Although DNA profiling techniques are considered a powerful method for identification, problems arise when low quantity and/or quality DNA is tested. Analyzing samples with low template DNA using standard genotyping techniques like STR typing can yield no or an incomplete profile, making conclusive identification nearly impossible. One challenging forensic sample material is bone. For example, DNA within bone can be degraded due to harsh environmental conditions even when the structure of the bone appears to be relatively well preserved. Consequently, the amount of usable DNA in bones can be limited which complicates downstream applications for DNA profiling. This study investigated techniques that would improve obtaining a discriminating DNA profile from human bones. First, the performances of three commercial DNA extraction kits were evaluated for the recovery of genomic DNA from human bones. The PrepFiler® BTA Forensic DNA Extraction Kit recovered the highest DNA yield according to qPCR data and was used for additional bone extractions. Next, purified DNA from a total of 12 bone samples was subject to genotyping methods using capillary electrophoresis (CE) as well as massively parallel sequencing (MPS) to determine which strategy would produce the most discriminating DNA profile. The genotyping techniques evaluated were: CE-based STR analysis with the GlobalFiler® PCR Amplification Kit, whole genome amplification (WGA) with the REPLI-g® Mini Kit for improved CE-based STR detection, and MPS for STR/SNP analysis using the Ion PGM™ and MiSeq® FGx™ platforms. Random match probabilities were calculated to determine the discriminatory power of the resulting DNA profiles. Although the Ion PGM™ SNP profiles had the highest RMPs, the GlobalFiler® STR profiles produced similar discriminatory power. Considering the time and labor required for MPS, one could argue STR analysis using traditional CE may be better suited for DNA profiling of challenging bone samples. However, the MPS technologies provide additional information that CE-methods can't, such as Y-haplogroup and biogeographical ancestry predictions from SNP analyses.


Performance of an axial exhaust diffuser downstream of an un-shrouded turbine rotor is computationally analyzed. Three-dimensional analysis of two turbine stage-exhaust diffuser configurations has been performed. In one case, the turbine rotor is shrouded and in the second case, the rotor is un-shrouded. The static pressure recovery coefficient in the exhaust diffuser is used as the diffuser performance parameter. It has been found that the over the tip leakage flow in the un-shrouded rotor emerges as a swirling wall jet at the upper wall of the diffuser. The case of the shrouded rotor produced no wall jet at the entrance to the diffuser and the turbine exit flow was "quasi-uniform". The presence of the wall jet allowed the annular diffuser outer wall angle at stall point to increase from 12° (in the shrouded rotor case) to 18° in the un-shrouded turbine. By changing the angular speed of the rotor, the effect of the swirl in the turbine exit plane on the performance of the diffuser was explored. In the shrouded rotor case, the diffuser recovers higher static pressure when the inlet is swirl-free. In this case, the performance of the diffuser is independent of whether the turbine exit flow has co- or counter-swirl. However, in the presence of un-shrouded rotors, higher static pressure recovery was achieved when the core flow possessed slight counter-swirl. This observation was more pronounced when larger diffuser upper wall angles were considered.


When John Scott and William Christie, representatives of the London Magazine and Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, met in their fatal 1821 duel, the conflict was between more than two men with sullied reputations: it was a between the editor figures of two competing publications. This essay examines those editorial personae, the distinctive editorial voices crafted by individual journals, and how they played a crucial role in establishing a publication in the changing periodical market while simultaneously obscuring that process. Explicating the content and purpose of a publication, the editor figure established a journal's unique identity in the marketplace, but it also established a point of contact between a periodical and its readers, an invitation that encouraged readers to feel included in the world of the publication. This affective connection socialized readers, incorporating them into the culture of the periodical as participants rather than just consumers, but it also created a brand for a publication, a unique voice that distinguished it (and its readers) from competing publications. While that combination of personal connection and commercial aspiration would appear to be mutually exclusive, I argue that the figure of the editor attempts to reconcile that contradiction, uniting the overt commercial ambition of a publication with a familiar, even friendly, presence. Just as crucially, however, it also reveals how periodicals of that time were caught in a period of transition, when the need to survive in an increasingly competitive print market clashed with older modes of literary consumption.


We studied the distributional patterns of the chaetognath community along a large reef system of the western Caribbean during 3 seasons using a multiscale hierarchical sampling design. Hydrographical and biological parameters were measured at 3 different reef lagoons (100 km scale) and in a field of 10 km at each lagoon. Biological data were analyzed using a nested multivariate analysis of variance, and hydrographical data were analyzed with T-S graphics. Results showed sea- sonal differences of both hydrographical and biological data. Spatially, the chaetognath composition appeared to be relatively homogeneous over the 100 km scale at least during dry and rainy seasons, when neritic forms are widely dominant; however, during the season of northerlies a shift in the chaetognath composition occurred, with oceanic forms becoming dominant. Hydrographical condi- tions and chaetognath composition were variable within lagoons. It is inferred that the observed sea- sonal patterns of the reef chaetognath community at the 100 km scale is affected by: (1) the large- scale physical processes including the seasonal strength of the Yucatan Current and the variation of the sea level within the lagoons and (2) the local geomorphology of the reef lagoon, including the structure and height of the reef crest. The differential effect of these factors in the 3 reef lagoon sys- tems determines the extent of the oceanic influence and structural profile of the chaetognath commu- nity. Multiscale studies on other taxa and a quantitative evaluation of predation in the community should be developed in order to provide significant insights into the processes involved in the dynam- ics of the reef zooplankton. Understanding the local variability patterns will help in developing effec- tive management and protection actions for the reef ecosystem.


We compared spectroscopic properties and resonantly (in-band) pumped laser performances of Er3+:YVO4 and Er3+:GdVO4 single crystals, at room and cryogenic temperatures. It was shown that these gain materials are very similar in absorption and emission spectra, associated with transitions between 4I15/2 and 4I13/2 manifolds of Er3+ ions. Both lasers demonstrated comparable performances in quasi continuous wave (QCW) operation at both temperatures. However, Er3+:GdVO4 material performed better in a continuous wave (CW) mode, under the higher thermal load.


This thesis attempts an investigation of the Reciprocal Frame (RF) structure from the architectural point of view. The Introduction (Chapter 1) sets out the research subject and introduces the reader to the RF structure. Chapter 2 investigates the origin of the structure and offers a survey of similar types of systems used throughout human history. Also, a review of 'kinetic' forms of architecture is presented. Chapter 3 investigates Japanese RF construction and the possible reasons for the emergence of the system in Japan as early as the 12th century. Chapter 4 examines the potential of the system for modular construction of both temporary and permanent RF buildings, with a review of RF modular buildings constructed in the UK. Chapter 5 explores different RF morphologies on a student project case study, as well as their design experiences and opinions when using the RF system. More practical issues regarding the RF are presented in Chapter 6 which investigates the parameters which define the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional geometry of the system and their variation, methods for simplifying the CAD presentation of the structure, alternative covering systems, and the possibility of using the RF as a retractable roof. Chapter 7 offers conclusions and aspects of future research on the system. The Appendices at the end include: two types of questionnaires and the complete transcribed interviews used to examine the students' design experiences and opinions, a routine in AutoLISP written by the author which simplifies the CAD presentation of the RF, and copies of the five Conference papers published using the findings of this research project.


We used a 3 yr data set of NOAA-AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) imagery to investigate cloud frequency, cloud-top height and cloud liquid water path for the Ecuadorean area, with special reference to a specific region in the Andes of southern Ecuador. In general, the seasonal cycle of cloudiness is significantly correlated to the spatial occurrence of the rainy seasons. However, we found that the complex topography of the Andes with dynamic effects at the windward and lee sides, as well as thermal breeze-systems, cause a specific spatial structure of cloud frequency and cloud properties. For instance, the eastern Andean slopes are mainly affected by a strong dynamic barrage effect of the easterlies, where a line of high cloud frequency occurs in the area of the Andes-occurring system (AOS) rain band. Average cloud-top height reveals a clear divi- sion between the Pacific area west of the western Cordillera chain, characterised by lower and more stratiform clouds, and the eastern parts of the country where an increase in average cloud-top height towards the Amazon indicates an intensification of convective cloud formation processes. This corre- sponds with the higher amounts of cloud liquid path over the Amazon, which illustrates that the cloud water cycle is more intensive in comparison to the Ecuadorian coastal plains.


Telecommunication networks evolve as technology advances and society changes. Optical communications employing Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) has become the dominant technology for use in backbone networks. As IP gains in popularity, the traffic pattern in carrier networks is increasingly becoming data centric. This has led to a change in the network infrastructure and many researchers believe that networks are evolving towards the slim two-layer model of IP over WDM.
In this dissertation, we address several fundamental issues of the grooming network design—the process of multiplexing, demultiplexing and switching lower rate traffic stream onto and off of higher capacity wavelengths, in the context of IP over WDM. We explain how wavelength continuity constraint and wavelength usage constraint affect network performance. Based on our research, we infer that, in practical WDM networks with wavelength usage constraint, increasing the total number of available wavelengths in a fiber is an attractive alternative to employing wavelength conversion.
We investigate traffic grooming performed in IP layer, where the sub-wavelength level IP packets are grouped together in electrical domain before they are sent to the WDM layer. We study IP traffic grooming problem with the objective to minimize the number of transmitters and receivers needed in the WDM layer. We propose three routing strategies for allocating dynamic traffic requests and evaluate their blocking performance.
The third issue addressed in this dissertation is IP traffic grooming in a recently proposed architecture called light trails. We define the light trail design problem and identify the minimum number of light trails to carry the given traffic demand. We formulate an ILP and develop two heuristic approaches for obtaining fast and near-optimal solutions in large networks.
We finally address the issue of fault management in grooming networks. We study shared and dedicated protection against single link failure in WDM grooming networks and develop an ILP formulation for each of them. We extend our research on the full protection design to partial protection where the backup capacity is smaller than the primary capacity. We present ILP formulations and design a dynamic routing strategy named shortest-available-least-congested routing.


Background: The brain consumes a considerable amount of glucose relative to its size. Brain glucose is a source of energy, mainly via oxidative phosphorylation, as well as a source of building blocks for synthesising macromolecules. Little is known about the spatial distribution of this biosynthesis. Aim: To develop an imaging method of cerebral biosynthesis from the carbon backbone of glucose molecules at the nanometer scale Method: Injection of [U-13C]glucose into awake mice followed by correlated electron microscopy imaging and nanoscale secondary ion mass-spectroscopy (NanoSIMS) mapping of the13C/12C isotopic ratio in brain thin sections. Results: Large 13C signals were detected in somata, nucleoli, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, dendrites and synapses. The 13C signal intensity exhibited a highly inhomogeneous spatial distribution. In particular, it was not the same in neurons and astrocytes. The time evolution of the 13C-enrichment was also strikingly different between subcellular compartments. Discussion & Conclusion: Given the fact that glucose, as well all other small, soluble metabolites, are lost in the sample preparation process, the observed 13C atoms are those incorporated into macromolecules such as nucleotides, proteins and lipids produced via biosynthetic pathways. The information obtained at the subcellular level gives a high-resolution, time-resolved map of the biosynthetic processes taking place in the brain.


Dendritic cells bearing antigen efficiently aggregate and stimulate antigen-specific T cells. We describe an experimental model in which an initial, apparently antigen-independent binding step is followed by ligation of the TCR. The model is the polyclonal response to mAb to the CD3 portion of the TCR complex. Epidermal and thymic dendritic cells utilize low levels of Fc receptors to present the anti-CD3 mAb and induce mitogenesis. Within 3 h of coculture, most of the dendritic cells have formed clusters with the resting T lymphocytes, and these clusters are the site for subsequent DNA synthesis and cell growth. However, the binding of dendritic cells to T cells proceeds as efficiently in the absence of anti-CD3 as in its presence, and anti-FcR mAb does not block. CD3 and Fc receptors are essential for the subsequent mitogenesis response in dendritic-T cell clusters. Because an exogenous ligand for the TCR does not seem to be required for the extensive polyclonal clustering of resting lymphocytes to dendritic cells, we suggest that an antigen-independent mechanism mediates the initial interaction. This clustering seems essential for T cell growth since we do not detect, in two-chamber experiments, soluble lymphocyte- activating factors that originate from dendritic-T cell aggregates and that activate anti-CD3-coated T cells.


Models of inflow-turbulence noise and turbulent-boundary-layer trailing-edge noise are compared to earlier measurements of a 200-kW vertical axis wind turbine so that conclusions regarding the origin of the aerodynamic noise can be drawn. The measurement campaigns, which aimed at establishing the noise emission value and locating the aerodynamic noise sources with a microphone array, are here both compared to further modified versions of the trailing-edge and inflow-turbulence models respectively. Unlike the case for horizontal axis wind turbine, inflow-turbulence noise is deemed as the prevailing noise mechanism. Reducing the self-induced turbulence could then be an effective way of lowering the noise levels for vertical axis wind turbines. Also, looking at the directivity of the inflow-turbulence noise model which indicate most noise in the cross-wind directions, a deviation from the standard downwind measurement position for measuring noise emission is suggested for the VAWT case.


Understanding local susceptibility patterns is
important when selecting antimicrobials for initial empirical
antibiotic-therapy of bloodstream infections. Because the determination of susceptibility
is dependent on the breakpoints used, the aim of the study was to compare the
antimicrobial susceptibility results to different classes of antibiotics of 512
strains of Enterobacteriaceae (200 ESβL positive) isolated from bloodstream
using CLSI 2013 and current EUCAST 2013 guidelines to evaluate the impact of
break-point discrepancies. The results of the study showed that statistically
significant discrepancies (p ≤ 0.001)
were found for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, piperacillin alone or with
tazobac-tam, imipenem, meropenem, cefepime (only ESβL negative isolates),
amikacin and gentamicin using current CLSI or EUCAST interpretive criteria.
Further harmonization of CLSI and EUCAST breakpoints is warranted. This study
could give useful information to physicians for managing bloodstream infections
caused by Enterobacteriaceae.


Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a critical growth factor involved in the maturation of neurons, including neuronal morphology and synapse refinement. Herein, we demonstrate astrocytes express high levels of BDNF's receptor, TrkB (in the top 20 of protein-coding transcripts), with nearly exclusive expression of the truncated isoform, TrkB.T1 which peaks in expression during astrocyte morphological maturation. Using a novel culture paradigm, we show that astrocyte morphological complexity is increased in the presence of BDNF and is dependent upon BDNF/TrkB.T1 signaling. Deletion of TrkB.T1 in vivo revealed morphologically immature astrocytes with significantly reduced volume and branching, as well as dysregulated expression of perisynaptic genes associated with mature astrocyte functions, including synaptogenic genes. Indicating a role for functional astrocyte maturation via BDNF/TrkB.T1 signaling, TrkB.T1 KO astrocytes do not support normal excitatory synaptogenesis. These data suggest a significant role for BDNF/TrkB.T1 signaling in astrocyte morphological maturation, a critical process for CNS development.


Abstract Obtaining reliable population estimates is crucial to monitoring endangered species and developing recovery strategies. The palila (Loxioides bailleui) is an endangered seed-eating Hawaiian honeycreeper restricted to the subalpine forests of Mauna Kea, a volcano on the island of Hawai'i, USA. The species is vulnerable to extinction primarily because >90% of the population is concentrated in <30 km2 of habitat on the western slope of this high, dormant volcano. Annual surveys of the palila population have been conducted for ecological, legal, and other purposes since 1980. Because refinements to sampling protocols and analytical methods have evolved, we examined means of adapting the monitoring program to produce comparable estimates of abundance over the past 25-year period and into the future. We conducted variable circular plot surveys during the nonbreeding season (Jan–Mar) and this used data to obtain estimates of effective detection radius and annual density with Distance 4.0, Release 2. For comparability over the time-series, we excluded from analysis the data from new transects. We partitioned the 25-year data set (1980–1996 and 1997–2004) into 2 separate analyses because, beginning in 1997, observers received more training to reduce their tendency to estimate distances to 5-m intervals. We used geographic strata in the analysis of recent surveys because changes in habitat may have invalidated the density-based strata used previously. By adding observer and year and observer and time of day as co-variables, we improved the model fit to the 2 data sets, respectively. Annual estimates were confounded by changes in sampling methodology and analytical procedures over time. However, the addition of new transects, increased training for observers, and use of exact distance estimates instead of rounding also improved model fit. Habitat characteristics and behavior of palila that potentially influenced detection probability, sampling, analysis, and interpretation were regeneration of trees in response to reduced numbers of introduced browsing mammals, seasonally variable rates of vocalization, non-territoriality, and resource-tracking along an elevation gradient. We believe our adaptive approach to analysis and interpretation of 25 years of annual variable circular plot data could help guide similar long-term monitoring efforts.


Large, multi-unit organizations are continually challenged to balance demands for centralization of information technology that lead to cost and service efficiencies through standardization while providing flexibility at the local unit level in order to meet unique business, customer, and service needs. This has led many organizations to adopt hybrid federated information technology governance (ITG) structures to find this balance. This approach to ITG establishes demand for various means to coordinate effectively across the organization to achieve the desired benefits. Past research has focused on the efficacy of various coordination mechanisms (e.g., steering committees, task forces) to coordinate activities related to information technology. However, we lack insights as to how and why these various coordination approaches help organizations achieve desired coordinated outcomes. This research specifically identifies coordinating as a process. Adopting the philosophy of critical realism, we conducted a longitudinal, comparative case study of two coordinating efforts in a federated ITG structure. Through a multifaceted approach to scientific logic employing deductive, inductive, and retroductive elements, we explicate two causal mechanisms, consensus making and unit aligning, which help to explain the coordinating process and the coordination outcomes observed in these efforts. We additionally elaborate the operation of the mechanisms through the typology of macro-micro-macro influences. Further, we demonstrate the value of the causal mechanisms to understanding the coordinating process by highlighting the complementarity in insights relative to the theories of power and politics and of rational choice. The study contributes to our understanding of coordinating as a process and of governance in federated IT organizations. Importantly, our study illustrates the value of applying critical realism to develop causal explanations and generate insights about a phenomenon.


With large expansion plans for the offshore wind turbine industry, there has never been a greater need for effective operations and maintenance. The two main problems with the current operations and maintenance of an offshore wind turbine are the cost and availability. In this work, a simulation model has been produced of the maintenance process for a wind turbine with the aim of developing a procedure that can be used to optimise the process. This initial model considers three types of maintenance—periodic, conditional and corrective—and also considers the weather in order to determine the accessibility of the turbine. Petri nets have been designed to simulate each type of maintenance and weather conditions. It has been found that Petri nets are a very good method to model the maintenance process because of their dynamic modelling and adaptability and their ability to test optimisation techniques. Because of their versatility, Petri net models are developed for both system hardware and the maintenance processes, and these are combined in an efficient and concise manner. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Wage premia related to union membership and coverage are examined over 1991-2003, a period involving first decline, then stabilization, of unionization. Differences in union premia across workers and over time are studied using individual-level British Household Panel Survey data and quantile regression techniques allowing for endogeneity of the membership decision. Raw differentials suggest the presence of large positive membership and coverage premia that are stronger at the bottom of the wage distribution in both private and public sectors. After controlling for other factors influencing wages, union asymmetries are no longer apparent in the private sector. When endogeneity of union membership is taken into account, the private sector union wage premium disappears, indicating that individuals positively select into unions. In contrast, the public sector total union wage premium remains significant – entirely due to a coverage effect; it is stronger at the bottom among males, while for females the premium is constant across workers and substantial over the whole period, reflecting the continuing strength of public sector unions. Once we control for endogeneity, the membership premium is nowhere significant; there is no free rider puzzle in the private sector, as there is no coverage premium, but the puzzle persists for the public sector.


Trade in Ruspolia nitidula commonly known as grasshopper and locally known, as Nsenene is becoming a valuable source of income for many poor people in central Uganda, which although modest in terms of monetary value, could nonetheless form a significant proportion of their annual income. Though eaten by a large proportion of the population in the central Uganda, there is much less documented information on its commercialization and income potential. A study was, therefore, conducted to document consumers' perceptions about eating these R. nitidula; marketing chain, market locations, and the people trading in R. nitidula; the average price, income generated and the challenges and opportunities for marketing it in central Uganda. Two divisions (Central and Kawempe) of Kampala City and one sub-county (Nyendo-Ssenyange) of Masaka district with high concentration of R. nitidula business were surveyed. Seventy R. nitidula traders and 70 consumers were interviewed. Data were edited, coded, entered and analyzed using Statistical Packake for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results show that R. nitidula is a delicacy and cultural food eaten by the majority of the people in central Uganda. The average retail price per kilogram of R. nitidula was Uganda shillings 5,000 (≈ US $2.80), which compares favourably with that of goat meat, which retails at approximately Uganda shillings 4,000 (≈ US $2.13) per kilogram in Kampala districts. The trade was dominated by men and characterized by wholesalers who buy R. nitidula from collectors and sell to retailers. The average price per kilogram of R. nitidula increases from collectors to wholesale traders and to retailers. Collectors charged the lowest price although their profit margins remained the highest. Several barriers, such as high market dues, hamper the trade in R. nitidula . There is a need to streamline the trade in R. nitidula so as to protect traders from high taxation by the market administrators. The possibility of adding value to the R. nitidula should be investigated because it is mainly being sold in fresh form and yet it has a short shelf life. Keywords : Marketing, Trade, Ruspolia nitidula , Uganda. AJFAND Vol. 8 (3) 2008: pp. 319-332


Insects are the most successful animal on the planet, undergoing evolutionary adaptions in size and the development of flight that have allowed access to vast ecological niches and enabled a means by which to both prey and escape predation. Possessing some of the fastest visual systems on the planet, powerful sets of flight muscles, and mechanosensors tuned to perceive complex environments in high-fidelity, they are capable of performing acrobatic maneuvers at speeds that far exceed that of any engineered system. In turn, stable flight requires the coordinated effort of these highly specialized flight systems while performing activities ranging from evasive flight maneuvers to long-distance seasonal migrations in the presence of adverse flow conditions. As a result, the exceptional flight performance of flying insects has inspired a new class of aerial robots expressly tailored to exploit the unique aerodynamic mechanisms inherent to flapping wings. Over the course of three research studies, I explore new actuation techniques to address limitations in power and scalability of current robot platforms, develop new analytical techniques to aid in the design of insect-inspired robot flapping wings, and investigate attributes of flapping wing aerodynamics that allow insects to overcome the difficulties associated with flight in turbulent flow conditions, in an effort to advance the science of animal locomotion.Recent advancements in the study of insect flight have resulted in bio-inspired robots uniquely suited for the confined flight environments of low Reynolds number flow regimes. Whereas insects employ powerful sets of flight muscles working in conjunction with specialized steering muscles to flap their wings at high frequencies, robot platforms rely on limited sets of mechanically amplified piezoelectric actuators and DC motors mated with gear reductions or linkage systems to generate reciprocating wing motion. As a result, these robotic systems are typically underactuated - with wing rotation induced by inertial and aerodynamic loading - and limited in scale by the efficiency of their actuation method and the electronics required for autonomous flight (e.g., boost converters, microcontrollers, batteries, etc.). Thus, the development of novel actuation techniques addressing the need for scalability and use of low-power components would yield significant advancements to the field of bio-inspired robots. As such, a scalable low-power electromagnetic actuator configurable for a range of resonant frequencies was developed. From physics-based models capturing the principles of actuation, improvements to the electromagnetic coil shape and a reconfiguration of components were made to reduce weight and increases overall efficiency. Upon completion of a proof-of-concept prototype, multiple actuators were then integrated into a full-scale robot platform and validated through a series of free flight experiments. Design concepts and modeling techniques established by this study have since been used to develop subsequent platforms utilizing similar forms of actuation, advancing the state-of-art in bio-inspired robotics.With the ability to make instantaneous changes in mid-flight orientation through subtle adjustments in angle-of-attack, the maneuverability of flying insects far exceeds that of any man-made aircraft. Yet, studies on insect flight have concluded that the rotation of insect wings is predominately passive. Coincidentally, bio-inspired flapping wing robots almost universally rely on passive rotational mechanisms to achieve desired angles-of-attack - a compromise between actuator mass and the controllable degrees-of-freedom that results in underactuated flight systems. For many platforms, the design of passive mechanisms regulating the rotational response of the wing is determined from either simulations of the wing dynamics or empirically derived data. While these approaches are able to predict the wing kinematics with surprising accuracy, they provide little insight into the effects that wing parameters have on the response or the aerodynamic forces produced. Yet, these models establish a means by which to both study insect flight physiology and explore new design principles for the development of bio-inspired robots. Using a recent model of the passively rotating insect wing aerodynamics, a novel design principle used to tune the compliance of bio-inspired robot wings is developed. Further, through the application of nonlinear analysis methods, parameters optimizing lift production in flapping wings is identified. Results from this analysis are then validated experimentally through tests preformed on miniature flapping wings with passive compliant hinges. This work provides new insight into the role passive rotational dynamics plays in insect flight and aids in the development future flapping wing robots.Insect flight is remarkably robust, enabling myriad species to routinely endure adverse flow environments while undergoing common foraging activities and long-distance migratory flights. In contrast to the laminar (or smooth) flow conditions of high-altitude flights by commercial aircraft, insect flight occurs within the lower atmosphere where airflows are unsteady, and often turbulent. Yet despite the substantial challenge these conditions pose to an insect's physiology, flights spanning entire continents are common for numerous migratory species. To investigate how insects sustain stable flight under fluctuating flow conditions, the aerodynamic forces and flows produced by a dynamically scaled robotic insect wing immersed in a specially devised turbulence tank were examined. Despite variation in aerodynamic forces generated between wing strokes, results show that the averaged force from flapping remains remarkably steady under turbulent conditions. Furthermore, measurements of the flows induced by the wing demonstrated that unsteady aerodynamic forces generated by flying insects actively buffer against external flow fluctuations. These results provide mechanistic evidence that insect flight is resilient to turbulent conditions, and establishes principles that aid in the development of insect-inspired robots tailored for flight in adverse flow environments.


ABSTRACT What kinds of states are financed by illicit monies? Does the source of state revenue matter for state formation? This article examines these questions in the context of democratizing Indonesia by analyzing licit and illicit sources of Indonesian police financing and the ways in which illicit practices of extraction and accumulation reshape the structure of the state. Budgetary revenues are both deficient and poorly organized by the Indonesian police (POLRI), continuing practices of fiscal maladministration and rent seeking that defined Suharto's New Order. This article demonstrates how this legacy continues within today's police by illustrating how on- and off-budget financing both resources police work and feeds centralized patron-clientalism through an ethics of "dirty-money" that ultimately sees rents flow upwards to police leadership. However, as Indonesia's neoliberal style democratization fragments centralized patronage into a shifting and unstable patron-clientalism, established patterns of rent accumulation and circulation and the moral-legal regimes that support them break down. In an uncertain environment, officers of all ranks canvass the political system, forming increasingly diverse networks that they hope will secure rents and their political future. Reworking Jean François Bayart's original use of the term, this, the author argues, is "the rhizome state."


SYNOPSIS A dynamic multiperiod linear programming model which addresses nursery scheduling is presented. Due to its dynamic nature, it provides a means to manage risks and uncertainties such as disease, rootstrike, germination and fluctuating demands. By optimising the whole production process, all production capacities such as the greenhouse and shadehouse are optimally utilised. Shortfalls in any period are eliminated by modelling inventory while overproduction can be prevented by using production control constraints. A working example is presented.


Abstract Red yeast Cystofilobasidium capitatum autofluorescence was studied by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) to reveal distribution of carotenoids inside the cells. Yeasts were cultivated in 2L fermentor on glucose medium at permanent light exposure and aeration. Samples were collected at different times for CLSM, gravimetric determination of biomass and HPLC determination of pigments. To compare FLIM (Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy) images and coupled data (obtained by CLSM) with model systems, FLIM analysis was performed on micelles of SDS:ergosterol and SDS:coenzyme Q with different content of ergosterol and coenzyme Q, respectively, and with constant addition of beta-carotene. Liposomes lecithin:ergosterol:beta-carotene were investigated too. Two different intracellular forms of carotenoids were observed during most of cultivations, with third form appeared at the beginning of stationary phase. Observed behavior is probably due to formation of some kind of carotenoid protective system in membranes of different compartments of yeast cell, especially cytoplasmic membrane.


Effects of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation on Voluntary Quadriceps Activation and Vertical Ground Reaction Force During Walking in Subjects with Experimental Knee Pain Seong Jun Son Department of Exercise Sciences, BYU Master of Science Context: Knee pain is a common symptom in knee pathology and is associated with alterations in quadriceps activation and movement patterns. Reducing pain through intervention may help reestablish neuromuscular function. The independent effects of knee pain are difficult to examine and unclear. Objective: To investigate the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on quadriceps activation and vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) during walking. Design: Crossover. Setting: Laboratory. Subjects: 15 in the TENS group (10M and 5F, 23.5 ± 2.8 yrs, 70.5 ± 12.5 kg, 178.1 ± 7.4 cm), and 15 in the sham group (10M and 5F, 22.5 ± 2.0 yrs, 72.1 ± 13.7 kg, 177.5 ± 9.3 cm). Interventions: Subjects underwent three experimental conditions (pain, sham, and control). Measurements were recorded across four time points (preinfusion, infusion, treatment, and posttreatment). Hypertonic or isotonic saline, respectively, was infused into the infrapatellar fat pad for 48 minutes (total 7.7 mL). The TENS group received a 20-minute treatment. A sham treatment was administered to the sham group. Main Outcome Measures: Perceived knee pain on a 10-cm visual analog scale, knee extension maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) normalized to body mass, knee extension central activation ratio (CAR), and VGRF. Results: Knee pain peaked at 4 cm during infusion and remained consistent across time in the sham group (F2,28 = 49.90, P < 0.0001), while knee pain gradually decreased to 1.5 cm following TENS treatment (F2,28 = 23.11, P < 0.0001). A group x condition x time interaction was detected for both the MVIC (F6,168 = 2.92, P < 0.01) and CAR (F6,168 = 3.03, P < 0.008) measurements. Post hoc analysis revealed that the infusion of hypertonic saline reduced knee extension MVIC by 29% in the TENS group, and by 26% in the sham group (P < 0.05). However, while the MVIC remained depressed by 26% following sham treatment, the MVIC was found to improve by 12% following TENS treatment (P < 0.05). Similarly, a 10% decrease in CAR was detected in both sham and TENS groups prior to treatment. This 10% deficit held, with a 9% deficit following sham treatment, while the deficit of CAR was improved by 4% following TENS treatment (P < 0.05). For the TENS group, infusion of hypertonic saline changed VGRF at initial loading, midstance, and push-off phase. VGRF was only different at initial loading and push-off phase following TENS treatment. For the sham group however, sham treatment did not restore VGRF, showing alterations in initial loading, midstance, and push-off phase (α = 0.05). Conclusions: Infusion of hypertonic saline increased perceived knee pain, reduced knee extension MVIC, reduced CAR, and altered VGRF over some of stance phase. TENS lessened the deficits in MVIC, CAR, and VGRF, suggesting decreased muscle inhibition and improved movement function.


The optical properties of a five-level atomic system composed of a 'Lambda'-type four-level atomic and a tripod four-level atomic systems are investigated. It is found that the behaviors of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and group velocity can be controlled by choosing appropriate parameters with the interacting dark resonances. In particular, when all the fields are on resonance, the slow light at the symmetric transparency windows with a much broader EIT width is obtained by tuning the intensity of the coupling field in comparison with its sub-system, which provides potential applications in quantum storage and retrieval of light.


Ganoderma lucidum is a herbal mushroom known to have many health benefits, including the inhibition of tumor cell growth. However, the effect of Ganoderma lucidum on epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), the most fatal gynecological malignancy, has not yet been reported. In this study, we determined whether Ganoderma lucidum regulates EOC cell activity. Using several cell lines derived from EOC, we found that Ganoderma lucidum strongly decreased cell numbers in a dose-dependent manner. Ganoderma lucidum also inhibited colony formation, cell migration and spheroid formation. In particular, Ganoderma lucidum was effective in inhibiting cell growth in both chemosensitive and chemoresistant cells and the treatment with Ganoderma lucidum significantly enhanced the effect of cisplatin on EOC cells. Furthermore, Ganoderma lucidum induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and also induced apoptosis by activating caspase 3. Finally, Ganoderma lucidum increased p53 but inhibited Akt expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that Ganoderma lucidum exerts multiple anti-tumor effects on ovarian cancer cells and can enhance the sensitivity of EOC cells to cisplatin.


The properties of a regulatory network have been determined without the exhaustive examination of each experimental parameter. Gardner et al. explored a network of nine genes in the SOS pathway in Escherichia coli that regulates cellular responses to DNA damage and other stresses. Relatively small changes made near a physiological steady-state point (like that of a cell maintained in culture) allowed these nonlinear cellular processes to be modeled linearly. The transcription activity of each component of the network was altered, and the effects on the abundance of messenger RNA transcripts of the other components were measured. After making some assumptions about the limits of network connectivity and regulatory inputs for each gene, they could identify most of the known regulatory connections in this well-studied pathway. T. S. Gardner, D. di Bernardo, D. Lorenz, J. J. Collins, Inferring genetic networks and identifying compound mode of action via expression profiling. Science 301, 102-105 (2003). [Abstract] [Full Text]


We present a novel study of the availability in optical networks based on network topology. Connection availability is studied under two basic path protection schemes. Different topologies are selected in order to have heterogeneity in geographic coverage, network diameter, link lengths, and average node degree. Connection availability is also computed considering the reliability data of physical components and a well-known network availability model. Results report some useful information to select the suitable protection algorithms according to the network topology features and the required levels of availability.


The degree of incipient metamorphism in the Cambro-Silurian of the Jåmtland Supergroup (Eastern Complex) of the Jämtland Caledonides, from the Caledonian front autochthon westwards through the parautochthon towards the thrust front of the metamorphic main ('Western Complex') nappes, has been studied using: (a) determination of the illite crystallinity by X-ray powder diffraction on the K- and Mg-saturated –2 μm fractions; the low-grade limits of the anchizone and the 'opizone' of Kubler correspond to peak widths of c. 0.38° and 0.21°Δ2 (illite 001 diffraction peak) under the experimental conditions used; (b) determination of the rank of coaly particles in the clastic rocks by measurement of the 'vitrinite' reflectance using a reflected-light microscope with photomultipliers. In the Indalsälven segment S of Iat. 63°30' N between Brunflo in the E and Undersåker in the W, and further N to Rönnöfors-Juvuln, 4 zones of illite crystallinity may be distinguished: (A) The Östersund-Krokom zone: mean 'saturated' 10 Å peak widths of ∅0.32°Δ2θ, the highest peak widths occurring in the easternmost part of the zone ('diagenetic' zone of Kubler). (B) The Norderö-Näldsjön zone: mean peak widths between 0.27° and 0.35° Δ2θ middle-anchizone of Kubler. (C) The Mattmar–Alsensjön zone: predominance of peak widths between 0.19° and 0.25° 2θ. (D) The Mörsil–Jårpen zone; predominance of peak widths of 0.21° Δ2θ characteristic of the 'epizone' of Kubler. This zone extends N to Rönnöfors–Juvuln, W of the Offerdal nappe. 'Vitrinite' reflectance values were measured on 35 samples. In illite-crystallinity zone A the predominant mean maximum reflectance ranges from 1.4-2.9% Rmax oil, corresponding to low-volatile bituminous coal to low-rank anthracite. In zones B, C and D the ranges of Rmax oil are similar, from 3.7 to 4.3%, corresponding to high-rank anthracite. Similarly high reflectances (4.2-4.5% Rmax oil) were found in 3 samples from the northern continuation of zone D. The comparative uniformity of the reflectances from zones B–D contrasts with the increase in illite crystallinities, particularly from zone B to C. Anatase was found in demineralization residues from zones A and B (together with rutile); in the residues from zones C and D rutile is the only titanium oxide. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the incipient metamorphism in the Jåmtland Supergroup was at least in part caused by the overthrust metamorphic allochthon, particularly the mainly medium- and locally medium to high-grade metamorphic Seve nappe. The association of the onset of the anchizone with semi-anthracitic to low-rank anthracitic coal ranks (c. 2.5–2.8% Rmax oil) is in agreement with the relationships found in several other areas of incipient regional metamorphism.


An experimental room was used as a microcosm for studies of airborne particles and microorganisms in indoor environments. The interior of the room measures 4 by 4 by 2.2 m high and has a hardwood floor and the walls and ceiling are sheetrocked and coated with interior latex paint. Exterior walls are 11.4-cm thick plywood panels consisting of two outer sections of plywood insulated with fiber glass batts. The ceiling is of similar construction with 17.1-cm thick panels. Attached to the room entrance is an anteroom equipped with a HEPA-filtered air shower to reduce mixing of air resulting from entering and exiting during experiments. The room is equipped with a computer-controlled heating, ventilation, and cooling system. Temperature, relative humidity, air flow, and room pressure can be continuously monitored by probes located in the room and air handling system components. Several research projects have been conducted using this room including monitoring the potential for airborne glass fibers released from rigid fibrous ductboard, comparisons of commercially available samplers for monitoring of airborne fungal spores, and a study on the efficacy of vacuum bags to minimize dispersal of particles, including fungal spores from fungal-contaminated carpet. During studies designed to monitor airborne fiberglass, airmore » samples were taken in the room serviced by new rigid fibrous glass ductwork, and the results were compared to those obtained in the room with bare metal ductwork installed. Monitoring of airborne fungal spores using the Andersen six-stage sampler, the high flow Spiral Biotech sampler, the Biotest RCS Plus sampler, and the Burkard spore trap sampler was performed following the release of Penicillium spores into the room through the supply register. Dispersal of carpet-associated particles and fungal spores was measured after vacuuming using conventional cellulose vacuum bags in comparison to recently developed bags.« less


The feasibility and value of 207Pb solid-state NMR experiments on compounds featuring lead tetrel bonds is explored. Although the definition remains to be formalized, lead tetrel bonds may be qualitatively described as existing when there is evidence of a net attractive interaction between an electrophilic region associated with lead in a molecular entity and a nucleophilic region in another, or the same, molecular entity. Unambiguous identification of lead tetrel bonds can be challenging due to the hypervalent tendency of lead. We report here a series of 207Pb solid-state NMR experiments on five metal-organic frameworks featuring lead coordinated to hydrazone-based ligands. Such frameworks may be held together in part by lead tetrel bonds. The acquisition of 207Pb solid-state NMR spectra for such materials is feasible and is readily accomplished using a combination of magic-angle spinning and Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill methods in moderate to low applied magnetic fields. The lead centres are characterized by 207Pb isotropic chemical shifts ranging from -426 to -2591 ppm and chemical shift tensor spans ranging from 910 to 2681 ppm. Careful inspection of the structures of the compounds and the literature 207Pb NMR data may suggest that a tetrel bond to lead results in chemical shift parameters which are intermediate between those which are characteristic of holodirected and hemidirected lead coordination geometries. Challenges associated with DFT computations of the 207Pb NMR parameters are discussed. In summary, the 207Pb data for the compounds studied herein show a marked response to the presence of non-coordinating electron-rich moieties in close contact with the electrophilic surface of formally hemidirectionally coordinated lead compounds.


As part of the Lovely Weather project, artist and environmental scientist Antony Lyons undertook a rural science and art residency project examining the relationships between the locality of the River Finn Valley, County Donegal, Ireland and the processes of climate change. The local countryside is, in many ways, enmeshed in the wider global systems. At the core of the project was the quest for new avenues of communication and dialogue—through revealing unseen and metaphorical connections—enabling the local community and others to engage with the global issues, and the science, in a meaningful way. A research-based 'deep-mapping' approach was used. Art installations were developed, and there now exists a platform for some locally grounded sustainable development initiatives to emerge.


The morphology and phylogenetic relationships of a new genus and two new species of Neotropical freshwater stingrays, family Potamotrygonidae, are investigated and described in detail. The new genus, Heliotrygon, n. gen., and its two new species, Heliotrygon gomesi, n. sp. (type-species) and Heliotrygon rosai, n. sp., are compared to all genera and species of potamotrygonids, based on revisions in progress. Some of the derived features of Heliotrygon include its unique disc proportions (disc highly circular, convex anteriorly at snout region, its width and length very similar), extreme subdivision of suborbital canal (forming a complex honeycomb-like pattern anterolaterally on disc), stout and triangular pelvic girdle, extremely reduced caudal sting, basibranchial copula with very slender and acute anterior extension, and precerebral and frontoparietal fontanellae of about equal width, tapering very little posteriorly. Both new species can be distinguished by their unique color patterns: Heliotrygon gomesi is uniform gray to light tan or brownish dorsally, without distinct patterns, whereas Heliotrygon rosai is characterized by numerous white to creamy-white vermiculate markings over a light brown, tan or gray background color. Additional proportional characters that may further distinguish both species are also discussed. Morphological descriptions are provided for dermal denticles, ventral lateral-line canals, skeleton, and cranial, hyoid and mandibular muscles of Heliotrygon, which clearly corroborate it as the sister group of Paratrygon. Both genera share numerous derived features of the ventral lateral-line canals, neurocranium, scapulocoracoid, pectoral basals, clasper morphology, and specific patterns of the adductor mandibulae and spiracularis medialis muscles. Potamotrygon and Plesiotrygon are demonstrated to share derived characters of their ventral lateral-line canals, in addition to the presence of angular cartilages. Our morphological phylogeny is further corroborated by a molecular phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome b based on four sequences (637 base pairs in length), representing two distinct haplotypes for Heliotrygon gomesi. Parsimony analysis produced a single most parsimonious tree revealing Heliotrygon and Paratrygon as sister taxa (bootstrap proportion of 70%), which together are the sister group to a clade including Plesiotrygon and species of Potamotrygon. These unusual stingrays highlight that potamotrygonid diversity, both in terms of species composition and undetected morphological and molecular patterns, is still poorly known.


OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between weight and the risk of injury in motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) for children 1 through 8 years of age who were using child restraints. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of children 1 to 8 years of age in MVCs, in which cases from the National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System were used. Abbreviated Injury Scale scores of ≥2 indicated clinically significant injuries. RESULTS: The National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System study sample included 650 children 1 to 5 years of age in forward-facing child restraints who weighed 20 to 65 lb and 344 children 3 to 8 years of age in belt-positioning booster seats who weighed 30 to 100 lb. With adjustment for seating position, type of vehicle, direction of impact, crash severity, and vehicle model year, there was no association between absolute weight and clinically significant injuries in either age group (odds ratio: 1.17 [95% confidence interval: 0.96–1.42] for children 1–5 years of age in forward-facing child restraints and 1.22 [95% confidence interval: 0.96–1.55] for children 3–8 years of age in belt-positioning booster seats). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of clinically significant injuries was not associated with weight across a broad weight range in this sample of children in MVCs who were using child restraint systems. Parents should continue to restrain their children according to current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.


If society's goal is to increase people's feelings of well-being, economic growth in itself will not do the job. Full employment and a generous and comprehensive social safety net do increase happiness. Such policies are arguably affordable not only in higher income nations but also in countries that account for most of the population of the less-developed world. These conclusions are suggested by an analysis of a wide range of evidence on happiness in countries throughout the world.


Summary Aim: To investigate and compare uncoated and phosphorylcholine-coated oxygenators in terms of induction of humoral immune response during coronary artery bypass surgery. Methods: A total of 20 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery were randomly distributed into two groups according to the type of oxygenator used during surgery. Group 1 consisted of 10 patients who were operated on using phosphorylcholine-coated oxygenators. Group 2 contained 10 patients who underwent surgery using uncoated oxygenators. Blood and oxygenator fibre samples were obtained and compared in terms of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM), complements (C3c, C4), serum total protein and albumin levels using electron microscopy and flow cytometry. Results: In group 1, levels of IgM, IgG, total protein and serum albumin were significantly increased at the end of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) compared to those at the beginning of CPB. In group 2, C3c and C4 levels at the beginning of CPB were found to be significantly higher than at the end. Electron microscopic examination of oxygenator fibres demonstrated that phosphorylcholine-coated fibres were less likely to be adsorbed by serum proteins and complements than the uncoated fibres. Conclusion: Our results indicate that phosphorylcholine-coated oxygenators seemed to induce humoral immune response to a lesser extent than uncoated oxygenators during coronary artery bypass procedures.


Crohn's disease has been considered to be uncommon in Asia Pacific region The study was undertaken to know the extraintestinal manifestations of Crohn's disease in Bangladesh and to compare the result with that of other Asian and Western countries. This was an observational study consisting of patients seen in the department of gastroenterology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University for 20 years (between 1991 and 2010). Individual case records were carefully reviewed with regard to gender, sex and extraintestinal manifestations. A total of 41 patients with Crohn's disease were identified. 70.7% were male and 29.3% were female with male to female ratio was 2.4:1. Mean age was 34±11.8 years and peak age group was 21-30 years. The chief extraintestinal manifestations were arthritis, aphthous ulcer in the oral cavity, erythema nodosum and episcleritis. Arthritis was the most frequent among the extraintestinal manifestations. So, Crohn's disease should be considered as an important differential diagnosis when a patient presents with bowel symptoms associated with extraintestinal manifestation and thus early recognition and treatment could be possible. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjmed.v21i2.13611 Bangladesh J Medicine 2010; 21: 58-59


Foreign bank presence has substantially increased in Latin America during the second half of the 1990s, which has prompted an intense debate on its banking and macroeconomic consequences. In this paper, we apply ARCH techniques to jointly estimate the impact of foreign bank presence on the level and volatility of real credit in a panel of eight Latin American countries, using quarterly data over the period 1995:1-2001:4. Results show that, together with financial development, foreign bank presence has contributed to reduce real credit volatility, improving the buffer shock function of the banking sector. This finding is consistent with the fact that foreign banks are typically well diversified institutions holding higher quality assets and having access to a broad set of liquidity sources.


Performance limiting factors (PLFs) derived from 161 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs), assessed by the International Technical Diagnosis and Assistance Center, were analyzed and evaluated in this study. In order to conduct research, 161 DWTPs were divided into five categories depending on their capacity, and into twelve groups according to processes and facilities. From the results of analysis, PLFs and their distribution ratio derived from each category were significantly different. Filtration was the most important performance limiting factor in all DWTPs of five categories, and PLFs in filtration were backwashing velocity, media configuration, bed depth, and formation of mud-ball. The PLFs in coagulation–flocculation process were found to be coagulant dose, mixing intensity, mechanical problems, and others in the order of frequency of occurrence. Also, insufficient disinfection ability, is resulting from insufficient hydraulic detention time, improper chlorine dose and injection point, is the most significant among PLFs in a clear well. In the case of sedimentation, inappropriate baffle structure and excessive upward velocity were PLFs. In addition, the results showed that high turbid water and low alkalinity in rainy season, ferric and manganese ions, and ammonia nitrogen have contributed significantly to the performance of DWTPs.


Digital holography is a technique for the recording of holograms via CCD/CMOS devices and enables their subsequent numerical reconstruction within computers, thus avoiding the photographic processes that are used in optical holography. This thesis investigates the various techniques which have been developed for digital holography. It develops and successfully demonstrates a number of refinements and additions in order to enhance the performance of the method and extend its applicability. The thesis contributes to both the experimental and numerical analysis aspects of digital holography.Regarding experimental work: the thesis includes a comprehensive review and critique of the experimental arrangements used by other workers and actually implements and investigates a number of these in order to compare performance. Enhancements to these existing methods are proposed, and new methods developed, aimed at addressing some of the perceived short-comings of the method. Regarding the experimental aspects, the thesis specifically develops:• Super-resolution methods, introduced in order to restore the spatial frequencies that are lost or degraded during the hologram recording process, a problem which is caused by the limited resolution of CCD/CMOS devices.• Arrangements for combating problems in digital holography such as: dominance of the zero order term, the twin image problem and excessive speckle noise.• Fibre-based systems linked to tunable lasers, including a comprehensive analysis of the effects of: signal attenuation, noise and laser instability within such systems.• Two-source arrangements for contouring, including investigating the limitations on achievable accuracy with such systems.Regarding the numerical processing, the thesis focuses on three main areas. Firstly, the numerical calculation of the Fresnel-Kirchhoff integral, which is of vital importance in performing the numerical reconstruction of digital holograms. The Fresnel approximation and the convolution approach are the two most common methods used to perform numerical reconstruction. The results produced by these two methods for both simulated holograms and real holograms, created using our experimental systems, are presented and discussed.Secondly, the problems of the zero order term, twin image and speckle noise are tackled from a numerical processing point of view, complementing the experimental attack on these problems. A digital filtering method is proposed for use with reflective macroscopic objects, in order to suppress both the zero-order term and the twin image.Thirdly, for the two-source contouring technique, the following issues have been discussed and thoroughly analysed: the effects of the linear factor, the use of noise reduction filters, different phase unwrapping algorithms, the application of the super-resolution method, and errors in the illumination angle. Practical 3D measurement of a real object, of known geometry, is used as a benchmark for the accuracy improvements achievable via the use of these digital signal processing techniques within the numerical reconstruction stage.The thesis closes by seeking to draw practical conclusions from both the experimental and numerical aspects of the investigation, which it is hoped will be of value to those aiming to use digital holography as a metrology tool.


We report layering transitions within a charged silica colloidal dispersion confined by two opposite like-charged dielectric walls. The ensemble-averaged concentration profiles of the colloids (radius 60±2 nm) along the confinement direction have been determined using synchrotron X-ray diffraction from microfluidic arrays of channels of different widths. For small channel widths up to a critical value of 300 nm, the channel can accommodate just one layer of colloids which is stabilized against buckling by the confining charged walls. For channel widths larger than this critical value, a buckling of the single layer is observed. These phenomena are explained using a theoretical analysis of buckling instabilities due to Chou and Nelson, and a value for the charge density on the stabilizing charged walls is derived. At still larger channel widths a sequence of complex layering transitions is observed which involve the splitting and merging of individual layers.


Ground subsidence of detrital deposits in the Almería basin (SE Spain) was studied using the remote sensing technique of Differential Interferometry SAR (DInSAR). This basin is one of the most arid in Europe, receiving an average rainfall of 250 mm per year. Over the last 60 years the region has experienced an enormous agricultural and urban expansion, whose water demand has been largely supplied from groundwater, leading to the current situation of overexploitation of water resources. This paper outlines the likely relationship between groundwater abstraction and subsidence. To this end, 34 ERS and Envisat images, taken between 2003 and 2009, were analysed to estimate ground surface deformations, and hence, compared with water table variations measured in a number of piezometers in the basin. The analysis shows a clear parallelism between the variations in piezometric level and deformation of the ground surface. In addition, the zones of greatest subsidence coincide with those areas where groundwater abstractions are concentrated. Subsidence over the examined period varies from 10 to 30 mm, with extreme values as high as 50 mm, which translates to a rate of between 1·7 and 5 mm/year, reaching maximum rates of 8 mm/year at some points. Given such subsidence rates, damage to urban infrastructures are, for the moment, incipient. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) of proteins are central in any kind of cellular signaling. Modern mass spectrometry technologies enable comprehensive identification and quantification of various PTMs. Given the increased number and types of mapped protein modifications, a database is necessary that simultaneouly integrates and compares site-specific information for different PTMs, especially in plants for which the available PTM data are poorly catalogued. Here, we present the Plant PTM Viewer (http://www.psb.ugent.be/PlantPTMViewer), an integrative PTM resource that comprises approximately 200,000 PTM sites for 17 types of protein modifications in plant proteins from five different species. The Plant PTM Viewer provides the user with a protein sequence overview in which the experimentally evidenced PTMs are highlighted together with functional protein domains or active site residues. The PTM sequence search tool can query PTM combinations in specific protein sequences, whereas the PTM BLAST tool searches for modified protein sequences to detect conserved PTMs in homologous sequences. Taken together, these tools facilitate to assume the role and potential interplay of PTMs in specific proteins or within a broader systems biology context. The Plant PTM Viewer is an open repository that allows submission of mass spectrometry-based PTM data to remain at pace with future PTM plant studies.


Health-related research is increasingly drawing on novel sources of online data, such as crowdsourced information about disease outbreaks, consumer-supplied information provided to health or wellness Web sites, Internet search queries about personal health, and social network postings that identify health behaviors. We offer examples of online sources and their uses, identify ethical and policy issues they generate, and formulate key questions for future discussion and investigation. Further work in this area will require cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop ethics and policy guidance for the ethical use of these novel data sources in health-related research.


In support of iNET maturation, NASA-JPL has collaborated with NASA-Dryden to develop, test and demonstrate an over-the-horizon vehicle-to-ground networking capability, using Iridium as the vehicle-to-ground communications link for relaying critical vehicle telemetry. To ensure reliability concerns are met, the Space Communications Protocol Standards (SCPS) transport protocol was investigated for its performance characteristics in this environment. In particular, the SCPS-TP software performance was compared to that of the standard Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) over the Internet Protocol (IP). This paper will report on the results of this work.


We address the problem of automatically detecting participant's influence levels in meetings. The impact and social psychological background are discussed. The more influential a participant is, the more he or she influences the outcome of a meeting. Experiments on 40 meetings show that application of statistical (both dynamic and static) models while using simply obtainable features results in a best prediction performance of 70.59% when using a static model, a balanced training set, and three discrete classes: high, normal and low. Application of the detected levels are shown in various ways i.e. in a virtual meeting environment as well as in a meeting browser system.


Zr 55 Al 10 Ni 5 Cu 30 bulk metallic glass composite containing 10 vol% crystalline ZrC particles was prepared by an in-situ reaction between Zr-based melt and graphite powder being followed by an injection casting into a copper mould. The crystallization process of the composites during annealing at 723 K has been investigated by using DSC, TEM and microhardness test. It is found that an unknown crystalline phase appears first along the interface between ZrC particle and the matrix of the composite, and then a homogeneous nanocrystallization occurs in the matrix. The nanocrystalline phase precipitated in the matrix is determined to have orthorhombic structure by using TEM diffraction. It has a higher hardness than the hardness of the amorphous phase which remained in the matrix. Hardness of the matrix increases with increasing the volume fraction of the nanocrystalline phases. After annealed at 723 K for 40 min, most of the matrix has been transformed into crystalline phases with a final average grain size of about 120 nm.


This paper summarizes the information published on the beetle fauna of the island of St. Vincent (excluding the Grenadine islands). The fauna contains 62 families, with 371 genera, and 536 species. The families with the largest number of species are Staphylinidae (128), Curculionidae (54), Chrysomelidae (47), Scarabaeidae (31), Tenebrionidae (30), and Cerambycidae (29). At least 17 species (3.17%) were probably accidentally introduced to the island by human activities. One hundred four species (19.40%) are endemic (restricted) to the island and likely speciated on the island. One hundred twenty species (22.39%) are shared only with other islands of the Lesser Antilles (Lesser Antillean endemics), and 41 species (7.65%) are more widespread Antilles endemics. The remaining 254 species (47.38%) in the fauna are otherwise mostly widely distributed in the Antilles and the Neotropical Region. The St. Vincent beetle fauna has thus mostly originated elsewhere than on St. Vincent and is largely an immigrant fauna from other islands of the West Indies or the continental Neotropics. Of the St. Vincent species known to occur on other islands, the largest numbers are shared with (north to south) Guadeloupe (206), Dominica (115), Martinique (76), St. Lucia (87) and Grenada (298). Undoubtedly, the real number of species on St. Vincent is higher than now reported and may actually be around 1200 or more species.


Abstract Repeated stressful events can negatively impact overall health by continuous stimulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, which leads to depletion of glucose stores and suppression of immune and reproductive function. The influence of stressors on survivability is particularly salient for coyote (Canis latrans) populations, because understanding how coyotes cope with stressors may provide relevant context on coyote adaptation to urbanized ecosystems. Our objectives were to physiologically validate fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) analysis in coyotes by performing an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge in 12 captive individuals (6 treatment and 6 control) housed at the United States Department of Agriculture National Wildlife Research Center Predator Research Facility in Millville, Utah; to quantify potential changes in FGM output due to diurnal variation and sex; and to determine the effects of 2 anthropogenic events (placement of a novel cooling fan and state holiday celebrations) on the coyotes' stress responses (via FGM production). Results demonstrated that in response to the ACTH injection, treatment animals (3 males and 3 females) displayed FGM concentration peaks ≥ 5-fold (range: 5- to 30-fold) above their preinjection means approximately 8 h after injection, which was a greater (P = 0.037) response than control animals. FGM output was lowest for morning fecal samples compared with midday (P = 0.001) and evening (P < 0.001) samples. Within the evening period, FGM output for male samples tended to be higher (P = 0.056) than for female samples, although not significant. The anthropogenic events elicited FGM concentration peaks ≥ 5-fold above pre-event means for several of the study animals occurring approximately 12 and 9 h later, respectively. This study is the 1st to physiologically validate the measurement of stress physiology using FGM analysis in coyotes and demonstrate the impact of anthropogenic events on their stress response. Furthermore, this work provides a foundation for future studies of FGMs, stress, and anthropogenic effects in wild and captive systems.


Research into photovoltaic thermal systems is important in solar technologies as photovoltaic thermal systems are designed to produce both electrical and thermal energy, this can lead to improved performance of the overall system. The performance of photovoltaic thermal systems is based on several factors that include photovoltaic thermal materials, design, ambient temperature, inlet and outlet fluid temperature and photovoltaic cell temperature. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of photovoltaic thermal outlet water temperatures and solar cell temperature on both electrical and thermal efficiency for different range of inlet water temperature. To achieve this, a mathematical model of a photovoltaic thermal system was developed to calculate the anticipated system performance. The factors that affect the efficiency of photovoltaic thermal collectors were discussed and the outlet fluid temperature from the photovoltaic thermal is investigated in order to reach the highest overall efficiency for the solar cooling system. An average thermal and electrical efficiency of 65% and 13.7%, respectively, was achieved and the photovoltaic thermal mathematical model was validated with experimental data from literature.


In numerical models of geophysical fluid systems, parametrization schemes are needed to account for the effect of unresolved processes on processes that are resolved explicitly. Usually, these parametrization schemes require tuning of their parameters to achieve optimal performance. We propose a new type of parametrization that requires no tuning, as it is based on an assumption that is not specific to any particular model. The assumption is that the unresolved processes can be represented by a probability density function that has maximum information entropy under the constraints of zero average time derivatives of key integral quantities of the unresolved processes. In the context of a model of a simple fluid dynamical system, it is shown that this approach leads to definite expressions for the mean effect of unresolved processes on processes that are resolved. The merits of the parametrization, regarding both short‐range forecasting and long‐term statistics, are demonstrated by numerical experiments in which a low‐resolution version of the model is used to simulate the results of a high‐resolution version of the model. For the fluid dynamical system that is studied, the proposed parametrization turns out to be related to the anticipated potential vorticity method with definite values of its parameters.


Performance models of software designs can give early warnings of problems such as resource saturation or excessive delays. However models are seldom used because of the considerable effort needed to construct them. The ANGIOTRACE/sup TM/ was developed to gather the necessary information from an executable design and develop a model in an automated fashion. It applies to distributed and concurrent software with synchronous (send-reply or RPC) communications, developing a layered queuing network model. The trace-based load characterization (TLC) technique presented here extends the ANGIOTRACE/sup TM/ to handle software with both synchronous and asynchronous interactions. TLC also detects interactions which are effectively synchronous or partly-synchronous (forwarding) but are built up from asynchronous messages. These patterns occur in telephony software and in other systems. The TLC technique can be applied throughout the software life-cycle, even after deployment.


ABSTRACT Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been shown to improve patient care and outcomes. For speech pathologists working with people with post-stroke aphasia, there is currently no single high-quality guideline that summarises all of the available research knowledge into recommendations to guide decision-making. While multiple stroke and aphasia guidelines exist, some are of low methodological quality, are out of date, or do not provide recommendations that specifically guide aphasia management. As such, it may be difficult for clinicians to choose one particular guideline to follow. Aim: To identify, extract, and evaluate recommendations from high-quality CPGs to inform the management of post-stroke aphasia by speech pathologists. Methods & Procedures: An updated systematic review of stroke and speech pathology-specific clinical guidelines was conducted in January 2015. The search included multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL), guideline and stroke websites, and other sources. The quality of included guidelines was assessed using the Appraisal of Guidelines and Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool. Guidelines that obtained a high AGREE II "Rigour of Development" score were retained and the aphasia-relevant recommendations from these guidelines were extracted for further analysis. Recommendations were evaluated according to their applicability to aphasia and the clarity of linkages between the recommendations and underlying evidence. Outcomes & Results: Five new guidelines were identified. Their AGREE II ratings ranged from 31.3 to 71.9, and one met the cut-off of 66.67 for further analysis. One hundred and eleven recommendations from four guidelines were extracted and evaluated. From these, 76 recommendations met the inclusion criteria, 25 of which were specifically targeted at aphasia management, the remainder being general rehabilitation principles that may apply to aphasia. Thirty-four recommendations were directly linked to evidence, and 42 were based on consensus. Research gaps were noted for goal-setting, counselling, patient and carer support, and discharge planning, indicating possible areas for future research. There were challenges in comparing recommendations from different CPGs, determining whether evidence was applicable to people with aphasia, and in identifying clear links between the evidence and some recommendations. Conclusions: The collated 76 (34 evidence-based, 42 consensus-based) recommendations can be used by speech pathologists to guide aphasia rehabilitation. Aphasia-specific research is required in areas such as goal-setting, counselling, patient and carer support, and discharge planning.


Neurovascular coupling is a fundamental response that links activity to perfusion. Traditional paradigms of neurovascular coupling utilize somatosensory stimulation to activate the primary sensory cortex through subcortical relays. Therefore, examination of neurovascular coupling in disease models can be confounded if the disease process affects these multisynaptic pathways. Optogenetic stimulation is an alternative to directly activate neurons, bypassing the subcortical relays. We employed minimally invasive optogenetic cortical activation through intact skull in Thy1-channelrhodopsin-2 transgenic mice, examined the blood flow changes using laser speckle imaging, and related these to evoked electrophysiological activity. Our data show that optogenetic activation of barrel cortex triggers intensity- and frequency-dependent hyperemia both locally within the barrel cortex (>50% CBF increase), and remotely within the ipsilateral motor cortex (>30% CBF increase). Intriguingly, activation of the barrel cortex causes a small (∼10%) but reproducible hypoperfusion within the contralateral barrel cortex, electrophysiologically linked to transhemispheric inhibition. Cortical spreading depression, known to cause neurovascular uncoupling, diminishes optogenetic hyperemia by more than 50% for up to an hour despite rapid recovery of evoked electrophysiological activity, recapitulating a unique feature of physiological neurovascular coupling. Altogether, these data establish a minimally invasive paradigm to investigate neurovascular coupling for longitudinal characterization of cerebrovascular pathologies.


Aims: The aim of this study was to describe the use of an online usergroup to enhance communication and productivity by critical care specialists. Methods: In this article, we provide a description of the first 6 months of use of an online usergroup by senior retrieval physicians. Results: Initially developed as a communication and online discussion tool, our online usergroup evolved to include a number of other utilities that support clinical governance. These included a repository for useful files, educational presentations, online rostering and "portfolio pages", updating aspects of an individual specialist's non-clinical activity. Its applications continue to evolve in number and utility. Participating physicians perceive an increase in organisational efficiency. Conclusions: An online usergroup such as Google Groups may provide powerful support to an organisation's clinical governance. We recommend this tool to other services with limited administrative personnel.


Genetic instability, which leads to an accumulation of various genetic abnormalities, has been considered an essential component of the human neoplasic transformation process. However, the molecular basis of genomic instability during tumorigenesis remains incompletely understood. Growing evidence indicates that checkpoint with forkhead and ring finger domains (CHFR), a recently identified mitotic checkpoint protein, plays an important role in maintaining chromosome integrity and functions as a tumor suppressor. In this study, we used high-throughput technology to conduct gene expression profiling of human colon cancers and found that loss of CHFR expression frequently occurred in colon cancers with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H). Downregulation of CHFR expression was closely associated with overexpression of Aurora A, an important mitotic kinase. Mice with deficiencies in both Chfr and Mlh1 (the gene that encodes the DNA mismatch-repair protein Mlh1) displayed dramatically higher incidence of spontaneous tumors relative to mice deficient for only one of these genes. These results suggest that defects in both Chfr and Mlh1 synergistically increase predisposition to tumorigenesis.


This issue of Translational Cancer Research addresses the current state of knowledge regarding exosomes in body fluids and cancer. Exosomes are produced in increased numbers in cancer compared to normal cells (1). Exosomes are made by almost all cells, with the possible exception of red blood cells and are secreted into the tumor or normal cell adjacent body fluid. Cancer cell derived exosomes influence tumor growth, metastasis, evasion of the immune system and resistance to therapy (1).


Formula SAE® is one of several student design competitions organized by SAE International. In the Formula SAE events undergraduate and graduate students are required to conceive, design, fabricate and compete with a small, formula-style, race car. Formula SAE safety rules dictate a 7 m/s (or approximately 15.65 mph) frontal crash test for nose mounted impact attenuators. These rules are outlined in section B3.21 of the Formula SAE rule book. Development and testing methods of these energy absorbing devices have varied widely among teams. This paper uses real world crash sled results to research methods for predicting the performance of aluminum honeycomb impact attenuators that will comply with the Formula SAE standards. However, the resulting models used to predict attenuator performance may also have a variety of useful applications outside of Formula SAE. In this paper, various energy absorbers were mounted to a free rolling trolley sitting on top of a crash sled. The sled was launched so that the trolley with the attached attenuator was allowed to strike a rigid barrier. This resulted in a sudden deceleration measured by accelerometers attached to the trolley. The resulting deceleration from each impact attenuator was then correlated to predicted pulses from theoretical calculations. The lessons learned from extensive testing will be discussed including comparisons between size, shapes, and material properties of energy absorption devices. Additionally, a final theory will be presented describing the ideal way to predict impact attenuator performance. Ultimately it will be shown that, given a known geometry, material properties, and safety factor, the behavior of an impact attenuator can be predicted accurately enough that testing will only be needed as verification. This study will ultimately benefit all Formula SAE® teams, as it will help speed up development time and cut costs, while providing a proven method for creating attenuators that will perform to SAE standards.


Under three successive Islamic dynasties--the Fatimids, the Ayyubids, and the Mamluks--the Egyptian Office of the Head of the Jews (also known as the Nagid) became the most powerful representative of medieval Jewish autonomy in the Islamic world. To determine the origins of this institution, Mark Cohen concentrates on the complex web of internal and external circumstances during the latter part of the eleventh century.Originally published in 1981.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


The practices of social responsibility and environmental management are strategies that have become fundamental in helping enable competitive advantage for organisations today, as society is constantly pressuring companies to become more socially responsible. Environmental issues, in Brazil, are in the spotlight and this dimension has thus come to assume ever-greater importance for companies. This study aims to analyse the strategies of social responsibility and environmental management as practiced and developed by a group of eleven companies in the Metal Mechanic Poleat Serra Gaucha. It presents a qualitative exploration in the form of a multiple case study whose results show that the external factor is perceived as extremely relevant to the group companies. Furthermore, the study shows that the strategies of social responsibility and environmental management encompass: peer pressure; the importance of government regulations, the adequacy of normative standards; heightened competition; and the achievement of competitive advantage.


It is generally accepted that global fisheries are grossly overcapitalized, resulting in overfishing in most of the world's fisheries. Fuel prices have recently seen significant increases. Given that fuel constitutes a significant component of fishing costs, it is obvious that, other things being equal, increasing fuel prices will reduce overcapacity and overfishing, because they will reduce the profits that can be made, thereby driving marginal fishers out of fishing. But, other things are hardly equal. Here, the willingness of governments to provide the fishing sector fuel subsidies reduce, if not completely negate, the conservation value of increasing fuel costs. The objective of this contribution is twofold. First, we explore the theoretical basis for the expectation that increasing fuel price faced by fishing enterprises will, everything being equal, reduce fishing pressure. Second, we estimate the amount of fuel subsidies (defined narrowly here as the price differential between what others and fishers pay in an economy) paid to the fishing sector by governments globally. Results from our study indicate that global fuel subsidies stand at between US$ 6±2 billion per year. This implies that, depending on how much of this subsidy existed before the fuel price increase, fishing enterprises can, in the aggregate, absorb as much as this amount of increase in their fuel budget before we begin to see any conservation benefits from fuel price increases.


Existing studies of trust formation in U.S. metropolitan areas have found that trust is lower when there is more income inequality and greater racial fragmentation. I add to this literature by examining the role of income inequality between racial groups (racial income inequality). I find that greater racial income inequality reduces trust. Also, racial fragmentation is no longer a significant determinant of trust once racial income inequality is accounted for. I also show that racial income inequality has a more detrimental effect in more racially fragmented communities and that trust falls more in minority groups when racial income inequality increases. The results hold under both least squares and instrumental variable estimation.


Introduction
In the last decade it has been proposed that individuals who are at an elevated future risk of developing psychosis compared to the general population can be identified using operationalised criteria. Those who fulfil these criteria are labelled as having an At-Risk Mental State (ARMS) for psychosis. Research in working-age adults has reported a lowering of the short-term rate of transition of such individuals to psychosis over successive cohorts. Nevertheless, such individuals report poor psychosocial functioning and high distress levels. To date, there has been a dearth of research specifically focussed on the concept of the ARMS in adolescents. Thus it is not established how these young people present to mental health services, what mental health diagnostic categories, if any, they would fulfil and what their short-term outcomes are in terms of mental health and psychosocial functioning. Moreover, it is unknown how this group may experience the label of being 'at-risk' and whether these individuals would benefit from the ARMS criteria being made an official diagnostic category. The aim of this study was to investigate how young people fulfilling the ARMS criteria present to services, to characterise them and report the short-term outcomes, in terms of mental health and functioning. The views and experiences of young people with the ARMS label and mental health professionals potentially working with this client group were also explored.

Methods
Two separate projects were completed: Project 1; The Follow-up of the At-Risk Mental State (FARMS) project and Project 2; The Professional Attitudes towards the At-Risk Mental State (PAARMS) project. Study 1 of the FARMS project involved a prospective longitudinal cohort study and investigated how adolescents categorised as having an ARMS initially present to mental health services and fared over a six month follow-up period. Study 2 involved recruiting a purposive sample of participants fulfilling the ARMS criteria from Study 1, into a qualitative study. An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) framework was then used to explore the personal understanding and experiences of these young people in relation to the ARMS concept. The PAARMS project used a mixed methods approach in order to evaluate the attitudes and experience of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) professionals in relation to the ARMS concept. Firstly, in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of six CAMHS clinicians who work in Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) services regarding their experience and attitudes in relation to working with young mental health service-users who have the ARMS label. Secondly, a survey involving 180 CAMHS clinicians was conducted.

Results
Study 1 of the FARMS project confirmed that adolescents fulfilling the ARMS criteria present to services with significant levels of reported psychopathology and functional impairment. Auditory perceptual disturbance was the most frequently reported 'positive' symptom whilst 70% of participants met the threshold for at least one current ICD-10 Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. In terms of short term outcomes, transition rates to psychosis were low (1/29; 3%) with a handful of individuals (7/29; 24%) demonstrating significant remission of symptoms and/or significant improvements in psychosocial functioning.

The findings from Study 2 indicate that young people wish to be told about their condition upon identification and do not report experiencing significantly negative or distressing instances of stigma, though this was a voiced initial concern. Talking to mental health professionals and possibly peers, who also experience similar symptoms, are perceived as the most beneficial elements of support offered by services.

Finally, CAMHS professionals participating in the PAARMS project reported being reluctant to recommend medication as a first-line treatment strategy. However, monitoring, psycho-education and psychological therapies were widely endorsed. Identification and management of adolescents with the ARMS label was viewed as challenging and complicated by a variety of factors including maturational process and a lack of official guidelines and protocols.

Discussion
The results of this study not only characterise how adolescents fulfilling the ARMS criteria present to services but also inform future debates regarding the ARMS concept as a distinct diagnosis. These findings should therefore facilitate the development of new policies for the identification and management of the condition in young people and address areas of clinical practice that require immediate attention. Future research is required to establish whether these initial findings are generalisable to services elsewhere and to evaluate plausible interventional approaches that target distressing symptoms and functioning.