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This chapter explains how transmedial worlds extend beyond the stories in which they appear, and then looks at the history of how transmedial worlds developed, especially in the world-based franchises which are so popular in contemporary culture. It then goes on to explore how the worlds are conceived and constructed, from their origins in a particular medium to the methods used to expand them during their growth across a variety of different media, including interactive media that allow audiences to participate in the imaginary worlds depicted.

Summary Aim To assess the effects of water immersion on cardiovascular requirements, 30 min immersed versus air steady exercises at neutral temperature were compared in two settings:similar energy expenditure (60% maximal oxygen consumption; series 1) and similar ergometric workload (120 W; series 2). For 15 healthy male subjects, the arterial blood pressure, heart rate, thoracic fluid conductivity (TFC), cardiac index (CI) and stroke index (SI) were monitored at rest, during the exercise period and during 30 min of post-exercise recovery in two conditions. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) was also measured. Results Resting water immersion increased TFC, CI, SI, and systolic arterial pressure (SAP). During exercise the average CI, SI and SAP were not different in water and air in series 1, but in series 2 CI, SI, heart rate, systolic and diastolic arterial pressures were higher in water. Plasma ANP was higher after immersed exercises. During recovery, CI was similar after either exercise, while SI was lower and heart rate higher following immersion, consistent with a lower effective circulatory volume than after exercise in air. TFC was high, as reflecting an increased interstitial fluid content in the lung. Conclusions Cardiovascular requirements for exercising in water were markedly higher than in air and straining of lung parenchyma.

Resume La prise en charge d’une infertilite masculine fait appel a un examen clinique, a des examens biologiques (spermogramme, bilan hormonal) et a un bilan d’imagerie. L’hypofertilite masculine est due soit a des pathologies testiculaires (infertilite secretoire), soit a un obstacle situe sur les voies seminales (infertilite excretoire). L’imagerie doit permettre de determiner avec precision le siege anatomique de l’anomalie et donc d’offrir un traitement adapte. L’echographie Doppler testiculaire couplee a l’echographie endorectale est l’examen de reference pour explorer l’homme hypofertile. L’IRM, du fait de sa bonne resolution spatiale et en contraste, permet une etude multiplanaire notamment des affections congenitales et inflammatoires du carrefour urogenital. Les principales anomalies responsables d’une infertilite masculine sont detaillees dans cet article.

Resume Objectif Etudier l’effet du rincage des catheters avant insemination intra-uterine sur le taux de grossesse. Patients et methodes Trois cent vingt-deux couples infertiles ont ete inclus dans l’etude. Les indications des IIU etaient soit intraconjuguales (dysovulation, cervicale, idiopathique, sperme autoconserve) ou avec tiers donneur (don de sperme). Une semaine sur deux, les catheters ont ete rinces par du milieu de culture avant l’insemination. Seules les premieres inseminations ont ete analysees. Resultats Le pre-lavage des catheters augmente de 49,7 % les taux de grossesse clinique (22,0 % vs 14,7 % p Discussion et conclusion Le lavage prealable des catheters avant insemination intra-uterine doit etre recommande par des guides de bonnes pratiques en Assistance medicale a la procreation, comme c’est deja le cas pour les catheters de transfert embryonnaire. Ces resultats posent la question du lavage systematique de tous les dispositifs a usage unique en contact avec les gametes et les embryons.

Resume Objectif Evaluer les resultats en Assistance medicale a la procreation (AMP) avec don de sperme chez des couples n’ayant pas eu d’enfants apres des tentatives d’ICSI intraconjugale (IC) pour infertilite masculine. Patients et methodes Etude retrospective (novembre 1994–fevrier 2009) monocentrique concernant 71 couples. Deux populations temoins ont ete constituees pour analyser les deux temps du parcours (IC et don de sperme) et appariees selon la periode de prise en charge dans le centre, l’âge de la femme a la premiere tentative et l’indication masculine. Resultats En ICSI-IC, la proportion de patients azoospermiques et de patients ayant une aberration chromosomique etait significativement superieure dans la population etudiee par rapport a la population temoin. Les parametres biologiques des tentatives etaient identiques entre les deux populations sauf les taux de fecondation (TF) et la qualite embryonnaire significativement diminuee dans la population etudiee. Trente couples (42,2 %) ont eu une grossesse apres don de sperme en IAD ou FIV/ICSI-D. Les taux de grossesse en IAD etaient similaires a ceux observes dans la population temoin sauf pour les patients azoospermiques aux moins bons resultats. Lorsqu’une FIV/ICSI-D etait indiquee, les taux de grossesse etaient diminues par rapport a la population temoin. Discussion et conclusion Ces resultats encourageants soulignent que le don de sperme est une alternative prometteuse pour pres de la moitie des couples pris en charge initialement en ICSI-IC pour infertilite masculine. Pour l’autre moitie, la correction du facteur masculin n’est pas suffisante, faisant suspecter un facteur feminin.

The filamentation of ultrashort laser pulses [1] attracts considerable interest due to its potential applications in remote sensing technologies, free space communications as well as weather diagnostics and modulation systems. They generate a plasma wake that modifies the physico-chemical properties of the air, allowing the condensation of aerosol particles in sub-saturated air. [2,3] This phenomenon is promising as a technique for analyzing and possibly modifying the behavior of clouds. [4]

While some spatiotemporal effects have been explored by filmmakers, the search for new effects has not been systematized. Borrowing the notion of phase space diagrams from physics, this paper proposes a notation system for spatiotemporal effects which allows effects to be compared and described, and also provides a tool to allow filmmakers or theoreticians to explore the existing possibilities and discover new effects that have not been done yet.

Exhaust systems designed for high-Mach fighter aircraft will operate at nozzle pressure ratios near 100 for a Mach 4 aircraft to possibly over 600, depending on inlet recovery, for a Mach 6 aircraft. Also, the nozzle pressure loading will be two to four times higher than current Mach 1.5-2.2 exhaust systems, and the exhaust gas temperatures will be significantly higher. These new operating conditions for high Mach nozzles will result in substantial increases in both nozzle size and weight relative to current exhaust systems. Analytical studies have been conducted to assess the internal performance of the conventional axisymmetric nozzle, the twodimensional, convergent-divergent (2DCD) nozzle, and the single expansion ramp nozzle (SERN) operating at high Mach conditions. Weight estimates have also been completed for the 2DCD nozzle matrix. As expected, results of the studies show that the 2DCD and SERN concepts can achieve desired levels of performance at the expense of size and weight. In general, the exhaust systems for Mach 4-6 aircraft will have to be three to four times as large and four to five times as heavy as those currently employed on Mach 1.5-2.2 aircraft. The axisymmetric nozzle has geometric constraints that limit its performance capability.

Following positive laboratory-scale experiments, we investigated the ability to trigger real-scale lightning using ionized filaments generated by ultrashort laser pulses in the atmosphere. Under thunderstorm conditions, we observed electric events synchronized with the laser pulses.

Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and renin activity (PRA) were measured in 13 patients with mitral stenosis 24 h before and 48 h after balloon valvotomy resulting in a fall in LA pressure from 23.4 +/- 2.2 to 10.5 +/- 0.8 mmHg (P less than 0.01). Before treatment, plasma ANP was higher during ambulation (128.1 +/- 18.5 pg ml-1) than in the supine posture (93.3 +/- 15.0 pg ml-1; P less than 0.01) and did not diminish after return to the erect posture (86.4 +/- 14.1 pg ml-1). A physiological response was restored after valvotomy with ANP plasma levels of 49.2 +/- 7.8 pg ml-1 in the initial ambulant period, 63.1 +/- 12.6 pg ml-1 in the supine posture and 44.6 +/- 8.7 pg ml-1 in the final erect posture. Postural variations of cyclic GMP were parallel to those of ANP. In contrast, LA hypertension did not abolish PRA postural response. During the three successive periods of ambulation, supine posture and erect posture PRA was 5.4 +/- 1.0, 2.8 +/- 0.6 and 5.5 +/- 1.2 ng h-1 ml-1, respectively, before treatment, whereas after treatment the values measured were 10.3 +/- 2.9, 2.3 +/- 0.7 and 7.0 +/- 2.5 ng h-1 ml-1 respectively. Variations of plasma ANP, cyclic GMP and PRA in response to postural changes were also studied in 10 healthy volunteers and in 12 uraemic patients with high plasma ANP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The paper reports on the investigation of the nonlinear optical properties of nanosized grains of Fe(IO3)3, recently synthesized with a simple and inexpensive process. The measurements have been carried out using a Ti:sapphire femtosecond oscillator coupled to an inverse microscope modified to detect the polarization dependence of the signal. It is shown that Fe(IO3)3 crystals (20-70 nm) can be efficiently employed as local probes for second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy, owing to their high nonlinear coefficients.

The role of left atrial and aortic pressures on the secretion of the main hormones controlling blood volume is still subject to debate in humans. Because of increased mean left atrial pressure and decreased mean aortic pressure produced by balloon inflation in patients with mitral stenosis treated with balloon valvulotomy, the hormonal changes occurring acutely (group II of patients) were measured. The same studies (group I patients) were also performed 48 hours after this treatment, a period at which left atrial pressure permanently diminished. Inflation of the balloon resulted in a decrease in plasma renin activity and increases in plasma atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) and plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP). Forty-eight hours after balloon valvulotomy, which had produced a decrease in left atrial pressure, plasma ANF was lower (58.9 +/- 7.9 vs 95.3 +/- 11.9 pg/ml; p0.001), and plasma renin activity (2,575 +/- 533 vs 960 +/- 113 pg/ml/hour; p0.01), plasma angiotensin II (25.0 +/- 4.1 vs 9.3 +/- 1.3 pg/ml; p0.001) and plasma aldosterone (181.7 +/- 36.7 vs 139.9 +/- 19.8 pg/ml; p0.05) were higher than their respective control levels 24 hours before treatment of the stenosis. In contrast, plasma AVP (3.7 +/- 0.25 vs 4.4 +/- 0.31 pg/ml; p = 0.001) diminished moderately along with plasma osmolality (282.4 +/- 0.1 vs 286.2 +/- 0.6 mOsm/kg; p0.001). Urinary sodium excretion was also examined before and after balloon valvulotomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Insulin-induced hypoglycemia causes an increase in plasma vasopressin (AVP) in healthy subjects but the response in diabetics is not established. We investigated the effect of insulin-induced hypoglycemia on ten insulin-dependent diabetics with asymptomatic hypoglycemia, and compared the results with those for seven healthy subjects. The lack of adrenergic symptoms of hypoglycemia in insulin dependent diabetics being attributed to a diminished beta-adrenergic sensitivity, the effect of isoprenaline infusion was investigated as control. Insulin-induced hypoglycemia resulted in both populations in significant increase (P less than 0.01) in AVP in addition to significant increases in heart rate, plasma epinephrine (E), norepenephrine (NE) and cortisol (COR). Effective osmolality and mean arterial blood pressure did not vary. Diabetics showed smaller increase in AVP (P less than 0.01) and heart rate (P less than 0.05) than controls. Maximal E, NE and COR values did not differ between the two populations. Isoprenaline infusion resulted in increase in heart rate and plasma renin activity, but AVP and COR did not vary in the two populations. In conclusion, insulin-induced hypoglycemia released AVP in diabetics with asymptomatic hypoglycemia, but the response was weaker than in healthy subjects. A causal hypothalamic alteration of beta-adrenergic or glycopenia sensitivity is discussed.

Immersion is considered to facilitate exercise-based rehabilitation. However, the drag effect of moving limbs in water, likely to increase the respiratory requirements at exercise, is not mentioned in many reports. The energetic and ventilatory requirements of 30 min steady state cycling exercise performed by healthy male subjects in air and during immersion up to the xiphoid in 33 degrees C water were compared. In the first experimental series nine subjects exercised at the same 60% maximal oxygen consumption (V'O2,max) in air and water. In the two ambient conditions, ventilatory variables had similar values, but the ergometric setting had to be reduced during water immersion so that the workload rated only 69+/-20 W (mean+/-SD) in water versus 121+/-32 W (p

Computational experience gained in the area of the dynamic non-linear analysis of thin reinforced concrete structures is described. Parasitic damping is shown to be related to the residual stress. Using only one modified three-dimensional isoparametric element across the thickness of a thin plate, capable of representing a bi-linear stress distribution, the ultimate moment can be accurately calculated. The difficulties in reaching convergence when the stress resultants are redistributed throughout a structure are discussed. Formulae for initial stress when multiple cracks occur are derived.

Extreme dynamic loading conditions often require the rupture analysis of reinforced and prestressed-concrete structures. The study presented in this paper extends a method of analysis of dynamic loading conditions which has proven efficient for short- and long-time loads. Another aim is to adapt the method to thin-walled structures. It is not sufficient to work only with plastic rupture and yield surfaces locally which are compared to the elastic distribution of the stress resultants; it is essential to account for the redistribution of the latter. The method proposed consists of discretizing the structure into isoparametric three-dimensional elements with 20 nodes for the concrete and one-dimensional bar elements with three nodes for the steel. The latter can also be handled with a ‘smeared’ two-dimensional membrane element. In compression a three-dimensional non-linear elastic constitutive law is introduced for the concrete, and a triaxial failure surface expressed in the stress invariants is used, determining cracking and crushing. Two- and three-dimensional cracking surfaces in which no components of stress are transmitted are accounted for. The possibility exists that, during the history of loading, cracks can close up again. For steel, a yield criterion is selected. The non-linear analysis is based on the concept of initial stress. Residual loads are calculated using information in Gauss integration points. The ultimate load is reached when the algorithm does not converge. The corresponding failure modes can be interpreted as those for which a state of equilibrium is no longer possible. The equations of motion are discretized in time, using an extension of the linear acceleration method. As in the static case, several iterations are necessary to reduce the residual load vector to a negligible quantity. A built-in circular plate is analyzed for an evenly distributed load. The results with one and several isoparametric elements in width are compared to the solution determined with the classical yield line theory. Cracks in the concrete and yielding of the steel in both directions are properly represented. In the non-linear domain moment redistribution is observed which allows for a substantial increase in the ultimate load. All states of material behaviour are observed in the final stage. A thin-walled shell consisting of a cylinder and a sphere is also examined for a non-symmetric loading involving the interaction of membrane and bending behaviour. A dynamic non-linear analysis is performed for this load, which represents the impact of an airplane on the external shield building of a nuclear power plant. The non-linear analysis does allow for a substantial saving of reinforcement steel compared to the standard design procedure. Conclusions which include pitfalls, shortcomings and suggestions for future research are specified.

The influence of insulating a structure with a soft first storey (horizontally elastic or elastoplastic or horizontally and vertically elastic) is investigated for horizontally propagating waves. A comprehensive parametric study for a simple structure excited by SH- and R-waves is performed. A reactor building is examined for a horizontally propagating historic earthquake. Compared to a conventional structure, travelling-wave effects become more important for R-waves in a structure with a horizontal soft first storey. For SH-waves, the opposite applies.