Binary molecular diffusivities in liquids: prediction and comparison with experimental data

The Eyring rate theory equation has been modified successfully to enable predictions of binary molecular diffusivities for a wide variety of liquid-liquid systems. The activation free energy for binary diffusion has been evaluated in terms of the activation free energies for self diffusion of the solvent and solute. This was accomplished through the use of regular solution theory by relating the bond breaking energy of the jump step to the bond breaking energy in evaporation. Diffusivities estimated by this equation and the equations developed by Olander, by Gainer and Metzner, and by Wilke and Chang were compared with experimental data. All of the equations tested predicted adequately the diffusivities for most low viscosity as well as for some moderately high viscosity systems. The high viscosity system diffusivities are more accurately predicted by three modified absolute rate theory equations. An important result of this study was the observation that the jump step portion of the total activation energies generally constituted from 0 to 35 percent of the total energy for all of the modified absolute rate theory equations --Abstract, page i

Investigating the psychological factors that influence cyclone mitigation behaviour

Mitchell Scovell used psychological theories to explain how and why people differ in their levels of cyclone preparedness. It was found that psychological factors are relatively strong predictors of a range of cyclone mitigation behaviours. The findings have implications for improving existing theories and cyclone related messaging

Weighted LDA techniques for I-vector based speaker verification

This paper introduces the Weighted Linear Discriminant Analysis (WLDA) technique, based upon the weighted pairwise Fisher criterion, for the purposes of improving i-vector speaker verification in the presence of high intersession variability. By taking advantage of the speaker discriminative information that is available in the distances between pairs of speakers clustered in the development i-vector space, the WLDA technique is shown to provide an improvement in speaker verification performance over traditional Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) approaches. A similar approach is also taken to extend the recently developed Source Normalised LDA (SNLDA) into Weighted SNLDA (WSNLDA) which, similarly, shows an improvement in speaker verification performance in both matched and mismatched enrolment/verification conditions. Based upon the results presented within this paper using the NIST 2008 Speaker Recognition Evaluation dataset, we believe that both WLDA and WSNLDA are viable as replacement techniques to improve the performance of LDA and SNLDA-based i-vector speaker verification

Workfare in Toronto: More of the Same?

This paper uses a recent survey of welfare leavers in Toronto to examine Workfare, a uniquely American initiative introduced into Canada, with its different welfare state history and traditions. When classic American workfare was imported by an enthusiastic government in Ontario, its application led to employment outcomes remarkably similar to those in the US (reduced caseloads, insecure and contingent employment, high recidivism). Yet, Canada\u27s earlier commitment to community and collective responsibility have not been entirely subsumed below the overarching American umbrella. Welfare programs in Canada-specifically, workfare-reflect both the difficulties of maintaining great difference, and also the possibilities of following an alternate path

Globalization, Precarious Work, and the Food Bank

This paper explores whether people are better off working in the precarious employment associated with a neoliberal globalized economy. Firstly, we show the impacts of globalization on the composition of food bank users in Toronto, Canada. We then compare two groups offood bank users, one with at least one household member working, the other without. Our findings demonstrate that the life experiences of the two groups remain depressingly similar: those employed remained mired in poverty and continued to lead marginalized, precarious lives. The lack of investment in education or training characteristic of \u27work-first\u27 welfare reforms leads to unstable, low-paid work for the vast majority of those leaving welfare

A position sensitive phoswich hard X-ray detector system

A prototype position sensitive phoswich hard X-ray detector, designed for eventual astronomical usage, was tested in the laboratory. The scintillation crystal geometry was designed on the basis of a Monte Carlo simulation of the internal optics and includes a 3mm thick NaI(T1) primary X-ray detector which is actively shielded by a 20 mm thick CsI(T1) scintillation crystal. This phoswich arrangement is viewed by a number two inch photomultipliers. Measured values of the positional and spectral resolution of incident X-ray photons are compared with calculation

El Efecto Malthus: población y gobierno liberal de la vida

 Este trabajo identifica e investiga lo que se llama el Efecto Malthus desde dos perspectivas: una teórico-genealógica y la otra empírico-diagnóstica. La primera se relaciona con las implicaciones de la genealogía de M. Foucault y su idea del gobierno moderno. La segunda, sugiere que las preocupaciones de Malthus tienen una influencia que está presente en la política reciente y contemporánea. En ellas encontraremos un gobierno de la vida que asocia la cuestión de la pobreza con la población, como un problema tanto nacional como internacional, y relaciona la biopolítica con asuntos de seguridad nacional siendo a la vez una fuente clave en el moderno movimiento ambientalista; el cual permanece presente en áreas como reformas en prestaciones sociales y política de inmigración así como en cuestiones de sostenibilidad y el sistema social de salud. En este caso, toma la forma de genopolítica, una política de la capacidad reproductora de las poblaciones humanas y de la especie humana.

Feasibility study of early outpatient review and early cardiac rehabilitation after cardiac surgery: mixed-methods research design-a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Following cardiac surgery, patients currently attend an outpatient review 6 weeks after hospital discharge, where recovery is assessed and suitability to commence cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is determined. CR is then started from 8 weeks. Following a median sternotomy, cardiac surgery patients are required to refrain from upper body exercises, lifting of heavy objects and other strenuous activities for 12 weeks. A delay in starting CR can prolong the recovery process, increase dependence on family/carers and can cause frustration. However, current guidelines for activity and exercise after median sternotomy have been described as restrictive, anecdotal and increasingly at odds with modern clinical guidance for CR. This study aims to examine the feasibility of bringing forward outpatient review and starting CR earlier. METHODS AND ANALYSES: This is a multicentre, randomised controlled, open feasibility trial comparing postoperative outpatient review 6 weeks after hospital discharge, followed by CR commencement from 8 weeks (control arm) versus, postoperative outpatient review 3 weeks after hospital discharge, followed by commencement of CR from 4 weeks (intervention arm). The study aims to recruit 100 eligible patients, aged 18-80 years who have undergone elective or urgent cardiac surgery involving a full median sternotomy, over a 7-month period across two centres. Feasibility will be measured by consent, recruitment, retention rates and attendance at appointments and CR sessions. Qualitative interviews with trial participants and staff will explore issues around study processes and acceptability of the intervention and the findings integrated with the feasibility trial outcomes to inform the design of a future full-scale randomised controlled trial. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was granted by East Midlands-Derby Research Ethics Committee on 10 January 2019. The findings will be presented at relevant conferences disseminated via peer-reviewed research publications, and to relevant stakeholders. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN80441309