Stepan Rak’s “Tracy”(1994): A Transcription and Commentary

Master of Music - MusicThe Czech guitarist and composer Stepan Rak (b.1945) has produced major works for the guitar, many of which stretch the boundaries of guitar technique and composition in new directions. This research report provides a musical transcription of one of Rak’s most ambitious pieces, Tracy (1994), based on the cyclone of that name which devastated the town of Darwin, Australia on Christmas Eve 1974. Rak uses rasgueado and tremolo techniques exclusively in Tracy. This report also contextualises the composition in terms of Rak’s life and musical output, and provides a detailed description on the execution of these techniques and a general analysis of the pieces technical, formal and compositional characteristics

Natural lactic acid bacteria population of tropical grasses and their fermentation factor analysis of silage prepared with cellulase and inoculant

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Waroon Khota, Suradej Pholsen, David HIggs, and Yimin Cai, 'Natural lactic acid bacteria population of tropical grasses and their fermentation factor analysis of silage prepared with cellulase and inoculant', Journal of Dairy Science, Vol. 99 (12): 9768-9781, December 2016. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11180.Natural lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations in tropical grasses and their fermentation characteristics on silage prepared with cellulase enzyme and LAB inoculants were studied. A commercial inoculant Lactobacillus plantarum Chikuso 1 (CH), a local selected strain Lactobacillus casei TH14 (TH14), and 2 cellulases, Acremonium cellulase (AC) and Maicelase (MC; Meiji Seika Pharma Co. Ltd., Tokyo, Japan), were used as additives to silage preparation with fresh and wilted (6 h) Guinea grass and Napier grass. Silage was prepared using a laboratory-scale fermentation system. Treatments were CH, TH14, AC at 0.01% fresh matter, AC 0.1%, MC 0.01%, MC 0.1%, CH+AC 0.01%, CH+AC 0.1%, CH+MC 0.01%, CH+MC 0.1%, TH14+AC 0.1%, TH14+AC 0.01%, TH14+MC 0.1%, and TH14+MC 0.01%. Microorganism counts of Guinea grass and Napier grass before ensiling were 102 LAB and 106 aerobic bacteria; these increased during wilting. Based on morphological and biochemical characteristics, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, natural strains from both grasses were identified as L. plantarum, L. casei, Lactobacillus acidipiscis, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Leuconostoc garlicum, Weissella confusa, and Lactococcus lactis. Lactobacillus plantarum and L. casei are the dominant species and could grow at lower pH and produce more lactic acid than the other isolates. Crude protein and neutral detergent fiber were 5.8 and 83.7% of dry matter (DM) for Guinea grass, and 7.5 and 77.1% of DM for Napier grass. Guinea grass had a low level of water-soluble carbohydrates (0.39% of DM). Guinea grass silage treated with cellulase had a lower pH and higher lactic acid content than control and LAB treatments. The 0.1% AC and MC treatments had the best result for fermentation quality. All high water-soluble carbohydrate (2.38% DM) Napier grass silages showed good fermentation quality. Compared with control and LAB-inoculated silage, the cellulasetreated silages had significantly higher crude protein content and lower neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents. The results confirmed that cellulase could improve tropical silage quality, inhibiting protein degradation and promoting fiber degradation. Key words: cellulase, fermentation factor, lactic acid bacteria, tropical silagePeer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Comparative analysis of silage fermentation and in vitro digestibility of tropical grass prepared with Acremonium and Tricoderma species producing cellulases

OBJECTIVE: To find out ways of improving fermentation quality of silage, the comparative analysis of fermentation characteristics and in vitro digestibility of tropical grasses silage applied with cellulases produced from Acremonium or Tricoderma species were studied in Thailand. METHODS: Fresh and wilted Guinea grass and Napier grass silages were prepared with cellulases from Acremonium (AC) or Trichoderma (TC) at 0.0025%, 0.005%, and 0.01% on a fresh matter (FM), and their fermentation quality, chemical composition and in vitro digestibility were analyzed. RESULTS: All silages of fresh Napier grass were good quality with lower pH, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen, but higher lactic acid content than wilted Napier grass and Guinea grass silage. Silages treated with AC 0.01% had the best result in terms of fermentation quality. They also had higher in vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro organic matter digestibility at 6 and 48 h after incubation than other silages. Silages treated with lower levels at 0.005% or 0.0025% of AC and all levels of TC did not improve silage fermentation. CONCLUSION: The AC could improve silage fermentation and in vitro degradation of Guinea grass and Napier grass silages, and the suitable addition ration is 0.01% (73.5 U) of FM for tropical silage preparation.Peer reviewe

Clinical vampirism: a review and illustrative case report

This paper aims to review the phenomenology of vampirism and the various forms of its expression including its presentation in the psychopathology of psychotic disorders. We will explore in detail the case of an African vampire in a psychiatric clinical setting. Vampirism does not have roots in traditional African culture or folklore and thus this case is worth examining due to the unusual nature of the patient's clinical presentation. After a review of the literature, both lay and professional, a clinical case will be described. The discussion will suggest a biopsychosocial and contemporary psychoanalytic understanding of vampirism, and more specifically, of this patient. We also propose an additional type of vampirism be considered for inclusion in the classification of clinical vampirism. South African Psychiatry Review Vol. 9(3) 2006: 163-16

Managerial aspects for the engineering entrepreneur

M.Ing.This dissertation aims to identify the skills, characteristics and management principles necessary for engineers who are involved in entrepreneurial activity. The dissertation covers the fundamental concepts influencing engineering managers; the marketing skills and processes which serve as a basis for successful entrepreneurship; training and development of entrepreneurial engineers; the engineer's function within the entrepreneurial environment; consulting engineering as a facet of entrepreneurship; business planning and financial controls, and finally a case study to correlate theory and practice and to provide a reference for future study. The primary objectives of the research are: to assess the realm of entrepreneurship; to determine what the engineering management principles required are in order to become a successful entrepreneur; to discuss the engineering process from an entrepreneurial perspective; to assess the engineering population in order to determine the potential for entrepreneurship and to formulate a proposal for successful entrepreneurial engineering. This study aims to serve as a reference for engineers who may decide to enter into an entrepreneurial at some point in their career

Embedded innovation – strategic management incubators for knowledge hegemony

Global competitiveness and category leadership is the strategic challenge for South African innovators over the next decade. Within the context of engineering management, this research identifies the strategic drivers and corporate positioning necessary to meet this challenge and to create a vibrant manufacturing and innovation landscape leading to wealth for South African stakeholders. Focusing on the product life-cycle, the research identifies ‘incubators of competitive advantage’ within the areas of context-management, resource-management, and opportunity management. The aim is to establish an organisational paradigm relating to the creation of intellectual capital and to knowledge management within these arenas, as sources of innovation and competitive advantage.AFRIKAANS: Wêreldwye kompetisie asook produkleierskap is strategiese uitdagings wat Suid-Afrikaanse innoveerders in die volgende dekade gaan aanspoor. Hierdie navorsing identifiseer strategiese drywers en korporatiewe posisionering wat nodig is in die konteks van ingenieursbestuur om van hierdie uitdagings aan te spreek. Sodoende word ‘n aktiewe vervaardigings- en innovasielandskap wat kan lei tot welvaartskepping vir Suid-Afrikaanse belanghebbendes bevorder. Deur te fokus op die produklewensiklus word ‘omgewings van kompeterende voordeel’ binne in konteks-, hulpbron- en geleentheidsbestuur geïdentifiseer. Die doel is om ’n organisasiekultuur te skep wat deurentyd intellektuele eiendom en kennisbestuur as bronne van innovasie en kompeterende voordeel vooropstel

Strategic Addition of Different Additives to Improve Silage Fermentation, Aerobic Stability and In Vitro Digestibility of Napier Grasses at Late Maturity Stage

Napier cultivars are widespread in the tropics. To effectively prepare two Napier grasses at the late maturity stageas silage for ruminant feedstock, the silage fermentation characteristics, aerobic stability, in vitro digestibility, and gas kinetics were studied. Napier Pakchong grass (NP) and sweet grass (SG) were harvested at 120 dof regrowth and untreated (control) or treated with normal or a double dose of cellulase, urea, and formic acid. After 30 d of ensiling, the pH values of silages (ranging from 3.91 to 7.79) were affected (p < 0.05) by additives and lower in control and cellulase-treated silages than in urea- and formic acid-treated silages. Adding cellulase resulted in greater lactic acid concentrations in SG silage. Adding urea boosted acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and ammonia nitrogen levels of silages. Adding formic acid spoiled silages and shortened the aerobic stability of NP silage. Compared with the control, the addition of cellulase at a double dose enhanced in vitrodry matter digestibility, and the gas production kinetics parameters of silages. Taking silage fermentation quality and in vitro dry matter digestibility into consideration, adding cellulase (0.2 g/kg fresh matter) to Napier grasses at the late maturity stage could be a better option compared with the other additives