Electric Arc Furnace

This mini electric arc furnace was born from the need to produce small quantities of iron (about 5 lbs) for my molten iron paintings w/o having to fire up an entire cupola. It runs off a 350 amp dc arc welder. The carbon rods and molten pool of iron (or steel, bronze, etc..) are purged in a bath of argon. It\u27s based on a design refined by a visit to Nucor Steel\u27s 70 ton electric arc furnace in Auburn, NY, but still retains the rustic flavor of the typical backyard cupola

The Microbiostratigraphy of the Paiaeocene of the Northwest European Continental Shelf

A total of 186 samples taken from 9.offshore Central & Southern North Sea boreholes, 1 onshore "XJK borehole, 2 onshore UK locahties and 2 onshore Danish' localities were processed and analysed for microfauna. A total of 273 individual taxa were identified- the majority to species level. The dommant microfaunal group recorded are the Foraminifera of which 23 genera were agglutmated, 75 calcareous benthonic and 21 planktonic. Other groups recorded are the Ostracoda which comprised 5 genera, Diatomacea 2 and Radiolaria 1. The recorded taxa are diagnosed and their stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental significance discussed. The samples range in age from Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) through Paiaeocene (Danian & Thanetian) to Early Eocene (Ypresian) and occasionally Middle Eocene (Lutetian). The offshore boreholes are biostratigraphically zoned with respect to the published biozonation scheme of King, 1989, and the so-called "bioevents" (i.e. microfossil marker horizons) described by Mudge & Copestake, 1992. The emphasis of the study was placed on the stratigraphical distribution of the microfaunas, particularly in the offshore realm where the majority of the boreholes (7) are located in the Southern North Sea area (Quadrants 44 and 49); a region lacking in previously published research on microfaunas of this age. The biozonation scheme of King, 1989, is found to be broadly applicable to all of the boreholes studied although some dififerences m detail were noted. Not all of the bioevents of Mudge & Copestake (1992) are recorded. The samples studied are insuflBciently closely spaced to permit the construction here of a separate biozonation scheme, specific to the Southern North Sea area, although it is considered that the future creation of such a scheme could be justified with additional data. A total of 53 individual microfossil marker horizons thought to have stratigraphic utility in the area are noted. The bulk of the Paiaeocene sediments deposited in the Southern North Sea area were laid down under moderate palaeodepths (c. middle shelf) and probably representative of the socalled "outer sublittoral" biofacies of King, 1983. Evidence for progressive deepening of water depth towards the north of the area and mto the Silver Pit Basin was noted. The microfaunal assemblages from the offshore boreholes are similar in overall character to microfaunas recorded from onshore Palaeogene sections in the UK and Denmark.Department of Geological Sciences; SheU (U.K.) Exploration & Production Lt

Perspectives of occupational therapists on the implementation of client-centred practice in Tanzania

Background: The concept of client-centred practice (CCP) was first developed and implemented by occupational therapists in Canada during the early 1980s and subsequently transferred into the Tanzanian occupational therapy curriculum by international volunteer educators. Currently, the occupational therapy curriculum at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) in Moshi, Tanzania covers CCP using assessment tools and models developed by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy. To date, no occupational therapy research has been conducted to investigate the relevance of CCP for Tanzania, or to document the perspectives of therapists in applying the principles of CCP. This study was indicated to inform the occupational therapy curriculum at the KCMUCo and the Tanzania Occupational Therapy Association (TOTA) about occupational therapy practice realities related to the implementation of CCP in Tanzania and to guide the alignment of the occupational therapy curriculum towards a local understanding of CCP or an alternative (non-Western) perspective. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the understanding and use of CCP by occupational therapists in Tanzania. Methodology: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. All qualified occupational therapists working in different regions in Tanzania were approached to participate in the study (N=80). A questionnaire, the Professional Questionnaire for Assessing CCP (PQACCP) was adapted for the study. The questionnaire consisted of five sections: 1) demographic and practice information; 2) an adaptation of an existing checklist on understanding CCP (Parker, 2006); 3) potential barriers to CCP; 4) enablers of CCP; and, 5) therapist opinions on the relevance of CCP for the Tanzanian context. The checklist of potential barriers and enablers was adapted from Sumsion & Smyth, (2000). Data were analysed using the SSPS software program (version 20.0). Numerical variables were checked for normality and the appropriate measures of central tendency and dispersion calculated. Frequencies and proportions were determined for categorical items. The Chi-square test of association was done to determine whether there were any observed associations between demographic variables and barriers/enablers

The antimicrobial effect of cold atmospheric plasma against dental pathogens – a systematic review of in-vitro studies

Interest in the application of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) in the medical field has been increasing. Indications in dentistry are surface modifications and antimicrobial interventions. The antimicrobial effect of CAP is mainly attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species. The aim of this article is to systematically review the available evidence from in-vitro studies on the antimicrobial effect of CAP on dental pathogens. A database search was performed (PubMed, Embase, Scopus). Data concerning the device parameters, experimental set‐ups and microbial cultivation were extracted. The quality of the studies was evaluated using a newly designed assessment tool. 55 studies were included (quality score 31–92%). The reduction factors varied strongly among the publications although clusters could be identified between groups of set pathogen, working gases, and treatment time intervals. A time‐dependent increase of the antimicrobial effect was observed throughout the studies. CAP may be a promising alternative for antimicrobial treatment in a clinically feasible application time. The introduced standardized protocol is able to compare the outcome and quality of in‐vitro studies. Further studies, including multi‐species biofilm models, are needed to specify the application parameters of CAP before CAP should be tested in randomized clinical trials

Detections and Constraints on White Dwarf Variability from Time-Series GALEX Observations

We search for photometric variability in more than 23,000 known and candidate white dwarfs, the largest ultraviolet survey compiled for a single study of white dwarfs. We use gPhoton, a publicly available calibration/reduction pipeline, to generate time-series photometry of white dwarfs observed by GALEX. By implementing a system of weighted metrics, we select sources with variability due to pulsations and eclipses. Although GALEX observations have short baselines (< 30 min), we identify intrinsic variability in sources as faint as Gaia G = 20 mag. With our ranking algorithm, we identify 49 new variable white dwarfs (WDs) in archival GALEX observations. We detect 41 new pulsators: 37 have hydrogen-dominated atmospheres (DAVs), including one possible massive DAV, and four are helium-dominated pulsators (DBVs). We also detect eight new eclipsing systems; five are new discoveries, and three were previously known spectroscopic binaries. We perform synthetic injections of the light curve of WD 1145+017, a system with known transiting debris, to test our ability to recover similar systems. We find that the 3{\sigma} maximum occurrence rate of WD 1145+017-like transiting objects is < 0.5%.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figure

Evaluation Of Customer Survey Data To Develop An Effective Marketing Plan For State Parks: A Case Study Using The Texas Parks And Wildlife Department State Park Study

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) collected information from 2001-2007 from individual parks throughout Texas in an effort to gain useful marketing information from its customers.  This project was the first to survey the majority of state parks in Texas in order to gain a system-wide understanding of state park visitors to help plan for state-wide and regional marketing strategies in the future.  This survey project collected data from state park visitors such as demographics, whether they were overnight or day visitors, and season of visit in order to identify distinct patterns.  Most visitors to the parks were white/non-Hispanic (92%) despite the fact that this category makes up only about half of the Texas population.  There were 13% of park visitors from outside the state of Texas and these visitors were older than the average resident Texan visitor and had a lower household income.  The data from this survey will allow TPWD to develop specific marketing strategies to increase attendance, revenue, and customer satisfaction at state parks.  Specifically, the information will aid in identifying a specific target market on which TPWD should concentrate its efforts

Is the Medium the Message?

Michael Dominick, of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, will moderate this important panel discussion. Panelists include Heather Pesanti, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo NY, Gerald Mead, State University of New York College at Buffalo and Virginial Steel, Grounds for Sculpture, Hamilton, NJ. An inquiry into why cast iron is used as an art medium and the mania that surrounds it. An important thread in this discussion will consider the possibility that this choice may be hindering your artistic career, and if so, how can this be rectified

Navigating in large hospitals

Navigating around large hospitals can be a stressful and time-consuming experience for all users of the hospital infrastructure. Navigation difficulties encountered by patients and visitors can result in missed appointments or simply create a poor impression of the hospital organisation. When staff encounter navigation difficulties this can lead to cost and efficiency issues and potentially put patient safety at risk. Despite the provision of an array of in-hospital navigational aids, ‘getting lost’ continues to be an everyday problem in these large complex environments. This study aims to to identify factors which affect navigation in hospitals. We do not seek to evaluate the effectiveness of a single navigation aid, instead the objective of this study was to understand the environment in which a new system must operate and the gaps in provision left by existing navigation aids. This study is intended to be used to inform the development of new in hospital navigational aids, be they technological or otherwise. Eleven participants, all users of a large hospital site, were asked to describe specific first hand experiences of navigating in a hospital. The ‘Critical Incidence Technique’ was applied in a series of semi-structured interviews to elicit information about a participants navigation experience. This work presents the results of these interviews, with concepts identified and organised into five themes: The ‘Impact’ of poor navigation, ‘Barriers’ to effective navigation, ‘Enhancers’ for effective navigation, ‘Types of Navigation Aids’ and user groups with ‘Specific Navigational Needs’. The number of navigation aids available to participants was identified as an issue in itself, we found examples of thirty seven distinct sources of information available to a hospital user. We begin by introducing previous work on in-hospital navigation before describing the study design employed in this research. The themes and categories identified from the interview data are enumerated and described, with examples given from the interview transcripts. Finally we go on to give a discussion of some potential navigation solutions in light of the identified factors. This study highlights that a candidate navigation aid must be carefully designed and implemented if it is to compliment the thirty seven other sources of navigation information available to the hospital user

The effects of aging on markers of satellite cell activity after three sequential bouts of resistance exercise

Background. Satellite cell content in human skeletal muscle has shown to be reduced in older versus younger populations. Further, the ability of older satellite cells to proliferate following resistance exercise has been shown to be impaired in older individuals; an effect which seemingly limits the hypertrophic response to resistance exercise with aging. Previous in vitro and in vivo research has demonstrated that genes involved in satellite cell proliferation, myoblast differentiation, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 signaling are differentially expressed in older versus younger muscle. However, no evidence to date exists examining how multiple bouts of resistance training affect the genetic and proteomic expression of these indices between younger and older age groups.Purpose. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to: 1) assess baseline markers indicative of satellite cell activity between younger versus older males, 2) examine if three sequential bouts of resistance exercise affects markers of satellite cell activity in these populations, and 3) examine if the potential age-dependent decrements in satellite cell proliferation and/or differentiation were related to decrements in myogenic genes and/or a decrement in muscle IGF-1 protein expression in older individuals at baseline and throughout the resistance training intervention.Methods. Ten younger (age: 18-25 y) and 10 older (age: 60-75 y) males were recruited for this study and were instructed to complete 3 lower body workouts (M, W, F) consisting of 9 sets of lower-body exercises with 10 repetitions per set at an intensity of 80% of each individual\'s one repetition maximum. Percutaneous muscle biopsies were collected prior to the exercise intervention (T1), 48 hours following workout 1 (T2), 48 hours following workout 2 (T3), and 24 hours following workout 3 (T4). A fraction (~20 mg) of muscle tissue was rinsed of excess blood, connective, and adipose tissue and was homogenized in order to assess the concentrations (denoted by [__]) of muscle [DNA], [total protein], and [myofibrillar protein]. A second fraction of muscle (~30 mg) was also homogenized, total RNA was precipitated out the homogenate and mRNA from the total RNA pool was reverse transcribed into cDNA for gene expression analysis. Finally, a third fraction of muscle (~25 mg) was pre-rinsed and homogenized to obtain total protein for subsequent Western blotting. Semi-quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to quantitate baseline and changes in the mRNA expression levels of CYCLIN D1, cyclin dependent kinase (CDK)4, CDK2, P21CIP1, P27KIP1, MYOD, MGF, IGF-IEA, and embryonic myosin heavy chain (MHCEMB) with the arithmetic mean of beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) and 28S rRNA (28S) being used as an internal control. Muscle homogenates were also assayed for the protein contents of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), hepatic growth factor receptor (c-met), and muscle IGF-1.Results. In partial agreement with my initial hypotheses, repeated bouts of conventional resistance training increased muscle [c-met], a protein marker indicative of satellite cell quantity, in young males 48 hours following the first bout (p &lt; 0.01) and decreased this marker in young males 24 hours following the third bout (p &lt; 0.05), whereas this value did not change within the old group. Furthermore, MYOD gene expression modestly increased at T2 (p &lt; 0.05) and MHCEMB gene expression modestly increased (p &lt; 0.05) at T4 relative to baseline expression values in the younger males. Interestingly, MGF expression increased at T2-4 in the older group relative to baseline values (p &lt; 0.05), albeit muscle IGF-1 peptide levels remained stable throughout the intervention in both age groups. Other findings from this study indicate that repeated training bouts: 1) do not alter the expression of genes indicative of satellite cell activity (i.e., CDK2, CDK4, CYCLIN D1, MYOD, P27KIP1, P21CIP1) and/or the expression of IGF-1EA up to 24-48 hours following exercise in younger or older males, 2) do not increase markers of satellite cell proliferation (i.e., muscle [PCNA], and [DNA]) in either age group at the sampled time points, and 3) do not alter [myofibrillar protein] or [total protein] in either age group at the sampled time points. In regards to baseline physiological parameters, these data illustrate that the CYCLIN D1 gene is expressed more highly in older versus younger males (p &lt; 0.05), whereas all other genes and markers of satellite cell activity were similar between age groups.Conclusions. The findings from this study suggest: 1) both age groups retain proliferative characteristics during resting, unexercised states given the similarities between these groups in regards to muscle [PCNA], muscle [c-met], CDK2, CDK4, as well as an increased CYCLIN D1 mRNA expression in older individuals, 2) three consecutive bouts of resistance exercise seem to significantly increase a marker indicative of satellite cell quantity concomitant with the increased expression of a select few myogenic genes in younger participants only (i.e., MYOD at T2 and MHCEMB at T4), and 3) repeated exercise bouts facilitated a summation effect on MGF expression only in older individuals which is contrary to preliminary research examining this gene in these populations. In summary, these data indicate that more exercise bouts may be needed to stimulate satellite cell activity during the initial stages of resistance training in older populations which possibly explains why there are impairments in muscle hypertrophy in older adults, albeit future research should employ immunohistochemistry in order to confirm these preliminary findings