned pregnant was similar among genotypes in both experiments. WSD lambs were heaviest (P &lt; 0.05) at weaning and DD lambs had greatest (P &lt; 0.05) fat depth over the eye muscle at weaning. Conclusions and implications When grazed on a feedbase typical of mixed farms in the medium-rainfall zone of southern NSW, White Dorper ewes were in higher body condition than Merino ewes; however, reproductive rates were similar. Joining White Dorper ewes to a terminal sire may increase weaning weight of lambs compared with joining to a White Dorper ram, or a Merino maternal system.

Three seismic attributes commonly used to predict pore fluid and lithology are the fluid factor [Formula: see text], Poisson impedance (PI), and lambda-rho [Formula: see text]. We evaluated the pore-fluid sensitivity of these attributes with both well-log and seismic data in Tertiary unconsolidated sediments from the Gulf of Mexico where sand and shale are the only expected lithologies. While the sensitivity of one attribute versus another to discriminate pore fluid is often debated in the literature, the sensitivities of the three attributes are not independent but can be traced back to the fluid factor, which is a function of the P- and S-wave normal-incident reflection coefficients. Interestingly, the fluid factor, which is a reflectivity attribute, at the top of a hydrocarbon-saturated reservoir, is basically independent of the shale properties above the reservoir. It is a function of the brine and hydrocarbon impedances of the reservoir. The next attribute, Poisson impedance, is thenequal to the fluid factor times the sum of the brine and hydrocarbon impedances. Finally, the lambda-rho attribute is equal to the Poisson impedance multiplied by the same impedance sum. Essentially, the same scale factor differentiates these attributes, which does not significantly affect the sensitivity of the attributes. PI is the basis of the sensitivity for these attributes. As a means of testing their sensitivity for predicting pore fluid, we generated the three attributes along with their statistical distributions for different pore fluids for 183 reservoirs. The well-log statistical descriptions were then used to calibrate the seismic amplitude in a 3D survey to reflectivity values, thus allowing pore-fluid classification schemes based on Bayes’ decision rules. In essence, seismic-amplitude quantification was based on regional statistics rather than individual wells within the 3D seismic survey to delineate the portions of the reservoir that were saturated with oil, gas, or brine.

The transport equation for the mean turbulent energy dissipation rate $\overline{{\it\epsilon}}$ along the centreline of a fully developed channel flow is derived by applying the limit at small separations to the two-point budget equation. Since the ratio of the isotropic energy dissipation rate to the mean turbulent energy dissipation rate $\overline{{\it\epsilon}}_{iso}/\overline{{\it\epsilon}}$ is sufficiently close to 1 on the centreline, our main focus is on the isotropic form of the transport equation. It is found that the imbalance between the production of $\overline{{\it\epsilon}}$ due to vortex stretching and the destruction of $\overline{{\it\epsilon}}$ caused by the action of viscosity is governed by the diffusion of $\overline{{\it\epsilon}}$ by the wall-normal velocity fluctuation. This imbalance is intrinsically different from the advection-driven imbalance in decaying-type flows, such as grid turbulence, jets and wakes. In effect, the different types of imbalance represent different constraints on the relation between the skewness of the longitudinal velocity derivative $S_{1,1}$ and the destruction coefficient $G$ of enstrophy in different flows, thus resulting in non-universal approaches of $S_{1,1}$ towards a constant value as the Taylor microscale Reynolds number, $R_{{\it\lambda}}$, increases. For example, the approach is slower for the measured values of $S_{1,1}$ along either the channel or pipe centreline than along the axis in the self-preserving region of a round jet. The data for $S_{1,1}$ collected in different flows strongly suggest that, in each flow, the magnitude of $S_{1,1}$ is bounded, the value being slightly larger than 0.5.

AbstractAn opto-acoustic system capable of operating at frequencies greater than 1 GHz with novel biological applications is proposed for the first time. Metallic spheres with radii on the order of hundreds of nanometers dispersed inside a bio-matrix can be used to generate in-situ ultra-high frequency acoustic waves whose normal mode frequencies can be calculated using Lamb's theory for acoustic oscillations of elastic spheres. The frequency and amplitude of the resulting acoustic waves can be related to the physical properties of the metallic spheres and the surrounding bio-matrix: the acoustic waves produced by the metallic spheres are well-suited to high resolution acoustic imaging. We anticipate that our approach will open up new nanoscale techniques to study cells non-invasively.

The aim of this investigation is to estimate the theory of generalized magneto-thermoelasticity to solve the problems of two-dimensional (2D) half-space under thermal shock, initial stress, and two temperatures. The governing equations are solved by using Lame's potentials method in the context of classical dynamical (CD) and Lord-Şhulman (LS) theories. The boundary conditions are as follows (i) the total normal stresses in the boundary equivalent to the initial stress; (ii) the shear stresses are vanished at the boundary; and (iii) the incidence boundary is thermal insulated. The reflection coefficients have been obtained for two incident p- and SV-waves. The results obtained for the incident waves calculated numerically by using appropriate metal and presented graphically. Comparisons have been made with the results obtained from the presence and absence of magnetic field and initial stress.

We report a laboratory study on the scattering, energy dissipation and mean flow induced by internal gravity waves incident upon slopes with varying surface roughness. The experiment was performed in a rectangular box filled with thermally stratified water. The roughness of the slope surface, $\lambda$ , defined as the height of a roughness element over its base width, and the off-criticality $\gamma =(\alpha -\beta )/\beta$ , with $\alpha$ and $\beta$ being the angles of the incident wave and the slope, are used as two control parameters. The distribution of energy dissipation in the direction normal to the slope is found to be more uniform in the rough surface cases. Counter-intuitively, both the maximum value in the dissipation profile and the total energy dissipation near the slope are reduced by surface roughness under most circumstances. The measured peak width (the full width at half-maximum of the peaks) of the dissipation profile is found to be broadened significantly in the rough surface cases. We also observed that there exists a non-zero optimal off-criticality ( $\gamma =0.17$ for the present measurement resolution) for the normalized average dissipation and total dissipation, which may be due to the strongest wave energy near the slope at this $\gamma$ . Unlike surface roughness, the off-criticality has a small effect on the distribution of energy dissipation. Moreover, surface roughness is also found to change the structure of the scattering-induced mean flow and enhance its strength. The present study provides new perspectives on how the surface roughness on topographic features influences energy dissipation.

Abstract The design of a two-dimensional supersonic inlet with large bleed window at low Mach number was developed. Numerical simulation and wind tunnel experiments were carried out to investigate the aerodynamic performance and variable geometric rules of the inlet. The result indicates that the single-degree-of-freedom variable geometry scheme adopted in this paper guarantees the steady work of the inlet over a wide speed range. The large bleed window caused by rotation of the compression ramp appears near the throat at low Mach number. Low-pressure airflow near the bleed window neutralises the original high-pressure airflow behind the shock train, which decreases the overall pressure of the downstream region of the internal contraction section. To match the lower pressure, the structure of the shock train changes from strong $\lambda$ -type to weak $\lambda$ -type, and finally to a normal shock wave as backpressure increases at Mach number 2.5. Herein, the total pressure recovery coefficient of the inlet near the critical condition improves by 8.5% as the backpressure ratio (Pe/P0) adds from 13 to 14.6 at Mach number 2.5. It proves that the scheme is effective on terminal shock wave control and inlet performance improvement. In addition, due to the background wave and the bleed window, two kinds of shock wave oscillation occur when the backpressure ratio is 13.1.

AbstractAn ultra-thin double-functional metasurface patch antenna (MPA) was proposed, where it can operate not only in the antenna mode but also can simultaneously act as perfect absorber for normal incident waves, suitable for RFID applications in the 868 MHz band. The MPA structure consists of a typical coaxially-fed patch antenna merged, for the first time, with a metasurface absorber acting as artificial ground. A methodology for the unit-cell design of the metasurface is proposed followed by an equivalent circuit model analysis, which makes it possible to transform a low-loss ($$tan\delta =0.0015$$ t a n δ = 0.0015 ) unit-cell with highly-reflective characteristics to a perfect absorber for normal incident waves. It is based on modifying the critical external coupling by properly introducing slits on the unit-cell, allowing to design an ultra-thin ($$\lambda _0/225$$ λ 0 / 225 at 868 MHz) and a very compact structure in comparison to previously developed designs. For validation purposes, the MPA was fabricated and its performances in both functional modes were characterized numerically and experimentally. It is demonstrated that merging the absorber with the patch not only allows obtaining a well-matched ($$|S_{11}|<-30$$ | S 11 | < - 30 dB) antenna with an enhanced gain (by 175.6% compared to a typical patch) at the desired frequency but also leads to an overall thickness of only 2.5 mm ($$\lambda _0/138.1$$ λ 0 / 138.1 at 868 MHz). With an absorber size limited to the MPA dimensions, a reasonable 1.3 dB reduction in powers reflected by the MPA was achieved compared to a similar size metallic sheet. Whilst having the lowest profile among the so far reported RFID readers, the proposed MPA can be conveniently fitted for example within the required volume of smart shelf RFID readers or used in portable RFID readers while being capable of mitigating multipath reflection issues and incorrect reading of RFID.

Opposition flow control is a robust strategy that has been proved effective in turbulent wall-bounded flows. Its conventional set-up consists of measuring wall-normal velocity in the buffer layer and opposing it at the wall. This work explores the possibility of implementing this strategy with a detection plane in the logarithmic layer, where control could be feasible experimentally. We apply control on a channel flow at $Re_\tau = 932$ , only on the eddies with relatively large wavelengths ( $\lambda / h > 0.1$ ). Similarly to the buffer layer opposition control, our control strategy results in a virtual-wall effect for the wall-normal velocity, creating a minimum in its intensity. However, it also induces a large response in the streamwise velocity and Reynolds stresses near the wall, with a substantial drag increase. When the phase of the control lags with respect to the detection plane, spanwise-homogeneous rollers are observed near the channel wall. We show that they are a result of a linear instability. In contrast, when the control leads with respect to the detection plane, this instability is inactive and oblique waves are observed. Their wall-normal profiles can be predicted linearly as a response of the turbulent channel flow to a forcing with the advection velocity of the detection plane. The linearity, governing the flow, opens a possibility to affect large scales of the flow in a controlled manner, when enhanced turbulence intensity or mixing is desired.

Background The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the personal and professional lives of frontline nurses. Purpose The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of Canadian Registered Nurses (RNs) working in Ontario or United States hospitals during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 RNs living in Ontario and employed either at an Ontario or United States hospital. Three main themes were identified across both healthcare contexts. Results 1) The Initial Response to the pandemic included a rapid onset of chaos and confusion, with significant changes in structure and patient care, often exacerbated by hospital management. Ethical concerns arose (e.g., redeployment, allocation of resources) and participants described negative emotional reactions. 2) Nurses described Managing the Pandemic by finding new ways to nurse and enhanced teamwork/camaraderie; they reported both struggle and resiliency while trying to maintain work and home life balance. Community responses were met with both appreciation and stigma. 3) Participants said they were Looking Forward to a “new normal”, taking pride in patient improvements, accomplishments, and silver linings, with tempered optimism about the future. Many expressed a reaffirmation of their identities as nurses. Differences between participants working in the US and those working in Ontario were noted in several areas (e.g., initial levels of chaos, ethical concerns, community stigma). Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has been very difficult for nursing as a profession. Close attention to post-pandemic issues is warranted.

AbstractThe interaction between vortical isotropic turbulence (IT) and a normal shock wave is studied using direct numerical simulation (DNS) and linear interaction analysis (LIA). In previous studies, agreement between the simulation results and the LIA predictions has been limited and, thus, the significance of LIA has been underestimated. In this paper, we present high-resolution simulations which accurately solve all flow scales (including the shock-wave structure) and extensively cover the parameter space (the shock Mach number, $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}M_s$, ranges from 1.1 to 2.2 and the Taylor Reynolds number, ${\mathit{Re}}_{\lambda }$, ranges from 10 to 45). The results show, for the first time, that the turbulence quantities from DNS converge to the LIA solutions as the turbulent Mach number, $M_t$, becomes small, even at low upstream Reynolds numbers. The classical LIA formulae are extended to compute the complete post-shock flow fields using an IT database. The solutions, consistent with the DNS results, show that the shock wave significantly changes the topology of the turbulent structures, with a symmetrization of the third invariant of the velocity gradient tensor and ($M_s$-mediated) of the probability density function (PDF) of the longitudinal velocity derivatives, and an $M_s$-dependent increase in the correlation between strain and rotation.

Abstract A 61-year-old man presented to our clinic with progressive shortness-of-breath in the last 3 months. He had a history of hospitalization and endotracheal intubation due to acute pulmonary edema and type – I respiratory failure a week ago and discharged after diagnostic coronary angiography which demonstrating normal coronary arteries. Physical examination revealed bunching of the left biceps when he flexed his left arm which is consistent with rupture of distal biceps tendon (Panel A, Popeye Sign). A 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) showed low QRS voltage in the limb leads and ST segment depression and asymmetrical T wave inversion in the anterolateral leads (Panel B). Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed concentric left ventricular hypertrophy with left ventricular ejection fraction of 60% (Panel C). Pulsed wave-Doppler obtained from the mitral valve demonstrated restrictive filling pattern with high early diastolic velocity (E-wave) and low late diastolic filling (A-wave) peaks with E/A ratio &gt; 2.0 and reduced lateral mitral annular diastolic velocities with E/e’ ratio &gt; 15 which are compatible with impaired left ventricular diastolic function with elevated left ventricular filling pressures (Panel D-E). Biceps tendon rupture, low QRS voltage and left ventricular hypertrophy with restrictive filling pattern were considered suggestive of cardiac amyloidosis and patient was referred to hematology clinic for diagnostic work-up. Protein electrophoresis demonstrated monoclonal gammopathy in the serum and immunoelectrophoresis showed free lambda light chains. The patient diagnosed as AL amyloidosis with cardiac and musculoskeletal involvement. Biceps tendon rupture is a rare finding of amyloidosis due to musculoskeletal involvement. In the setting of acute pulmonary edema and/or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction with massive left ventricular hypertrophy, restrictive filling pattern, low QRS voltage and spontaneous tendon rupture should raise clinical suspicion of amyloidosis with cardiac and musculoskeletal involvement. Abstract P712 Figure.

Abstract Aims Systemic amyloidosis is a multisystem disorder caused by the misfolding, aggregation, and deposition of certain proteins in various organs and tissues. Cardiac involvement is common and worsens the prognosis. Atrial fibrillation is the most frequent arrhythmia in cardiac amiloidosis (CA), but many cases of ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) have been described. Methods and results We present a case of a 64-year-old man admitted following exertional syncope occurred after climbing a flight of stairs. In the previous 2 weeks he had experienced fatigue and poor tolerance to exertion; moreover, 2 days before he had another episode of transient loss of consciousness after exertion. His medical history included left gonarthrosis and surgery for right carpal tunnel syndrome one year before. Physical examination did not revealed signs of heart failure. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a pseudoinfarction pattern with QS waves in V2 and V3 leads and low voltage in all limb leads (Figure 1). Routine blood tests revealed N-terminal pro-bran natriuretic peptide (NT-ProBNP) of 3436 pg/ml (n.v. 0–125) and high-sensitive troponin T of 67 pg/ml (n.v. &lt; 58). A trans-thoracic echocardiogram showed left ventricle (LV) concentric thickening wall with granular and sparkling pattern, mild reduced ejection fraction, reduced global longitudinal strain with apical sparing, grade 3 diastolic disfunction, biatrial enlargement, mild mitral regurgitation, right ventricle free wall thickening (8 mm), mild reduced TAPSE, and mild pericardial effusion. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) confirmed ventricular wall thickening with evidence at T1 mapping of interstitial infiltration more evident in the septum and inferior-lateral wall with apical savings (Figure 2). A total body 99mTc-HDP scintigraphy showed cardiac uptake with intensity similar to bone signal (Perugini Score 2) suggesting ATTR cardiac amyloidosis (Figure 3). Both kappa and lambda concentrations were normal. The genetic testing did not reveled mutations in the TTR gene. We concluded for a diagnosis of ATTR wild-type CA. The Holter ECG monitoring registered numerous ventricular ectopic beats and an episode of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia. A coronary angiography ruled out coronary artery disease. In consideration of the clinical-instrumental picture an ICD was implanted. Conclusions In conclusion, CA is still underdiagnosed. VA and SCD may further complicate the prognosis. Early diagnosis and adequate stratification of the arrhythmic risk are essential to ensure patients the best therapeutic strategies.

Abstract Aims Light-chain amyloidosis (AL) is a rapidly progressive systemic disease commonly involving also the myocardium, with poor outcome if lately diagnosed and treated. Clinical presentation can be widely varied, ranging from unapparent disease with soft symptoms to acute heart failure syndromes, requiring urgent therapies and supports. Methods and results A 52-year-old women came to our outpatient cardiomyopathy clinic because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) suspicion. Family history included a paternal cousin with diagnosis of unspecified cardiomyopathy and cardiac arrest. Her medical history was unremarkable until few months ago, when she started to complain with palpitations and asthenia. Given that both electrocardiogram and echocardiogram had previously showed signs of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, she was referred to us for HCM evaluation. Our physical examination was unremarkable, in particular there were no signs of central or peripheral venous congestion. Electrocardiogram showed a diffuse strain pattern with inferolateral ST-depression and T-wave inversion. Echocardiogram showed a thicked interventricular septum (17 mm), a pseudo-normal transmitral filling pattern with mild increase of LV filling pressure (E/E′ 11), a severely dilated left atrium (51 ml/mq). To complete the diagnostic path for HCM, we asked for a cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), which two months later gave to us the diagnosis of myocardial amyloid infiltration. The diagnosis was quite surprising, because the patient was fine, 6 min walking test assessed a good functional capacity (500 m), no heart failure signs were recorded. So, we sent the patient to perform bone scintigraphy, which showed Perugini 0 uptake, and blood exam, showing, instead, rise of lambda free light chains, cardiac troponin (41.5 ng/l) and NTproBNP (5318 ng/l). Patient was urgently referred to haematologists, who using bone marrow and fat pad biopsy diagnosed a multiple myeloma with stage IV sec. Mayo AL amyloidosis. (Cy)BorD therapy was started, reaching a complete response in 4 months. Conclusions Diagnosis of AL amyloidosis is tricky due to heterogeneous clinical onset and multi-organ involvement. Cardiologist community should be aware of this condition, phenotypically mimicking HCM, but with very different management, in order to favour early diagnosis, prompt referral and treatment initiation. This case teaches that only 1. clinical awareness and 2. multidisciplinary approach can lead to disarm the bomb in AL amyloidosis.

1991 An afternoon in late 1991 found me on a Sydney bus reading Brett Easton Ellis’ American Psycho (1991). A disembarking passenger paused at my side and, as I glanced up, hissed, ‘I don’t know how you can read that filth’. As she continued to make her way to the front of the vehicle, I was as stunned as if she had struck me physically. There was real vehemence in both her words and how they were delivered, and I can still see her eyes squeezing into slits as she hesitated while curling her mouth around that final angry word: ‘filth’. Now, almost fifteen years later, the memory is remarkably vivid. As the event is also still remarkable; this comment remaining the only remark ever made to me by a stranger about anything I have been reading during three decades of travelling on public transport. That inflamed commuter summed up much of the furore that greeted the publication of American Psycho. More than this, and unusually, condemnation of the work both actually preceded, and affected, its publication. Although Ellis had been paid a substantial U.S. $300,000 advance by Simon & Schuster, pre-publication stories based on circulating galley proofs were so negative—offering assessments of the book as: ‘moronic … pointless … themeless … worthless (Rosenblatt 3), ‘superficial’, ‘a tapeworm narrative’ (Sheppard 100) and ‘vile … pornography, not literature … immoral, but also artless’ (Miner 43)—that the publisher cancelled the contract (forfeiting the advance) only months before the scheduled release date. CEO of Simon & Schuster, Richard E. Snyder, explained: ‘it was an error of judgement to put our name on a book of such questionable taste’ (quoted in McDowell, “Vintage” 13). American Psycho was, instead, published by Random House/Knopf in March 1991 under its prestige paperback imprint, Vintage Contemporary (Zaller; Freccero 48) – Sonny Mehta having signed the book to Random House some two days after Simon & Schuster withdrew from its agreement with Ellis. While many commented on the fact that Ellis was paid two substantial advances, it was rarely noted that Random House was a more prestigious publisher than Simon & Schuster (Iannone 52). After its release, American Psycho was almost universally vilified and denigrated by the American critical establishment. The work was criticised on both moral and aesthetic/literary/artistic grounds; that is, in terms of both what Ellis wrote and how he wrote it. Critics found it ‘meaningless’ (Lehmann-Haupt C18), ‘abysmally written … schlock’ (Kennedy 427), ‘repulsive, a bloodbath serving no purpose save that of morbidity, titillation and sensation … pure trash, as scummy and mean as anything it depicts, a dirty book by a dirty writer’ (Yardley B1) and ‘garbage’ (Gurley Brown 21). Mark Archer found that ‘the attempt to confuse style with content is callow’ (31), while Naomi Wolf wrote that: ‘overall, reading American Psycho holds the same fascination as watching a maladjusted 11-year-old draw on his desk’ (34). John Leo’s assessment sums up the passionate intensity of those critical of the work: ‘totally hateful … violent junk … no discernible plot, no believable characterization, no sensibility at work that comes anywhere close to making art out of all the blood and torture … Ellis displays little feel for narration, words, grammar or the rhythm of language’ (23). These reviews, as those printed pre-publication, were titled in similarly unequivocal language: ‘A Revolting Development’ (Sheppard 100), ‘Marketing Cynicism and Vulgarity’ (Leo 23), ‘Designer Porn’ (Manguel 46) and ‘Essence of Trash’ (Yardley B1). Perhaps the most unambiguous in its message was Roger Rosenblatt’s ‘Snuff this Book!’ (3). Of all works published in the U.S.A. at that time, including those clearly carrying X ratings, the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) selected American Psycho for special notice, stating that the book ‘legitimizes inhuman and savage violence masquerading as sexuality’ (NOW 114). Judging the book ‘the most misogynistic communication’ the organisation had ever encountered (NOW L.A. chapter president, Tammy Bruce, quoted in Kennedy 427) and, on the grounds that ‘violence against women in any form is no longer socially acceptable’ (McDowell, “NOW” C17), NOW called for a boycott of the entire Random House catalogue for the remainder of 1991. Naomi Wolf agreed, calling the novel ‘a violation not of obscenity standards, but of women’s civil rights, insofar as it results in conditioning male sexual response to female suffering or degradation’ (34). Later, the boycott was narrowed to Knopf and Vintage titles (Love 46), but also extended to all of the many products, companies, corporations, firms and brand names that are a feature of Ellis’s novel (Kauffman, “American” 41). There were other unexpected responses such as the Walt Disney Corporation barring Ellis from the opening of Euro Disney (Tyrnauer 101), although Ellis had already been driven from public view after receiving a number of death threats and did not undertake a book tour (Kennedy 427). Despite this, the book received significant publicity courtesy of the controversy and, although several national bookstore chains and numerous booksellers around the world refused to sell the book, more than 100,000 copies were sold in the U.S.A. in the fortnight after publication (Dwyer 55). Even this success had an unprecedented effect: when American Psycho became a bestseller, The New York Times announced that it would be removing the title from its bestseller lists because of the book’s content. In the days following publication in the U.S.A., Canadian customs announced that it was considering whether to allow the local arm of Random House to, first, import American Psycho for sale in Canada and, then, publish it in Canada (Kirchhoff, “Psycho” C1). Two weeks later, when the book was passed for sale (Kirchhoff, “Customs” C1), demonstrators protested the entrance of a shipment of the book. In May, the Canadian Defence Force made headlines when it withdrew copies of the book from the library shelves of a navy base in Halifax (Canadian Press C1). Also in May 1991, the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), the federal agency that administers the classification scheme for all films, computer games and ‘submittable’ publications (including books) that are sold, hired or exhibited in Australia, announced that it had classified American Psycho as ‘Category 1 Restricted’ (W. Fraser, “Book” 5), to be sold sealed, to only those over 18 years of age. This was the first such classification of a mainstream literary work since the rating scheme was introduced (Graham), and the first time a work of literature had been restricted for sale since Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint in 1969. The chief censor, John Dickie, said the OFLC could not justify refusing the book classification (and essentially banning the work), and while ‘as a satire on yuppies it has a lot going for it’, personally he found the book ‘distasteful’ (quoted in W. Fraser, “Sensitive” 5). Moreover, while this ‘R’ classification was, and remains, a national classification, Australian States and Territories have their own sale and distribution regulation systems. Under this regime, American Psycho remains banned from sale in Queensland, as are all other books in this classification category (Vnuk). These various reactions led to a flood of articles published in the U.S.A., Canada, Australia and the U.K., voicing passionate opinions on a range of issues including free speech and censorship, the corporate control of artistic thought and practice, and cynicism on the part of authors and their publishers about what works might attract publicity and (therefore) sell in large numbers (see, for instance, Hitchens 7; Irving 1). The relationship between violence in society and its representation in the media was a common theme, with only a few commentators (including Norman Mailer in a high profile Vanity Fair article) suggesting that, instead of inciting violence, the media largely reflected, and commented upon, societal violence. Elayne Rapping, an academic in the field of Communications, proposed that the media did actively glorify violence, but only because there was a market for such representations: ‘We, as a society love violence, thrive on violence as the very basis of our social stability, our ideological belief system … The problem, after all, is not media violence but real violence’ (36, 38). Many more commentators, however, agreed with NOW, Wolf and others and charged Ellis’s work with encouraging, and even instigating, violent acts, and especially those against women, calling American Psycho ‘a kind of advertising for violence against women’ (anthropologist Elliot Leyton quoted in Dwyer 55) and, even, a ‘how-to manual on the torture and dismemberment of women’ (Leo 23). Support for the book was difficult to find in the flood of vitriol directed against it, but a small number wrote in Ellis’s defence. Sonny Mehta, himself the target of death threats for acquiring the book for Random House, stood by this assessment, and was widely quoted in his belief that American Psycho was ‘a serious book by a serious writer’ and that Ellis was ‘remarkably talented’ (Knight-Ridder L10). Publishing director of Pan Macmillan Australia, James Fraser, defended his decision to release American Psycho on the grounds that the book told important truths about society, arguing: ‘A publisher’s office is a clearing house for ideas … the real issue for community debate [is] – to what extent does it want to hear the truth about itself, about individuals within the community and about the governments the community elects. If we care about the preservation of standards, there is none higher than this. Gore Vidal was among the very few who stated outright that he liked the book, finding it ‘really rather inspired … a wonderfully comic novel’ (quoted in Tyrnauer 73). Fay Weldon agreed, judging the book as ‘brilliant’, and focusing on the importance of Ellis’s message: ‘Bret Easton Ellis is a very good writer. He gets us to a ‘T’. And we can’t stand it. It’s our problem, not his. American Psycho is a beautifully controlled, careful, important novel that revolves around its own nasty bits’ (C1). Since 1991 As unlikely as this now seems, I first read American Psycho without any awareness of the controversy raging around its publication. I had read Ellis’s earlier works, Less than Zero (1985) and The Rules of Attraction (1987) and, with my energies fully engaged elsewhere, cannot now even remember how I acquired the book. Since that angry remark on the bus, however, I have followed American Psycho’s infamy and how it has remained in the public eye over the last decade and a half. Australian OFLC decisions can be reviewed and reversed – as when Pasolini’s final film Salo (1975), which was banned in Australia from the time of its release in 1975 until it was un-banned in 1993, was then banned again in 1998 – however, American Psycho’s initial classification has remained unchanged. In July 2006, I purchased a new paperback copy in rural New South Wales. It was shrink-wrapped in plastic and labelled: ‘R. Category One. Not available to persons under 18 years. Restricted’. While exact sales figures are difficult to ascertain, by working with U.S.A., U.K. and Australian figures, this copy was, I estimate, one of some 1.5 to 1.6 million sold since publication. In the U.S.A., backlist sales remain very strong, with some 22,000 copies sold annually (Holt and Abbott), while lifetime sales in the U.K. are just under 720,000 over five paperback editions. Sales in Australia are currently estimated by Pan MacMillan to total some 100,000, with a new printing of 5,000 copies recently ordered in Australia on the strength of the book being featured on the inaugural Australian Broadcasting Commission’s First Tuesday Book Club national television program (2006). Predictably, the controversy around the publication of American Psycho is regularly revisited by those reviewing Ellis’s subsequent works. A major article in Vanity Fair on Ellis’s next book, The Informers (1994), opened with a graphic description of the death threats Ellis received upon the publication of American Psycho (Tyrnauer 70) and then outlined the controversy in detail (70-71). Those writing about Ellis’s two most recent novels, Glamorama (1999) and Lunar Park (2005), have shared this narrative strategy, which also forms at least part of the frame of every interview article. American Psycho also, again predictably, became a major topic of discussion in relation to the contracting, making and then release of the eponymous film in 2000 as, for example, in Linda S. Kauffman’s extensive and considered review of the film, which spent the first third discussing the history of the book’s publication (“American” 41-45). Playing with this interest, Ellis continues his practice of reusing characters in subsequent works. Thus, American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman, who first appeared in The Rules of Attraction as the elder brother of the main character, Sean – who, in turn, makes a brief appearance in American Psycho – also turns up in Glamorama with ‘strange stains’ on his Armani suit lapels, and again in Lunar Park. The book also continues to be regularly cited in discussions of censorship (see, for example, Dubin; Freccero) and has been included in a number of university-level courses about banned books. In these varied contexts, literary, cultural and other critics have also continued to disagree about the book’s impact upon readers, with some persisting in reading the novel as a pornographic incitement to violence. When Wade Frankum killed seven people in Sydney, many suggested a link between these murders and his consumption of X-rated videos, pornographic magazines and American Psycho (see, for example, Manne 11), although others argued against this (Wark 11). Prosecutors in the trial of Canadian murderer Paul Bernardo argued that American Psycho provided a ‘blueprint’ for Bernardo’s crimes (Canadian Press A5). Others have read Ellis’s work more positively, as for instance when Sonia Baelo Allué compares American Psycho favourably with Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs (1988) – arguing that Harris not only depicts more degrading treatment of women, but also makes Hannibal Lecter, his antihero monster, sexily attractive (7-24). Linda S. Kauffman posits that American Psycho is part of an ‘anti-aesthetic’ movement in art, whereby works that are revoltingly ugly and/or grotesque function to confront the repressed fears and desires of the audience and explore issues of identity and subjectivity (Bad Girls), while Patrick W. Shaw includes American Psycho in his work, The Modern American Novel of Violence because, in his opinion, the violence Ellis depicts is not gratuitous. Lost, however, in much of this often-impassioned debate and dialogue is the book itself – and what Ellis actually wrote. 21-years-old when Less than Zero was published, Ellis was still only 26 when American Psycho was released and his youth presented an obvious target. In 1991, Terry Teachout found ‘no moment in American Psycho where Bret Easton Ellis, who claims to be a serious artist, exhibits the workings of an adult moral imagination’ (45, 46), Brad Miner that it was ‘puerile – the very antithesis of good writing’ (43) and Carol Iannone that ‘the inclusion of the now famous offensive scenes reveals a staggering aesthetic and moral immaturity’ (54). Pagan Kennedy also ‘blamed’ the entire work on this immaturity, suggesting that instead of possessing a developed artistic sensibility, Ellis was reacting to (and, ironically, writing for the approval of) critics who had lauded the documentary realism of his violent and nihilistic teenage characters in Less than Zero, but then panned his less sensational story of campus life in The Rules of Attraction (427-428). Yet, in my opinion, there is not only a clear and coherent aesthetic vision driving Ellis’s oeuvre but, moreover, a profoundly moral imagination at work as well. This was my view upon first reading American Psycho, and part of the reason I was so shocked by that charge of filth on the bus. Once familiar with the controversy, I found this view shared by only a minority of commentators. Writing in the New Statesman & Society, Elizabeth J. Young asked: ‘Where have these people been? … Books of pornographic violence are nothing new … American Psycho outrages no contemporary taboos. Psychotic killers are everywhere’ (24). I was similarly aware that such murderers not only existed in reality, but also in many widely accessed works of literature and film – to the point where a few years later Joyce Carol Oates could suggest that the serial killer was an icon of popular culture (233). While a popular topic for writers of crime fiction and true crime narratives in both print and on film, a number of ‘serious’ literary writers – including Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Kate Millet, Margaret Atwood and Oates herself – have also written about serial killers, and even crossed over into the widely acknowledged as ‘low-brow’ true crime genre. Many of these works (both popular or more literary) are vivid and powerful and have, as American Psycho, taken a strong moral position towards their subject matter. Moreover, many books and films have far more disturbing content than American Psycho, yet have caused no such uproar (Young and Caveney 120). By now, the plot of American Psycho is well known, although the structure of the book, noted by Weldon above (C1), is rarely analysed or even commented upon. First person narrator, Patrick Bateman, a young, handsome stockbroker and stereotypical 1980s yuppie, is also a serial killer. The book is largely, and innovatively, structured around this seeming incompatibility – challenging readers’ expectations that such a depraved criminal can be a wealthy white professional – while vividly contrasting the banal, and meticulously detailed, emptiness of Bateman’s life as a New York über-consumer with the scenes where he humiliates, rapes, tortures, murders, mutilates, dismembers and cannibalises his victims. Although only comprising some 16 out of 399 pages in my Picador edition, these violent scenes are extreme and certainly make the work as a whole disgustingly confronting. But that is the entire point of Ellis’s work. Bateman’s violence is rendered so explicitly because its principal role in the novel is to be inescapably horrific. As noted by Baelo Allué, there is no shift in tone between the most banally described detail and the description of violence (17): ‘I’ve situated the body in front of the new Toshiba television set and in the VCR is an old tape and appearing on the screen is the last girl I filmed. I’m wearing a Joseph Abboud suit, a tie by Paul Stuart, shoes by J. Crew, a vest by someone Italian and I’m kneeling on the floor beside a corpse, eating the girl’s brain, gobbling it down, spreading Grey Poupon over hunks of the pink, fleshy meat’ (Ellis 328). In complete opposition to how pornography functions, Ellis leaves no room for the possible enjoyment of such a scene. Instead of revelling in the ‘spine chilling’ pleasures of classic horror narratives, there is only the real horror of imagining such an act. The effect, as Kauffman has observed is, rather than arousing, often so disgusting as to be emetic (Bad Girls 249). Ellis was surprised that his detractors did not understand that he was trying to be shocking, not offensive (Love 49), or that his overall aim was to symbolise ‘how desensitised our culture has become towards violence’ (quoted in Dwyer 55). Ellis was also understandably frustrated with readings that conflated not only the contents of the book and their meaning, but also the narrator and author: ‘The acts described in the book are truly, indisputably vile. The book itself is not. Patrick Bateman is a monster. I am not’ (quoted in Love 49). Like Fay Weldon, Norman Mailer understood that American Psycho posited ‘that the eighties were spiritually disgusting and the author’s presentation is the crystallization of such horror’ (129). Unlike Weldon, however, Mailer shied away from defending the novel by judging Ellis not accomplished enough a writer to achieve his ‘monstrous’ aims (182), failing because he did not situate Bateman within a moral universe, that is, ‘by having a murderer with enough inner life for us to comprehend him’ (182). Yet, the morality of Ellis’s project is evident. By viewing the world through the lens of a psychotic killer who, in many ways, personifies the American Dream – wealthy, powerful, intelligent, handsome, energetic and successful – and, yet, who gains no pleasure, satisfaction, coherent identity or sense of life’s meaning from his endless, selfish consumption, Ellis exposes the emptiness of both that world and that dream. As Bateman himself explains: ‘Surface, surface, surface was all that anyone found meaning in. This was civilisation as I saw it, colossal and jagged’ (Ellis 375). Ellis thus situates the responsibility for Bateman’s violence not in his individual moral vacuity, but in the barren values of the society that has shaped him – a selfish society that, in Ellis’s opinion, refused to address the most important issues of the day: corporate greed, mindless consumerism, poverty, homelessness and the prevalence of violent crime. Instead of pornographic, therefore, American Psycho is a profoundly political text: Ellis was never attempting to glorify or incite violence against anyone, but rather to expose the effects of apathy to these broad social problems, including the very kinds of violence the most vocal critics feared the book would engender. Fifteen years after the publication of American Psycho, although our societies are apparently growing in overall prosperity, the gap between rich and poor also continues to grow, more are permanently homeless, violence – whether domestic, random or institutionally-sanctioned – escalates, and yet general apathy has intensified to the point where even the ‘ethics’ of torture as government policy can be posited as a subject for rational debate. The real filth of the saga of American Psycho is, thus, how Ellis’s message was wilfully ignored. While critics and public intellectuals discussed the work at length in almost every prominent publication available, few attempted to think in any depth about what Ellis actually wrote about, or to use their powerful positions to raise any serious debate about the concerns he voiced. Some recent critical reappraisals have begun to appreciate how American Psycho is an ‘ethical denunciation, where the reader cannot but face the real horror behind the serial killer phenomenon’ (Baelo Allué 8), but Ellis, I believe, goes further, exposing the truly filthy causes that underlie the existence of such seemingly ‘senseless’ murder. But, Wait, There’s More It is ironic that American Psycho has, itself, generated a mini-industry of products. A decade after publication, a Canadian team – filmmaker Mary Harron, director of I Shot Andy Warhol (1996), working with scriptwriter, Guinevere Turner, and Vancouver-based Lions Gate Entertainment – adapted the book for a major film (Johnson). Starring Christian Bale, Chloë Sevigny, Willem Dafoe and Reese Witherspoon and, with an estimated budget of U.S.$8 million, the film made U.S.$15 million at the American box office. The soundtrack was released for the film’s opening, with video and DVDs to follow and the ‘Killer Collector’s Edition’ DVD – closed-captioned, in widescreen with surround sound – released in June 2005. Amazon.com lists four movie posters (including a Japanese language version) and, most unexpected of all, a series of film tie-in action dolls. The two most popular of these, judging by E-Bay, are the ‘Cult Classics Series 1: Patrick Bateman’ figure which, attired in a smart suit, comes with essential accoutrements of walkman with headphones, briefcase, Wall Street Journal, video tape and recorder, knife, cleaver, axe, nail gun, severed hand and a display base; and the 18” tall ‘motion activated sound’ edition – a larger version of the same doll with fewer accessories, but which plays sound bites from the movie. Thanks to Stephen Harris and Suzie Gibson (UNE) for stimulating conversations about this book, Stephen Harris for information about the recent Australian reprint of American Psycho and Mark Seebeck (Pan Macmillan) for sales information. References Archer, Mark. “The Funeral Baked Meats.” The Spectator 27 April 1991: 31. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. First Tuesday Book Club. First broadcast 1 August 2006. Baelo Allué, Sonia. “The Aesthetics of Serial Killing: Working against Ethics in The Silence of the Lambs (1988) and American Psycho (1991).” Atlantis 24.2 (Dec. 2002): 7-24. Canadian Press. “Navy Yanks American Psycho.” The Globe and Mail 17 May 1991: C1. Canadian Press. “Gruesome Novel Was Bedside Reading.” Kitchener-Waterloo Record 1 Sep. 1995: A5. Dubin, Steven C. “Art’s Enemies: Censors to the Right of Me, Censors to the Left of Me.” Journal of Aesthetic Education 28.4 (Winter 1994): 44-54. 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Yardley, Jonathan. “American Psycho: Essence of Trash.” The Washington Post 27 Feb. 1991: B1. Young, Elizabeth J. “Psycho Killers. Last Lines: How to Shock the English.” New Statesman & Society 5 April 1991: 24. Young, Elizabeth J., and Graham Caveney. Shopping in Space: Essays on American ‘Blank Generation’ Fiction. London: Serpent’s Tail, 1992. Zaller, Robert “American Psycho, American Censorship and the Dahmer Case.” Revue Francaise d’Etudes Americaines 16.56 (1993): 317-25. Citation reference for this article MLA Style Brien, Donna Lee. "The Real Filth in : A Critical Reassessment." M/C Journal 9.5 (2006). echo date('d M. Y'); ?> <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0610/01-brien.php>. APA Style Brien, D. (Nov. 2006) "The Real Filth in American Psycho: A Critical Reassessment," M/C Journal, 9(5). Retrieved echo date('d M. Y'); ?> from <http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0610/01-brien.php>.