Impact of CO2 fertilization on maximum foliage cover across the globe's warm, arid environments

Satellite observations reveal a greening of the globe over recent decades. The role in this greening of the "CO2 fertilization" effect-the enhancement of photosynthesis due to rising CO2 levels-is yet to be established. The direct CO2 effect on vegetatio

Slam excitation scales for a large wave piercing catamaran and the effect on structural response

A unique slamming process is observed on high speed wave piercing catamarans (WPCs) such as those manufactured by INCAT Tasmania (shown in Fig. 1). For conventional catamarans, wet-deck slamming constitutes a significant design load and is managed through proper design of the tunnel height for the proposed operating conditions. While methods have been developed for prediction of wet-deck slam occurrence and slam magnitude in conventional catamarans (for example Ge et al., 2005) the significant differences in geometry limit application to wave piercing catamarans. Although slamming of wave piercing catamarans may be categorised as a wet-deck slam, the INCAT Tasmania wave piercing catamarans include a forward centre bow to prevent deck diving which significantly alters the water entry and slamming characteristics

Effect of Slam Force Duration on the Vibratory Response of a Lightweight High-Speed Wave-Piercing Catamaran

When the surface of a ship meets the water surface at an acute angle with a high relative velocity, significant short-duration forces can act on the hull plating. Such an event is referred to as a slam. Slam loads imparted on ships are generally considered to be of an impulsive nature. As such, slam loads induce vibration in the global hull structure that has implications for both hull girder bending strength and fatigue life of a vessel. A modal method is often used for structural analysis whereby higher order modes are neglected to reduce computational effort. The effect of the slam load temporal distribution on the whipping response and vertical bending moment are investigated here by using a continuous beam model with application to a 112 m INCAT wave-piercing catamaran and correlation to full-scale and model-scale experimental data. Experimental studies have indicated that the vertical bending moment is dominated by the fundamental longitudinal bending mode of the structure. However, it is shown here that although the fundamental mode is dominant in the global structural response, the higher order modes play a significant role in the early stages of the response and may not be readily identifiable if measurements are not taken sufficiently close to the slam location. A relationship between the slam duration and the relative modal response magnitudes is found, which is useful in determining the appropriate truncation of a modal solution

Experimental pig-to-pig transmission dynamics for African swine fever virus, Georgia 2007/1 strain

African swine fever virus (ASFV) continues to cause outbreaks in domestic pigs and wild boar in Eastern European countries. To gain insights into its transmission dynamics, we estimated the pig-to-pig basic reproduction number (R 0) for the Georgia 2007/1 ASFV strain using a stochastic susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model with parameters estimated from transmission experiments. Models showed that R 0 is 2·8 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1·3–4·8] within a pen and 1·4 (95% CI 0·6–2·4) between pens. The results furthermore suggest that ASFV genome detection in oronasal samples is an effective diagnostic tool for early detection of infection. This study provides quantitative information on transmission parameters for ASFV in domestic pigs, which are required to more effectively assess the potential impact of strategies for the control of between-farm epidemic spread in European countries.ISSN:0950-2688ISSN:1469-440

Learning from older citizens’ research groups

This article adds to an ongoing conversation in gerontology about the importance of training and involving older people in research. Currently, the literature rarely distinguishes between the one-off involvement of older citizens in research projects and the development of research groups led by older people that sustain over time as well as the nature of educational initiatives that support their development. This article presents a case-study based on evaluative data from the WhyNot! Older Citizens Research Group which has been running independently for nearly eight years. Members’ evaluations of and reflections on the impact of the training programme, explore from their perspective: Why older people want to get involved in research training and research groups, what they value most in the training and the types of impact their involvement has had. Creating an educational environment where participants were able to contribute their knowledge in a new context as well learn new skills through group-work based experiential learning were key. Regular role-modelling provided by inputs from successful established citizen research groups was also important. Of the many benefits members gained from being part of a research group, emphasis was given to the relational aspects of the experience. Likewise the benefits members’ accorded to taking part in training and research transcended individual benefits encompassing benefits to the collective and the wider community. Linking health, social care and educational policies is important in providing coherence and opportunity for older people’s voices to shape research, policy and practice

Appreciative inquiry for stress management

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the innovative application of an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach for the design and implementation of organizational stress management interventions, alongside a case study of the successful design and implementation of the approach. By utilizing the AI methodology to develop a “local stress theory” for the participating organization, the authors propose a model which can be utilized in other similar organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Stage 1: 35 participants completed up to ten daily logs by answering four positively framed questions regarding their working day. Stage 2: semi-structured interviews (n=13). The interview schedule was designed to further elaborate log findings, and begin looking into feasible organizational changes for improvement of stress. Stage 3: two focus groups (Stage 3, total 13 employees) verified interventions from logs and interviews and discuss how these can be implemented. Findings: The log phase identified two key themes for improvement: managerial/organizational support and communication. From these, interviews and focus groups led to workable proposals for simple but likely effective changes. The authors reported findings to management, emphasizing organizational change implementation, and these were subsequently implemented. Research limitations/implications: The study demonstrated the effectiveness of AI to identify and implement relatively simple but meaningful changes. The AI cycle was completed but allocating lengthy follow-up time for evaluation of outcomes was not possible, although initial responses were favorable. There are also issues of generalizability of the findings. Originality/value: This is the among first studies to utilize an AI approach for the design of stress management interventions

Implicit Cultures: Towards a Psychosocial Theory of ‘Intuitive Religious Beliefs’

This thesis defines and resolves some persistent criticisms of Justin Barrett and Jessie Bering’s shared contention that religious beliefs are compelled by ‘default’ cognitive systems. I contend that the source of these criticisms is correctly the ‘naturalness of religious belief’ metathesis. This metathesis justifies the methodological reductions that both use to account for ‘intuitive religious beliefs.’ Through a review of the critical literature sourced from various methodologies including anthropology, hermeneutics, and social neuroscience, I uncover a recurrent set of criticisms that I contend theories of ‘intuitive religion’ need to confront in order to strengthen the theoretical, and by inference, empirical validity of their theories. Yet I also discuss why it is that Bering and Barrett fail to incorporate insights relative to persistent criticisms of their research, emphasising that it is because they fail to see the experimental plausibility of alternative methodologies and theories. Somewhat proactively, I argue that Mathew Day’s proposal for a psychosocial theory of religion offers a step in the right direction. Day’s psychosocial theory rejects the ‘naturalness of religion’ metathesis. My own revision and application of psychosocial theory allows for the reinterpretation of Bering and Barrett’s findings from the vantage point of cultural psychology. I close by offering a developmental theory of ‘intuitive religious beliefs’ that includes the numerous theoretical perspectives addressed throughout this thesis and, crucially, is empirically grounded in research from cultural psychology. I propose a tentative empirical test to trial my claims

A generic tilt-rotor simulation model with parallel implementation

The unique capabilities of the tilt-rotor configuration are generally accepted to provide significant potential when applied to numerous civil and military operations. A vital stage in the development of any tilt-rotor design is the simulation of its basic flying qualities which are essentially defined by the vehicle's response to a range of control inputs and the trim states it adopts. In order to carry out this simulation satisfactorily, an accurate generic mathematical model is required, however, the author is unaware of any existing tilt-rotor simulations which utilise the latest modelling techniques. A generic tilt-rotor simulation model (GTILT) which includes individual blade modelling to describe the behaviour of the rotor has been developed during this research. One of the most significant attributes of individual blade models is that they portray the oscillatory nature of the forces and moments produced by a lifting rotor. The resulting trimmed flight path of the vehicle is periodic rather than steady in nature and consequently existing trimming algorithms, formulated for use with rotor disc representations, are inappropriate when applied to individual blade simulations. A specialised trimming algorithm capable of rapidly trimming rotorcraft simulations to a specified periodic trim state has been developed and incorporated into the GTILT model. Individual blade modelling provides a higher level of fidelity than is possible when using a rotor disc representation but this benefit is obtained at the expense of computational burden. Hence, most sequential computing facilities are unable to provide the performance necessary to make such models practical. In order to reduce computational run-times to an acceptable level GTILT has been parallelised and implemented on a custom designed transputer network. GTILT has been configured using XV-IS data in order to investigate the fidelity of its predicted trim states and vehicle response to a range of control inputs. During the course of this investigation, the trim algorithm is shown to be robust and capable of producing rapid convergence to a wide range of trim states. Longitudinal trims predicted by GTILT are verified against those of the similarly configured Bell C81 for a range of nacelle incidences and good correlation obtained in all cases. A qualitative verification of the trim states adopted in turning flight reveals no anomalies and the results obtained are very encouraging. The dynamic response of the vehicle is demonstrated to be qualitatively valid when a range of control inputs are applied at various nacelle incidences with the behaviour of the vehicle being explicable in all cases

Releasing latent compassion through an innovative compassion curriculum for Specialist Community Public Health Nurses

Aims: To evaluate the impact of a curriculum based on the Compassionate Mind Model designed to facilitate the expression of compassion in Specialist Community Public Health Nurses. Background: The Compassionate Mind Model identifies that fear of compassion creates a barrier to the flow of compassion. There is some evidence linking self-compassion to compassionate care but no previous research has explored this potential with post registration specialist community public health nursing students. Design: Prospective, longitudinal design using focus group interviews. Methods: 26 students (81% of cohort) agreed to participate in a wider evaluation (2014-2015). For this study, two groups were drawn from those participants (total 13 students) who attended audio-taped group interviews at the course mid- and end-points to explore their perceptions on compassion and compassionate care. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings: A number of sub-themes were identified. ‘Cultural change in the NHS’, ‘Workload and meeting targets’ and ‘Lack of time were barriers to compassionate care, as was negative ‘Role modelling’. These were collated under a macro-theme of ‘A culture lacking in compassion’. Secondly, the sub-themes ‘Actualisation of compassion’ and ‘Transformation’ were collated within a macro-theme: ‘Realisation of compassion’. This theme identified realisation of latent compassion from their previous roles that in some transferred into students’ personal lives suggesting a transformation beyond professional attitude. Conclusion: The curriculum facilitated a realisation of compassion in students over the period of the course by enhancing their capacity to be self-compassionate and by actualisation of compassion that had previously been suppressed

An Enquiry into Using Supplementary Bioscience Resources in Health

The learning and teaching of bioscience subjects has been recognised to be problematic for well over 20-30 years. Various reasons have been suggested but it is evident that better support for learning at least is required. Various strategies have been tried and effective online support looks promising, especially as an aid to help those students who struggle with science and for whom English is not their first language. This project sought to introduce an online module designed to support student self-efficacy on the basics of science that are fundamental to gaining an understanding of more advanced bioscience processes. The module went ‘live’ in February 2013 as a voluntary adjunct to curriculum teaching. Though designed with students in mind the subsequent access has been disappointing and raises questions about the willingness of some students to voluntarily access extracurricular material. This might be a focus for further exploration