A diverse assemblage of corals from the Late Oligocene of eastern Sabah, Borneo: pre-Miocene origins of the Indo-West Pacific marine biodiversity hotspot.

Abstract: A diverse collection of corals has been collected from Sabah in Malaysian Borneo. The fossil localities studied have been accurately dated using a combination of nannofossils, larger benthic foraminifera and strontium isotopes, placing them within the mid to Late Oligocene, where previously they were thought to be of Miocene age. The corals have been taxonomically identified to genus-level and placed into likely species groups within each genus, descriptions and photographs of the majority of species are presented here. There are approximately 55 genera present in the collection, and about 100 species. The diversity of this region has been analysed compositional groupings of genera at each locality have been identified. Sampling methods have been identified as important in fossil diversity analyses. This fauna has been compared to other Cenozoic coral faunas from the Indo-West Pacific (IWP) and also from the Mediterranean and Caribbean. The origins of high diversity in the Indo-West Pacific region can now be said to have occurred at least as far back as the late Oligocene, but the region did not become the global hotspot for scleractinian diversity until the Miocene. The study area contains a majority of extant, zooxanthellate genera, suggesting that the Indo-West Pacific region may be a “centre of survival” (Hoeksema, 2007; Wilson and Rosen, 1998) for zooxanthellate corals

Relationship between use of ankle-foot orthoses and quality of life and psychological well being : a research plan

An ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is an externally applied device that encompasses the joints of the ankle and foot, used to modify the structural and functional characteristics of the neuromuscular and skeletal systems(ISO,1989,a&b). AFOs are prescribed for people who have a loss of function affecting their mobility, experienced in wide range of conditions such as stroke, poliomyelitis, cerebral palsy, spina bifida and osteoarthritis

The Abertay Code Bar – unlocking access to university-generated computer games intellectual poperty

Progress report on a digital platform and dual licensing model developed to unlock access to a University repository of new and legacy computer games based Intellectual Property (IP) assets for educational and commercial use. The digital creative industries have been identified by a number of governments as a priority area in delivering sustainable economic growth. Code Bar is an innovation that allows digital products to be commercially successful beyond the end of the Dare competition or coursework submission. To be selected for Code Bar, game products must be well designed for both player and market; technically robust (i.e. operating consistently and reliably on a single/multiple platforms), and be free from ambiguity around 3rd party IP. We describe various technical, pedagogic and legal challenges in developing the digital platform, licensing model and packaging of computer games products for release through the platform. The model is extendable beyond computer games to other software products

AFTI/F-16 flight test results and lessons

The advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-16 aircraft is a highly complex digital flight control system integrated with advanced avionics and cockpit. The use of dissimilar backup modes if the primary system fails requires the designer to trade off system simplicity and capability. The tradeoff is evident in the AFTI/F-16 aircraft with its limited stability and fly by wire digital flight control systems when a generic software failure occurs the backup or normal mode must provide equivalent envelop protection during the transition to degraded flight control. The complexity of systems like the AFTI/F-16 system defines a second design issue, which is divided into two segments: (1) the effect on testing, (2) and the pilot's ability to act correctly in the limited time available for cockpit decisions. The large matrix of states possible with the AFTI/F-16 flight control system illustrates the difficulty of both testing the system and choosing real time pilot actions. The third generic issue is the possible reductions in the user's reliability expectations where false single channel information can be displayed at the pilot vehicle interface while the redundant set remains functional

Differential utilization of CD134 as a functional receptor by diverse strains of feline immunodeficiency virus

The feline homologue of CD134 (fCD134) is the primary binding receptor for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), targeting the virus preferentially to activated CD4+ helper T cells. However, with disease progression, the cell tropism of FIV broadens such that B cells and monocytes/macrophages become significant reservoirs of proviral DNA, suggesting that receptor utilization may alter with disease progression. We examined the receptor utilization of diverse strains of FIV and found that all strains tested utilized CD134 as the primary receptor. Using chimeric feline x human CD134 receptors, the primary determinant of receptor function was mapped to the first cysteine-rich domain (CRD1) of fCD134. For the PPR and B2542 strains, the replacement of CDR1 of fCD134 (amino acids 1 to 64) with human CD134 (hCD134) alone was sufficient to confer nearly optimal receptor function. However, evidence of differential utilization of CD134 was revealed, since strains GL8, CPGammer (CPG41), TM2, 0827, and NCSU1 required determinants in the region spanning amino acids 65 to 85, indicating that these strains may require a more stringent interaction for infection to proceed

Partnering for inclusion: democratic function in deliberative recruitment strategies

2017 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Inclusion serves as one of the key tenets of deliberative theory. This tenet asks that all those affected by an issue be given a meaningful opportunity to participate in the deliberative process. However, there are multiple sites and actors within the deliberative system that are responsible for implementing inclusion. Deliberative theorists and practitioners rely on cross-sector partnerships with governmental, educational, business, and non-profit organizations to recruit diverse stakeholders for deliberative processes. This study sought to understand the way cross-sector partners conceptualized stakeholders, faced barriers to recruitment, and implemented recruitment strategies. Findings indicate that there remains a significant difference in the way that theorists, practitioners, and cross-sector partners view and implement inclusion. Cross-sector partners require additional support to meet the deliberative standard

Operational Performance and Improvements to the RF Power Sources for the Compact Linear Collider Test Facility (CTF3) at CERN

The CERN CTF3 facility is being used to test and demonstrate key technical issues for the CLIC (Compact Linear Collider) study. Pulsed RF power sources are essential elements in this test facility. Klystrons at S-band (29998.55 GHz), in conjunction with pulse compression systems, are used to power the Drive Beam Accelerator (DBA) to achieve an electron beam energy of 150 MeV. The L-Band RF system, includes broadband Travelling Wave Tubes (TWTs) for beam bunching with 'phase coded' sub pulses in the injector and a narrow band high power L-Band klystron powering the transverse 1.5GHz RF deflector in the Delay Loop immediately after the DBA. This paper describes these different systems and discusses their operational performance

Influence of Ethanol on Glucose Tolerance, Insulin Secretion and Glucagon Secretion in Man

[From the Introduction] In response to the widespread consumption of ethanol and the medical problems related to its abuse, the world literature on ethanol metabolism has become voluminous. The interaction between the metabolism of ethanol and intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates has been amply elucidated. One particular very important aspect of this ethanol-carbohydrate interaction which has only recently begun to be investigated is the effect of ethanol on glucose tolerance. The preliminary studies concerning the effects of ethanol on glucose tolerance have provided both exciting findings and unanswered questions. This dissertation, examining the effects of ethanol on glucose tolerance and insulin secretion, is an attempt to share in the excitement of, and contribute to the understanding of, this important ethanol-carbohydrate interaction

Book Review

Review of Criminal Sentences - Law WIthout Order, Marvel E. Frankel, NY, Hill and Wang, 1973