Real-time monitoring of meat drying process using microwave spectroscopy

The objective of this investigation is to monitor the meat drying process and try to analyse the changes of the electromagnetic (EM) signature from a patch antenna during the process. The antenna has been modelled using High Frequency Structure Simulation Software (HFSS) and then constructed. The experimental work carried out by placing a meat sample on a scale inside the fridge and recording reflection coefficient (S11) and weight measurements 24 times (every hour) a day during one month at the frequency range of 1GHz-6GHz. Then, the change in EM signature and weight loss is correlated and analysed. The results demonstrate a relationship between the reflection coefficient and weight loss of the meat sample. The weight of the sample drops down dramatically first week and then keeps steadily decreasing. Likewise, an amplitude shift is greater at the beginning of the drying process and then the shift stabilises

Below-cost legislation: lessons from the Republic of Ireland

This paper traces the emergence, evolution, and demise of below cost legislation in the grocery industry in the republic of Ireland. The paper adds to our understanding of the legislation by adopting the view that, by using the net invoice price as its definition of cost, the legislation increased two streams of quasi-rents, first on suppliers’ brandeds and second on retailers’ own brands which acted to depress competitive forces and direct supplier-buyer negotiations to off-invoice discounts. Supplier generated quasi-rents financed discounts, and when coupled with retailers’ higher margins on their own brands, provided little incentive for a return to a price competitive environment. Two factors undermined this situation: the substitution of discounters’ products for suppliers’ brands as the discounters share of the market grew and the increase in cross border shopping. These had the combined effect of reducing the available quasi-rents earned in the Irish market resulting in the breakdown of the status quo and a return to price competition. Through its impact on negotiations, the legislation also introduced inefficiencies to both retailers’ and suppliers businesses representing additional waste that could have been more productively used to reduce consumer prices. The paper endorses the Government’s decision to rescind the order and remove an important constraint on both vertical and horizontal competition. Lessons from the Republic of Ireland suggest that the competitive response to the removal of below cost legislation, and reductions in prices, may take time and will depend on economic circumstances and a change in the prevailing norms of organizational behaviour and quasi-rent seeking opportunitie

GAP WORK project report: training for youth practitioners on tackling gender-related violence

This project sought to challenge gender-related violence against (and by) children and young people by developing training for practitioners who have everyday contact with general populations of children and young people (‘youth practitioners’). Through improved knowledge and understanding practitioners can better identify and challenge sexist, sexualising, homophobic or controlling language and behaviour, and know when and how to refer children and young people to the most appropriate support services. This summary outlines the Project and our initial findings about the success of the four training programmes developed and piloted.Co-funded by the DAPHNE III programme of the EU

Schottky mass measurements of heavy neutron-rich nuclides in the element range 70\leZ \le79 at the ESR

Storage-ring mass spectrometry was applied to neutron-rich $^{197}$Au projectile fragments. Masses of $^{181,183}$Lu, $^{185,186}$Hf, $^{187,188}$Ta, $^{191}$W, and $^{192,193}$Re nuclei were measured for the first time. The uncertainty of previously known masses of $^{189,190}$W and $^{195}$Os nuclei was improved. Observed irregularities on the smooth two-neutron separation energies for Hf and W isotopes are linked to the collectivity phenomena in the corresponding nuclei.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 table

Gamma-ray bursts and terrestrial planetary atmospheres

We describe results of modeling the effects on Earth-like planets of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) within a few kiloparsecs. A primary effect is generation of nitrogen oxide compounds which deplete ozone. Ozone depletion leads to an increase in solar UVB radiation at the surface, enhancing DNA damage, particularly in marine microorganisms such as phytoplankton. In addition, we expect increased atmospheric opacity due to buildup of nitrogen dioxide produced by the burst and enhanced precipitation of nitric acid. We review here previous work on this subject and discuss recent developments, including further discussion of our estimates of the rates of impacting GRBs and the possible role of short-duration bursts.Comment: 12 pages including 5 figures (4 in color). Added discussion of GRB rates and biological effects. Accepted for publication in New Journal of Physics, for special issue "Focus on Gamma-Ray Bursts

A task and performance analysis of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) surgery

BACKGROUND: ESD is an endoscopic technique for en bloc resection of gastrointestinal lesions. ESD is a widely-used in Japan and throughout Asia, but not as prevalent in Europe or the US. The procedure is technically challenging and has higher adverse events (bleeding, perforation) compared to endoscopic mucosal resection. Inadequate training platforms and lack of established training curricula have restricted its wide acceptance in the US. Thus, we aim to develop a Virtual Endoluminal Surgery Simulator (VESS) for objective ESD training and assessment. In this work, we performed task and performance analysis of ESD surgeries. METHODS: We performed a detailed colorectal ESD task analysis and identified the critical ESD steps for lesion identification, marking, injection, circumferential cutting, dissection, intraprocedural complication management, and post-procedure examination. We constructed a hierarchical task tree that elaborates the order of tasks in these steps. Furthermore, we developed quantitative ESD performance metrics. We measured task times and scores of 16 ESD surgeries performed by four different endoscopic surgeons. RESULTS: The average time of the marking, injection, and circumferential cutting phases are 203.4 (σ: 205.46), 83.5 (σ: 49.92), 908.4 s. (σ: 584.53), respectively. Cutting the submucosal layer takes most of the time of overall ESD procedure time with an average of 1394.7 s (σ: 908.43). We also performed correlation analysis (Pearson's test) among the performance scores of the tasks. There is a moderate positive correlation (R = 0.528, p = 0.0355) between marking scores and total scores, a strong positive correlation (R = 0.7879, p = 0.0003) between circumferential cutting and submucosal dissection and total scores. Similarly, we noted a strong positive correlation (R = 0.7095, p = 0.0021) between circumferential cutting and submucosal dissection and marking scores. CONCLUSIONS: We elaborated ESD tasks and developed quantitative performance metrics used in analysis of actual surgery performance. These ESD metrics will be used in future validation studies of our VESS simulator

Distributions of Pigments and Primary Production in a Gulf-Stream Meander

An investigation was made of physical effects of Gulf Stream meandering on the vertical and horizontal distributions of photosynthetic pigments and primary production. Cruises were conducted in the vicinity of a meander east of 73-degrees-W and north of 37-degrees-N from September 21 to October 5 (leg 1) and October 12-21, 1988 (leg 2), on the R/V Cape Hatteras. Relationships of photosynthesis (normalized to chlorophyll) to irradiance (P-1) did not show large horizontal variation, and water column composite P-I curves from leg 1 and leg 2 were similar. Therefore a single P-I curve derived from pooled data was used to model distributions of primary production. Distributions of photosynthetic pigments were characterized on the basis of in vivo fluorescence profiles and empirical relationships with extracted pigment concentrations. Subsurface irradiance was described using a spectral irradiance model. Cross sections of the Gulf Stream revealed consistently higher pigment concentrations and primary production on the slope water side. Along-stream variations in pigment distributions and primary production were apparently related to density structure influenced by meander circulation. Such variations were less pronounced during leg 2. which came after a transition from a well-defined meander interacting with a warm-core ring (leg 1) to a more linear stream (leg 2). Higher water-column-integrated primary production during leg 2 was attributed to mixing-induced nutrient injection and redistribution of chlorophyll in the photic zone

North Atlantic Intermediate to Deep Water circulation and chemical stratification during the past 1 Myr

Benthic foraminiferal carbon isotope records from a suite of drill sites in the North Atlantic are used to trace variations in the relative strengths of Lower North Atlantic Deep Water (LNADW), Upper North Atlantic Deep Water (UNADW), and Southern Ocean Water (SOW) over the past 1 Myr. During glacial intervals, significant increases in intermediate-to-deep δ13C gradients (commonly reaching >1.2‰) are consistent with changes in deep water circulation and associated chemical stratification. Bathymetric δ13C gradients covary with benthic foraminiferal δ18O and covary inversely with Vostok CO2, in agreement with chemical stratification as a driver of atmospheric CO2 changes. Three deep circulation indices based on δ13C show a phasing similar to North Atlantic sea surface temperatures, consistent with a Northern Hemisphere control of NADW/SOW variations. However, lags in the precession band indicate that factors other than deep water circulation control ice volume variations at least in this band