Studies on Emission Processes in Optically Pumped Mercury Vapor

Electron transitions in optically pumped mercury vapor emissio

Restoration of eucalypt grassy woodland: effects of experimental interventions on ground-layer vegetation

We report on the effects of broad-scale restoration treatments on the ground layer of eucalypt grassy woodland in south-eastern Australia. The experiment was conducted in two conservation reserves from which livestock grazing had previously been removed. Changes in biomass, species diversity, ground-cover attributes and life-form were analysed over a 4-year period in relation to the following experimental interventions: (1) reduced kangaroo density, (2) addition of coarse woody debris and (3) fire (a single burn). Reducing kangaroo density doubled total biomass in one reserve, but no effects on exotic biomass, species counts or ground cover attributes were observed. Coarse woody debris also promoted biomass, particularly exotic annual forbs, as well as plant diversity in one of the reserves. The single burn reduced biomass, but changed little else. Overall, we found the main driver of change to be the favourable growth seasons that had followed a period of drought. This resulted in biomass increasing by 67%, (mostly owing to the growth of perennial native grasses), whereas overall native species counts increased by 18%, and exotic species declined by 20% over the 4-year observation period. Strategic management of grazing pressure, use of fire where biomass has accumulated and placement of coarse woody debris in areas of persistent erosion will contribute to improvements in soil and vegetation condition, and gains in biodiversity, in the future.Funding and in-kind logistic support for this project was provided by the ACT Government as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP0561817; LP110100126). Drafts of the manuscript were read by Saul Cunningham and Ben Macdonald

Mediators of increased blood flow in porcine skin

Nicotinates and benzalkonium chloride (B.Cl) cause inflammatory changes in human skin, thought to be dependent upon prostaglandin formation. This study has examined the effects of hexyl-nicotinate (HN) and B.Cl on blood flow in porcine skin. The role of prostaglandins and interleukin (IL)-1 in the blood flow response has been investigated. Blood flow was increased by both HN and B.Cl, the response to B.Cl being more protracted. Cyclooxygenase inhibitor pretreatment reduced these responses. IL-1-like biological activity was identified in normal porcine epidermis and the amounts recovered from inflamed skin were similar. Thus prostaglandin formation in HN or B.Cl-induced inflammation, if IL-1 dependent, is not associated with the loss of significant amounts of the cytokine from the epidermis

Parametric vision simulation study, part 2 Final report

Effects of landing site redesignation on visibility during manned lunar landin

The Isolation and Identification of a Causative Agent of the Feather Disorder Found in African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

Beginning in 2006, wild juvenile African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) began to prematurely lose their juvenile feathers without immediate regrowth and were brought to the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) for rehabilitation5. Without immediate regrowth of feathers, energy is shunted away from growth and used for thermoregulation and metabolism. It has previously been hypothesized that potential viral and bacterial infections may be causing this disorder3,4. To test for this, Avian Polyomavirus (APV) nucleic acids, Budrigars Beak and Feather Disease Virus (BFDV) nucleic acids, and any bacterial nucleic acids were attempted to be isolated from the blood of affected penguins. Blood was drawn from affected and non-affected African Penguins at SANCCOB and stored in 70% ethanol. These samples were collected in 2008 and 2010. The samples were shipped to St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY during the winter of 2011. Nucleic acids were then extracted from the blood using a QIAamp Blood DNA Mini. After confirmation of DNA via gel electrophoresis, PCR was performed using 2X OneTaq Megamix, water, and primers specific to the targeted viral and bacterial DNA. Gel electrophoresis was run on the PCR products. If DNA was observed at an expected range, then the PCR product was purified using a QIAquick PCR Purification Kit using the protocol included. The purified samples were sent to ATCG, Inc. for sequencing. The results were analyzed using NCBI BLAST. To date, six sequencing samples have shown the prevalence of APV, BFDV, and/or bacteria in the blood of affected penguins

A theoretically based cross-sectional survey on the behaviors and experiences of clinical pharmacists caring for patients with chronic kidney disease.

The literature shows a lack of evidence on pharmacists contributing to chronic kidney disease services. The aim was to determine pharmacists’ behaviors and experiences and perceptions of barriers and facilitators to implementation of models of care. A theoretically informed survey was developed and sent to pharmacist members of the United Kingdom renal pharmacy group. Sections included: demographics, clinical practice and prescribing practice. Questions were of various types; closed type and some open for comments. Attitudinal items on clinical/prescribing used 5-point Likert scale. Development/implementation items were derived from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Analysis used descriptive statistics and open comments were analysed thematically. Ethical approval was granted by an academic institution. Response rate; 50% (n = 71), seven were incomplete and excluded. Respondents provided; inpatient general pharmaceutical care (n = 56, 87.5%), to those receiving dialysis (n = 54, 84.4%) and transplantation. Non-clinical roles; audits (n = 46, 71.9%), patient education (n = 31, 48.4%), only 7.8% (n = 5) doing academic research. For barrier/facilitators most strongly agreed/agreed with most CFIR items relating to clinical practice. A majority (n = 44, 68.7%) disagreed that they had sufficient time to practice clinically and 44 (68.7%) disagreed there was sufficient cover for services. For prescribing roles, 90.5% (n = 48) were currently actively prescribing. Although prescribing related CFIR items were largely positive, 39.6% (n = 19) disagreed about sufficient time to practice and 18.7% (n = 9) were neutral. Two thirds (n = 33, 68.7%) disagreed that there was sufficient cover for the prescribing. The majority of respondents provided general pharmaceutical care to dialysis and transplant patients, were confident in their abilities and tried new ways of working including independent prescribing. Many expressed that lack of resources was the main barrier to providing more advanced care. Further work is needed to explore these matters in more depth

myTunes: Digital music library users and their self-images

This investigation explored the relationships between individuals’ self-images and their interactions with their digital music collections via the commercially predominant program iTunes. Sixty-nine university students completed an internet-based Musical Self-Images Questionnaire (MSIQ) along with a series of questions concerning their iTunes collections. The majority of participants were highly engaged with music, regardless of their varied musical backgrounds. Factor analysis of the MSIQ data revealed two distinct self-image groups, which we label as ‘musical practitioner’ (linking ‘overall musician’, ‘performer’, ‘composer’, ‘teacher’, and ‘listener’) and ‘music consumer’ (linking ‘listener’, ‘fan’, and ‘technology user’). Participants used an average of seven attributes to categorize their music, and most consistently used one in particular to sort their collections. Those who rated themselves as higher level performers and fans used the playlist function (which involves compiling sequences of selected tracks) more often than those with lower self-ratings on those scales

Dark network resilience in a hostile environment: optimizing centralization and density

Objective: to analyze the legal nature, structure, and features of violent extremism and to develop measures to prevent this illegal behavior.Methods: dialectical approach to cognition of social phenomena, allowing to analyze them in historical development and functioning in the context of the totality of objective and subjective factors, which predetermined the following research methods: formal-logical and sociological.Results: in recent years, the world has witnessed the emergence of violent extremists (VEs), and they have become an ongoing concern for countries around the globe. A great deal of effort has been expended examining their nature and structure in order to aid in the development of interventions to prevent further violence. Analysts and scholars have been particularly interested in identifying structural features that enhance (or diminish) VE resilience to exogenous and endogenous shocks. As many have noted, VEs typically seek to balance operational security and capacity/efficiency. Some argue that their desire for secrecy outweighs their desire for efficiency, which leads them to be less centralized with few internal connections. Others argue that centralization is necessary because security is more easily compromised and that internal density promotes solidarity and limits countervailing influences. Unsurprisingly, scholars have found evidence for both positions. In this paper, we analyze the Noordin Top terrorist network over time to examine the security-efficiency tradeoff from a new perspective. We find that the process by which they adopt various network structures is far more complex than much of the current literature suggests.Scientific novelty: the research showed that a dark network’s adoption of a network structure is far more complex than what current literature suggests, namely that a network structure at either side of the cohesion and centralization continuums offers potential advantages and disadvantages in terms of network resilience. In the case of Noordin Top, it appears that his network’s focus on establishing external ties after its operations provided it possible access to resources but likely became a factor contributing to its exposure and eventual disruption. The network, much like its Bali I predecessors who also focused on establishing external ties after their operation, faced significant losses and needed to reconstitute itself immediately following each operation. This tendency, along with the general adoption of a centralized structure, suggests that Noordin’s network adopted a suboptimal structure that ultimately contributed to his demise.Practical significance: the main provisions and conclusions of the article can be used in scientific, pedagogical and law enforcement activities when considering the issues related to fighting extremism and terrorism. The article was first published in English language by Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society and The Western Society ofCriminology Hosting by Scholastica. For more information please contact: [email protected] The submitted material is published in full, as interpreted by the author.For original publication: Everton, S. F., & Cunningham, D. (2015). Dark network resilience in a hostile environment: optimizing centralization and density. Criminology, Criminal Justice, Law & Society, 16(1), 1–20.Publication URL: https://ccjls.scholasticahq.com/article/341-dark-network-resilience-in-a-hostile-environment-optimizingcentralization-and-densit

Brewster-angle measurements of sea-surface reflectance using a high resolution spectroradiometer

This paper describes the design, construction and testing of a ship-borne spectroradiometer based on an imaging spectrograph and cooled CCD array with a wavelength range of 350-800 nm and 4 nm spectral sampling. The instrument had a minimum spectral acquisition time of 0.1 s, but in practice data were collected over periods of 10 s to allow averaging of wave effects. It was mounted on a ship's superstructure so that it viewed the sea surface from a height of several metres at the Brewster angle (53 degrees) through a linear polarizing filter. Comparison of sea-leaving spectra acquired with the polarizer oriented horizontally and vertically enabled estimation of the spectral composition of sky light reflected directly from the sea surface. A semi-empirical correction procedure was devised for retrieving water-leaving radiance spectra from these measurements while minimizing the influence of reflected sky light. Sea trials indicated that reflectance spectra obtained by this method were consistent with the results of radiance transfer modelling of case 2 waters with similar concentrations of chlorophyll and coloured dissolved organic matter. Surface reflectance signatures measured at three locations containing blooms of different phytoplankton species were easily discriminated and the instrument was sufficiently sensitive to detect solar-stimulated fluorescence from surface chlorophyll concentrations down to 1 mg m−3