Determination of trans fatty acid levels by FTIR in processed foods in Australia

Health authorities around the world advise &lsquo;limiting consumption of trans&nbsp;&nbsp; fatty acids&rsquo;, however in Australia the trans fatty acid (TFA) content is not&nbsp; required to be listed in the nutrition information panel unless a declaration or nutrient claim is made about fatty acids or cholesterol. Since there is limited knowledge about trans fatty acid levels in processed foods available in Australia, this study aimed to determine the levels of TFA in selected food items known to be sources of TFA from previously published studies. Food items (n=92) that contain vegetable oil and a total fat content greater than 5% were included. This criterion was used in conjunction with a review of similar studies where food items were found to contain high levels of trans fatty acids. Lipids were extracted using solvents. Gravimetric methods were used to determine total fat content and trans fatty acid levels were quantified by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. High levels of trans fatty acids were found in certain items in the Australian food supply, with a high degree of variability. Of the samples analysed, 13&nbsp; contained greater than 1 g of trans fatty acids per serving size, the highest value was 8.1 g/serving. Apart from when the nutrition information panel states that the content is less than a designated low level, food labels sold in Australia do not indicate trans fatty acid levels. We suggested that health authorities seek ways to assist consumers to limit their intakes of trans fatty acids.<br /

Analysis of adaptive algorithms for an integrated communication network

Techniques were examined that trade communication bandwidth for decreased transmission delays. When the network is lightly used, these schemes attempt to use additional network resources to decrease communication delays. As the network utilization rises, the schemes degrade gracefully, still providing service but with minimal use of the network. Because the schemes use a combination of circuit and packet switching, they should respond to variations in the types and amounts of network traffic. Also, a combination of circuit and packet switching to support the widely varying traffic demands imposed on an integrated network was investigated. The packet switched component is best suited to bursty traffic where some delays in delivery are acceptable. The circuit switched component is reserved for traffic that must meet real time constraints. Selected packet routing algorithms that might be used in an integrated network were simulated. An integrated traffic places widely varying workload demands on a network. Adaptive algorithms were identified, ones that respond to both the transient and evolutionary changes that arise in integrated networks. A new algorithm was developed, hybrid weighted routing, that adapts to workload changes

The effects of protective gear and riding experience on motorcycle fatalities

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityMotorcyclists are one of the most at risk populations on public roads in the United States (2010). While all motorcyclists are required undergo supplemental licensure examinations, and in many states riders are required to wear helmets, there is still a great discrepancy between motorcycle related fatalities and automobile related fatalities – in 2010, this discrepancy was 30 to 1 (2010). This thesis examines current licensure policies and helmet laws across the United States in order to determine if any additional steps can be taken to better protect motorcyclists. Additionally, the use of different types of motorcycles was examined as a means of identifying and better protecting at-risk motorcycle drivers. The goal of this thesis is to determine the effectiveness of protective gear and motorcycle rider experience in preventing motorcycle fatalities and to examine how licensure and training requirements for motorcyclists could affect the number of fatalities of motorcycle riders in the United States of America. Motorcycles make up less than 1% of all vehicles on the road, but are responsible for 12% of all motor vehicle accident related costs in the United States. Additionally, it was found that motorcyclists are 30 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than an automobile driver. Helmet laws and enforcement of anti-drinking and driving laws were found to significantly decrease rider fatalities. [TRUNCATED

Searching for Pulsars with the Effelsberg Telescope

Pulsar searches have the potential to teach us much about the Universe in which we live. From the discovery of highly magnetised pulsars that enable detailed study of classical and quantum electrodynamics, to extremely stable, rapidly-rotating pulsars that will form integral parts of a timing array for the direct detection of gravitational waves, new pulsar discoveries are highly desirable. The high sensitivity of the Effelsberg telescope makes it one of the most powerful pulsar survey instruments in existence. Yet, despite this fact, the telescope has seen limited use by pulsar searchers. This thesis marks the beginning of a new era at Effelsberg, with 13 pulsars being discovered in this work, including two rapidly-rotating millisecond pulsars. These pulsars represent the first output from a new wave of pulsar surveys that use the state-of-the-art instrumentation at Effelsberg to observe the dynamic radio sky with unprecedented time and frequency resolution. To begin with, I present an introduction to pulsars, giving a brief overview of their observational characteristics and currently accepted evolutionary models (Chapter 1). I then go on to discuss the intricacies of performing a modern pulsar search. Here we review the techniques needed to go from a signal entering the receiver, to a pulsar discovery being made (Chapter 2). Having established the required knowledge base for the reader, I then present the methods and results of five diverse pulsar searches conducted as part of this work. The first of these surveys, deals with the hunt for radio-loud pulsars gamma-ray sources from the Fermi LAT First Source Catalog. Here, we have performed sensitive radio observations of 289 gamma-ray sources with no known association, leading to the discovery of the 2.65-ms pulsar J1745+1017. Through an extensive timing campaign involving three of Europe's largest radio telescopes, we have shown J1745+1017 to be a member of a new population of tight binary pulsars with very low-mass companions. Furthermore, through phase folding of the LAT gamma-ray photons, we conclusively show J1745+1017 to be a pulsed gamma-ray emitter. The high number of sources observed in this survey, make it the largest exploration of the LAT sky at radio frequencies (Chapter 3). The second survey presented, is the High Time Resolution Universe North pulsar survey (HTRU-North). This is an ambitious project to, in tandem with a partner survey using the Parkes radio telescope, perform an all-sky search for pulsars and fast transients. Here, we describe the strategy and sensitivity of our survey, and perform simulations of the expected discovery yield. This survey has already resulted in the discovery of 12 new pulsars, the timing parameters of which are presented. We close by discussing two of the survey's discoveries; PSR J1946+3414, a Galactic-disk millisecond pulsar in a highly-eccentric binary system, and PSR J2004+3427, a pulsar with a characteristic age of Finally, I describe targeted pulsar search observations of three objects of interest; 1RXS J141256.0+792204 (Calvera), an unidentified source of pulsed X-ray emission; SN 2008iz, a recent radio supernova in the M82 galaxy; and SGR 1833-0832, a recently discovered magnetar in outburst. No transient or periodic radio emission was detected from these sources. For each source, we discuss the implications of our non-detection and look at the possibilities for future observations (Chapter 5). I close the thesis by looking at what the future holds for pulsar searching

The Relative Financial Cost and Benefit of an Ophthalmology Resident Compared to an Advanced Practice Provider, Optometrist, or Faculty Ophthalmologist

Objective The main objective of the article is to determine the relative direct financial cost and benefit of an advanced practice provider (APP), optometrist, and faculty ophthalmologist compared with an ophthalmology resident. Design Single center cost–benefit financial analysis. Methods The direct total expenses, including mean salary and benefits; the cost/week, based upon calculated hours worked; and net revenue, based upon technical collections subtracted from total expenses were collected for all APPs, optometrists, faculty ophthalmologists, and ophthalmology residents at the University of Kentucky for the 2016 to 2017 academic year. Optometry and ophthalmology faculty collections were adjusted for clinical full-time equivalents. Results Total annual mean salary and benefits for 242 APPs, 4 optometrists, 17 faculty ophthalmologists, and 9 ophthalmology residents were $126,797,$117,021, $338,233, and$71,210, respectively. Assuming a 50-hour-work week, the calculated hourly costs were $48.77,$45.01, $130.09, and$27.39, respectively. Ophthalmology residents do not directly generate work relative value units or collections. On this basis, the net annual revenues were −$62,729,$122,757, $566,119, and −$71,210, respectively. Conclusions Ophthalmology residents are relatively inexpensive compared with potential substitute health care providers, although they are unable to generate direct revenue. Indirect costs and benefits are likely substantial, but currently incalculable. More candid analyses of the role and financial impact of trainees in health care are needed

Transverse mass and invariant mass observables for measuring the mass of a semi-invisibly decaying heavy particle

Formulae are derived for the positions of end-points in the invariant mass and transverse mass distributions obtained from the products of heavy states decaying to pairs of semi-invisibly decaying lighter states. Formulae are derived both for the special case where the two decay chains are identical and the more general case where they are different. The formulae are tested with a simple case study of heavy SUSY higgs particles decaying to gauginos at the LHC.Comment: 13 pages, 8 eps figure

Prototype of a new Engineering Masters project model: Working with marketing and software faculties to commercially kickstart university research

We describe a Master of Engineering (500-level) project modelled on the real-world arrangement where engineers work with marketing and software groups to prepare a product for commercialisation. A 4-member software team to develop and test embedded firmware and support applications on a mobile platform was provided through a final-year undergraduate software-engineering project course based outside the engineering school, in a separate faculty. A marketing team consisting of interns prepared logos, product names, and advertising materials, with input from a creative 200-level class. This team also considered possible exit strategies based on analysis of the market size and activity. This marketing effort was organised through the management communications group in the management school. The masters student acts as project manager and it is their remit to guide the product towards release on the crowd-sourced venture-capital site kickstarter.com. A small but original product idea is required to provide a viable vehicle for the project. Financial commitment to manufacture, even on a small scale, represents a novel outcome for a university project

A hybrid method for determining particle masses at the Large Hadron Collider with fully identified cascade decays

A new technique for improving the precision of measurements of SUSY particle masses at the LHC is introduced. The technique involves kinematic fitting of events with two fully identified decay chains. We incorporate both event ETmiss constraints and independent constraints provided by kinematic end-points in experiment invariant mass distributions of SUSY decay products. Incorporation of the event specific information maximises the information used in the fit and is shown to reduce the mass measurement uncertainites by ~30% compared to conventional fitting of experiment end-point constraints for the SPS1a benchmark model.Comment: 10 pages, 2 .eps figures, JHEP3 styl

Supersymmetric particle mass measurement with the boost-corrected contransverse mass

A modification to the contransverse mass (MCT) technique for measuring the masses of pair-produced semi-invisibly decaying heavy particles is proposed in which MCT is corrected for non-zero boosts of the centre-of-momentum (CoM) frame of the heavy states in the laboratory transverse plane. Lack of knowledge of the mass of the CoM frame prevents exact correction for this boost, however it is shown that a conservative correction can nevertheless be derived which always generates an MCT value which is less than or equal to the true value of MCT in the CoM frame. The new technique is demonstrated with case studies of mass measurement with fully leptonic ttbar events and with SUSY events possessing a similar final state.Comment: 33 pages, 33 .eps figures, JHEP3 styl