Variation in Stemmatal Morphology of Larvae of Liodessus noviaffinis Miller (Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini)

Second and third instars tentatively identified as Liodessus noviaffinis Miller have six dorsolateral stemmata near the origin of each antenna. However, each stemma lacks a corneal (cuticular) lens on the surface exterior to its internal sensory pigmented components

Effect of annealing on the interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in Ta/CoFeB/MgO trilayers

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) has been shown to stabilize homochiral N´eel-type domain walls in thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and as a result permit them to be propagated by a spin Hall torque. In this study, we demonstrate that in Ta/Co20Fe60B20/MgO the DMI may be influenced by annealing. We find that the DMI peaks at D = 0.057 ± 0.003 mJ/m2 at an annealing temperature of 230 ◦C. DMI fields were measured using a purely field-driven creep regime domain expansion technique. The DMI field and the anisotropy field follow a similar trend as a function of annealing temperature. We infer that the behavior of the DMI and the anisotropy are related to interfacial crystal ordering and B expulsion out of the CoFeB layer as the annealing temperature is increased

Vacuum type I spacetimes and aligned Papapetrou fields: symmetries

We analyze type I vacuum solutions admitting an isometry whose Killing 2--form is aligned with a principal bivector of the Weyl tensor, and we show that these solutions belong to a family of type I metrics which admit a group $G_3$ of isometries. We give a classification of this family and we study the Bianchi type for each class. The classes compatible with an aligned Killing 2--form are also determined. The Szekeres-Brans theorem is extended to non vacuum spacetimes with vanishing Cotton tensor.Comment: 19 pages; a reference adde

A Connection Approach to Numerical Relativity

We discuss a general formalism for numerically evolving initial data in general relativity in which the (complex) Ashtekar connection and the Newman-Penrose scalars are taken as the dynamical variables. In the generic case three gauge constraints and twelve reality conditions must be solved. The analysis is applied to a Petrov type \{1111\} planar spacetime where we find a spatially constant volume element to be an appropriate coordinate gauge choice.Comment: 17 pages, LaTe

Potential influence of sewer heat recovery on in-sewer processes

Heat recovery from combined sewers has a significant potential for practical renewable energy provision as sources of heat demand and sewer pipes are spread across urban areas. Sewers are continuously recharged with relatively hot wastewater, as well as interacting with heat sources from surrounding air and soil. However, the potential effects of modifying sewage temperature on in-sewer processes have received little attention. The deposition of fats, oils and greases (FOGs) and hydrogen sulphide formation are biochemical processes and are thus influenced by temperature. This paper utilises a case study approach to simulate anticipated temperature reductions in a sewer network due to heat recovery. A laboratory investigation into the formation of FOG deposits at temperatures varying between 5 °C and 20 °C provided mixed results, with only a weak temperature influence, highlighting the need for more research to fully understand the influence of the wastewater composition as well as temperature on FOG deposit formation. A separate modelling investigation into the formation of hydrogen sulphide when inflow temperature is varied between 5 °C and 20 °C showed considerable reductions in hydrogen sulphide formation. Hence, heat extraction from sewers could be a promising method for managing some in-sewer processes, combined with traditional methods such as chemical dosing

Study protocol: developing a decision system for inclusive housing: applying a systematic, mixed-method quasi-experimental design

Background Identifying the housing preferences of people with complex disabilities is a much needed, but under-developed area of practice and scholarship. Despite the recognition that housing is a social determinant of health and quality of life, there is an absence of empirical methodologies that can practically and systematically involve consumers in this complex service delivery and housing design market. A rigorous process for making effective and consistent development decisions is needed to ensure resources are used effectively and the needs of consumers with complex disability are properly met. Methods/Design This 3-year project aims to identify how the public and private housing market in Australia can better respond to the needs of people with complex disabilities whilst simultaneously achieving key corporate objectives. First, using the Customer Relationship Management framework, qualitative (Nominal Group Technique) and quantitative (Discrete Choice Experiment) methods will be used to quantify the housing preferences of consumers and their carers. A systematic mixed-method, quasi-experimental design will then be used to quantify the development priorities of other key stakeholders (e.g., architects, developers, Government housing services etc.) in relation to inclusive housing for people with complex disabilities. Stakeholders randomly assigned to Group 1 (experimental group) will participate in a series of focus groups employing Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodology. Stakeholders randomly assigned to Group 2 (control group) will participate in focus groups employing existing decision making processes to inclusive housing development (e.g., Risk, Opportunity, Cost, Benefit considerations). Using comparative stakeholder analysis, this research design will enable the AHP methodology (a proposed tool to guide inclusive housing development decisions) to be tested. Discussion It is anticipated that the findings of this study will enable stakeholders to incorporate consumer housing preferences into commercial decisions. Housing designers and developers will benefit from the creation of a parsimonious set of consumer-led housing preferences by which to make informed investments in future housing and contribute to future housing policy. The research design has not been applied in the Australian research context or elsewhere, and will provide a much needed blueprint for market investment to develop viable, consumer directed inclusive housing options for people with complex disability

The Potential for Heat Recovery and Thermal Energy Storage in the UK Using Buried Infrastructure

Dispersed space heating alone accounts for 40% of UK energy use and 20% of CO2 emissions. Tackling heating and building cooling demands is therefore critical to achieve net zero ambitions in the UK. The most energy efficient way to decarbonise heating and cooling is through the use of ground source heat pumps and district heating technology. However, capital costs are often high, sometimes prohibitively so. To reduce investment costs, it is proposed to use buried infrastructure as sources and stores of thermal energy. Barriers to this innovative approach include lack of knowledge about the actual net amount of recoverable energy, and impacts on the primary function of any buried infrastructure, as well as the need for new investment and governance strategies integrated across the energy and infrastructure sectors. Additional opportunities from thermal utilisation in buried infrastructure include the potential mitigation of damaging biological and/or chemical processes that may occur. This paper presents a first assessment of the scale of the opportunity for thermal energy recovery and storage linked to new and existing buried infrastructure, along with strategic measures to help reduce barriers and start the UK on the journey to achieving of its infrastructure energy potential

Receptors for Hyaluronic Acid and Poliovirus: A Combinatorial Role in Glioma Invasion?

Background: CD44 has long been associated with glioma invasion while, more recently, CD155 has been implicated in playing a similar role. Notably, these two receptors have been shown closely positioned on monocytes. Methods and Findings: In this study, an up-regulation of CD44 and CD155 was demonstrated in established and earlypassage cultures of glioblastoma. Total internal reflected fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy revealed close proximity of CD44 and CD155. CD44 antibody blocking and gene silencing (via siRNA) resulted in greater inhibition of invasion than that for CD155. Combined interference resulted in 86 % inhibition of invasion, although in these investigations no obvious evidence of synergy between CD44 and CD155 in curbing invasion was shown. Both siRNA-CD44 and siRNA-CD155 treated cells lacked processes and were rounder, while live cell imaging showed reduced motility rate compared to wild type cells. Adhesion assay demonstrated that wild type cells adhered most efficiently to laminin, whereas siRNA-treated cells (p,0.0001 for both CD44 and CD155 expression) showed decreased adhesion on several ECMs investigated. BrdU assay showed a higher proliferation of siRNA-CD44 and siRNA-CD155 cells, inversely correlated with reduced invasion. Confocal microscopy revealed overlapping of CD155 and integrins (b1, avb1 and avb3) on glioblastoma cell processes whereas siRNAtransfected cells showed consequent reduction in integrin expression with no specific staining patterns. Reduced expression of Rho GTPases, Cdc42, Rac1/2/3, RhoA and RhoB, was seen in siRNA-CD44 and siRNA-CD155 cells. In contrast t

Recommendations for Enhancing Psychosocial Support of NICU Parents through Staff Education and Support

Providing psychosocial support to parents whose infants are hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can improve parents’ functioning as well as their relationships with their babies. Yet, few NICUs offer staff education that teaches optimal methods of communication with parents in distress. Limited staff education in how to best provide psychosocial support to families is one factor that may render those who work in the NICU at risk for burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress syndrome. Staff who develop burnout may have further reduced ability to provide effective support to parents and babies. Recommendations for providing NICU staff with education and support are discussed. The goal is to deliver care that exemplifies the belief that providing psychosocial care and support to the family is equal in importance to providing medical care and developmental support to the baby