An assessment of the strength of knots and splices used as eye terminations in a sailing environment

Research into knots, splices and other methods of forming an eye termination has been limited, despite the fact that they are essential and strongly affect the performance of a rope. The aim of this study was to carry out a comprehensive initial assessment of the breaking strength of eye terminations commonly used in a sailing environment, thereby providing direction for further work in the field. Supports for use in a regular tensile testing machine were specially developed to allow individual testing of each sample and a realistic spread of statistical data to be obtained. Over 180 break tests were carried out on four knots (the bowline, double bowline, figure-of-eight loop and perfection loop) and two splices (three-strand eye splice and braid-on-braid splice). The factors affecting their strength were investigated. A statistical approach to the analysis of the results was adopted. The type of knot was found to have a significant effect on the strength. This same effect was seen in both types of rope construction (three-strand and braid-on-braid). Conclusions were also drawn as to the effect of splice length, eye size, manufacturer and rope diameter on the breaking strength of splices. Areas of development and further investigation were identified

Identification of potential HIV restriction factors by combining evolutionary genomic signatures with functional analyses.

BACKGROUND: Known antiretroviral restriction factors are encoded by genes that are under positive selection pressure, induced during HIV-1 infection, up-regulated by interferons, and/or interact with viral proteins. To identify potential novel restriction factors, we performed genome-wide scans for human genes sharing molecular and evolutionary signatures of known restriction factors and tested the anti-HIV-1 activity of the most promising candidates. RESULTS: Our analyses identified 30 human genes that share characteristics of known restriction factors. Functional analyses of 27 of these candidates showed that over-expression of a strikingly high proportion of them significantly inhibited HIV-1 without causing cytotoxic effects. Five factors (APOL1, APOL6, CD164, TNFRSF10A, TNFRSF10D) suppressed infectious HIV-1 production in transfected 293T cells by >90% and six additional candidates (FCGR3A, CD3E, OAS1, GBP5, SPN, IFI16) achieved this when the virus was lacking intact accessory vpr, vpu and nef genes. Unexpectedly, over-expression of two factors (IL1A, SP110) significantly increased infectious HIV-1 production. Mechanistic studies suggest that the newly identified potential restriction factors act at different steps of the viral replication cycle, including proviral transcription and production of viral proteins. Finally, we confirmed that mRNA expression of most of these candidate restriction factors in primary CD4+ T cells is significantly increased by type I interferons. CONCLUSIONS: A limited number of human genes share multiple characteristics of genes encoding for known restriction factors. Most of them display anti-retroviral activity in transient transfection assays and are expressed in primary CD4+ T cells

Driving with retinitis pigmentosa

Background: To establish the proportion of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) meeting the Australian fitness to drive (FTD) visual standards. Methodology: A prospective consecutive case series of patients with a clinical or genetic diagnosis of RP. Data on age at symptom onset, current driving status, inheritance pattern, better eye visual acuity (BEVA), binocular Esterman visual field (BEVF) parameters, genotype and ability to meet the driving standards based on BEVA and BEVF were collected. Outcome measures included the proportion of RP patients overall meeting the standards and clinical predictors for passing. A sub-analysis was performed on those RP patients who reported to drive. Change in BEVA and BEVF parameters across age in specific genotype groups was assessed. Results: Overall, 228 patients with RP had a BEVF assessment. Only 39% (89/228) met the driving standards. Younger age at the time of testing was the only significant predictor (p \u3c 0.01) for passing. Of the 55% of RP patients who reported to drive, 52% (65/125) met the standards, decreasing to 14% in the 56- to 65-year-old age group. RP patients harbouring mutations in HK1 or RHO genes may have slower rates of decline in their VF parameters. Conclusion: Nearly 40% of RP patients met the driving standards. However, almost 50% of RP drivers were unaware of their failure to meet the current standards. BEVF testing is essential in the assessment of RP patients who are still driving. Phenotype and genotype predictors for passing the standards warrant further investigation. Abbreviation: FTD, fitness to drive; IRD, inherited retinal disease; RP, retinitis pigmentosa; RHO, rhodopsin; HK1, hexokinase 1; PRPF31 pre-mRNA processing factor 31; RPGR, retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator; VF, visual field; BEVA, better eye visual acuity; BEVF, binocular Esterman visual field

Sibling concordance in symptom onset and atrophy growth rates in Stargardt disease using ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence

Purpose: To investigate concordance in symptom onset, area of dark autofluorescence (DAF), and growth rate (GR) between Stargardt disease siblings at an age-matched time point. Methods: In this retrospective longitudinal study of sibling pairs with identical biallelic ABCA4 variants, age at symptom onset, best-corrected visual acuity, atrophy area, and effective radius of DAF on ultra-widefield fundus autofluorescence were recorded. Absolute intersibling differences for both eyes were compared with absolute interocular differences using the Mann-Whitney test. Results: Overall 39 patients from 19 families were recruited. In 16 families, age-matched best-corrected visual acuity and DAF were compared between siblings. In 8 families, DAF GR was compared. The median (range) absolute difference in age at symptom onset between siblings was 3 (0-35) years. Absolute intersibling differences in age-matched best-corrected visual acuity were greater than interocular differences (P = 0.01). Similarly, absolute intersibling differences in DAF area and radius were greater than interocular differences (P = 0.04 for area and P = 0.001 for radius). Differences between absolute interocular and intersibling GR were not statistically significant (P = 0.44 for area GR and P = 0.61 for radius GR). Conclusion: There was significant discordance in age-matched best-corrected visual acuity and DAF beyond the expected limits of interocular asymmetry. Lack of significant intersibling differences in GR warrants further investigation

Sex and the Cinema: What American Pie Teaches the Young

This paper focuses upon the wildly successful blockbuster American Pie teenpics, especially American Pie 3 – the Wedding. I argue that these films, which are sited so securely within the visual and pedagogical machinery of Hollywood culture, are specifically designed to appeal to teenage male audiences, and to provide lessons in sex and romance. Movies like this are especially important as they are experienced by far more teenagers than, for example, instructional films or other classroom materials; indeed, as Henry Giroux has observed, "teens and youth learn how to define themselves outside of the traditional sites of instruction, such as the home and the school… Learning in the postmodern age is located elsewhere – in popular spheres that shape their identities, through forms of knowledge and desires that appear absent from what is taught in schools" (Giroux, 1997, p.49). In this paper I discuss whether the American Pie series is actually a "new age" effort which, via insubordinate performances of gender, contests the hegemonic field of signification which regulates the production of sex, gender and desire, or whether it is more accurately described as a retrogressive hetero-conservative opus with a veneer of sexual radicalism. In short, I intend to probe whether this filmic vector for sex education is all about the shaping of responsible, caring, vulnerable men, or is it guiding them to become just like their heterosexual, middle-class fathers? And whether, despite its riotous and raunchy advertising, American Pie really dishes up something spicy or something terribly wholesome instead

Natural history of HFE simple heterozygosity for C282Y and H63D: A prospective 12-year study

Background and Aim - The risk of hemochromatosis-related morbidity for HFE simple heterozygosity for either the C282Y or H63D substitutions in the HFE protein was assessed using a prospective community-based cohort study. Methods - HFE genotypes were measured for 31 192 persons of northern European descent, aged between 40 and 69 years when recruited to the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, and subjects were followed for an average of 12 years. For a random sample of 1438 participants stratified according to HFE genotype, two sets of biochemical iron indices performed 12 years apart and, at follow-up only, the presence/absence of six disease features associated with hereditary hemochromatosis were obtained. Summary data for 257 (139 female) C282Y simple heterozygotes and 123 (74 female) H63D simple heterozygotes were compared with 330 (181 female) controls with neither HFE mutation. Results - At baseline, mean transferrin saturation (TS) (95% confidence interval) and prevalence of TS > 55% were 35.14% (33.25, 37.04) and 3/112 (3%), 33.03% (29.9, 36.15) and 0/39 (0%), and 29.67% (27.93, 31.4) and 3/135 (2%) for C282Y, H63D and wild-type male participants, respectively. At follow-up, mean TS levels remained similar to baseline levels for both men and women irrespective of simple heterozygosity for either mutation. No HFE C282Y or H63D simple heterozygotes had documented iron overload (based on hepatic iron measures or serum ferritin greater than 1000 mg/L at baseline with documented therapeutic venesection). Conclusion - No documented iron overload was observed for HFE simple heterozygotes for either C282Y or H63D, and morbidity for both HFE simple heterozygote groups was similar to that of HFE wild-type participants

Genotype-specific lesion growth rates in stargardt disease

Reported growth rates (GR) of atrophic lesions in Stargardt disease (STGD1) vary widely. In the present study, we report the longitudinal natural history of patients with confirmed bial-lelic ABCA4 mutations from five genotype groups: c.6079C \u3e T, c.[2588G \u3e C;5603A \u3e T], c.3113C \u3e T, c.5882G \u3e A and c.5603A \u3e T. Fundus autofluorescence (AF) 30◦ × 30◦ images were manually seg-mented for boundaries of definitely decreased autofluorescence (DDAF). The primary outcome was the effective radius GR across five genotype groups. The age of DDAF formation in each eye was calculated using the x-intercept of the DDAF effective radius against age. Discordance between age at DDAF formation and symptom onset was compared. A total of 75 eyes from 39 STGD1 patients (17 male [44%]; mean ± SD age 45 ± 19 years; range 21–86) were recruited. Patients with c.3113C \u3e T or c.6079C \u3e T had a significantly faster effective radius GR at 0.17 mm/year (95% CI 0.12 to 0.22; p \u3c 0.001 and 0.14 to 0.21; p \u3c 0.001) respectively, as compared to those patients harbouring c.5882G \u3e A at 0.06 mm/year (95% CI 0.03–0.09), respectively. Future clinical trial design should consider the effect of genotype on the effective radius GR and the timing of DDAF formation relative to symptom onset

A morphologic and crystallographic comparison of CV chondrite matrices

Meteoritic matrices are commonly classified by their modal mineralogy, alteration, and shock levels. Other “textural” characteristics are not generally considered in classification schemes, yet could carry important information about their genesis and evolution. Terrestrial rocks are routinely described by grain morphology, which has led to morphology‐driven classifications, and identification of controlling processes. This paper investigates three CV chondrites—Allende (CV3.2oxA), Kaba (CV3.0oxB), and Vigarano (CV3.3red)—to determine the morphologic signature of olivine matrix grains. 2D grain size and shape, and crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs) are quantified via electron backscatter diffraction mapping. Allende contains the largest and most elongate olivine grains, while Vigarano contains the least elongate, and Kaba contains the smallest grains. Weak but notable CPOs exist in some regions proximal to chondrules and one region distal to chondrules, and CPO geometries reveal a weak flattening of the matrix grains against the edge of chondrules within Allende. Kaba contains the least plastically deformed grains, and Allende contains the most plastically deformed grains. We tentatively infer that morphology is controlled by the characteristics of the available population of accreting grains, and aqueous and thermal alteration of the parent body. The extent of overall finite deformation is likely dictated by the location of the sample with respect to compression, the localized environment of the matrix with respect to surrounding material, and the post deformation temperature to induce grain annealing. Our systematic, quantitative process for characterizing meteorite matrices has the potential to provide a framework for comparison within and across meteorite classes, to help resolve how parent body processing differed across and between chondritic asteroids

Advances in multispectral and hyperspectral imaging for archaeology and art conservation

Multispectral imaging has been applied to the field of art conservation and art history since the early 1990s. It is attractive as a noninvasive imaging technique because it is fast and hence capable of imaging large areas of an object giving both spatial and spectral information. This paper gives an overview of the different instrumental designs, image processing techniques and various applications of multispectral and hyperspectral imaging to art conservation, art history and archaeology. Recent advances in the development of remote and versatile multispectral and hyperspectral imaging as well as techniques in pigment identification will be presented. Future prospects including combination of spectral imaging with other noninvasive imaging and analytical techniques will be discussed