Investigation of catalytic combustion of impurities in air Final report, 24 Mar. - 28 Dec. 1966

Catalytic coil to oxidize carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane present as impurities in ai

What I believe about leadership and education : a reflective essay

Being in a position of leadership is a great responsibility. Administrators are asked to fill many roles within the school culture. They make decisions that affect a large number of people, and each decision comes with its criticism. It is important for an administrator to gain the trust and respect of the staff by not asking them to do things that you would not do. Show the staff that that you want to become the best, and they will follow

A study of the somatic cell count (SCC) of Irish milk from herd management and environmental perspectives

End of project reportThe objective of this study was to investigate the herd management practices associated with somatic cell count (SCC) and total bacteria count (TBC), to geographically analyse SCC on a national basis, to investigate cow factors associated with SCC and to estimate the milk loss associated with high SCC across parities. From the 400 farms surveyed during farm visits throughout spring and winter, a profile of herd management was developed and the associations between management practices and milk SCC and TBC were established. Management practices associated with low SCC included the use of dry cow therapy, participation in a milk recording scheme, the use of teat disinfection post-milking, a higher frequency of cleaning and increased farm hygiene. Management practices associated with low TBC included the use of heated water in the milking parlour, participation in a milk recording scheme, tail clipping of cows at a frequency greater than once per year and increased farm hygiene. The spatial analysis showed that the south of the country had the greatest density of milk-recording herds. Approximately 60% of all herds in the study were from four counties (Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary). Average bulk tank SCC increased from 110,264 cells/mL in 2003 to 118,782 cells/mL in 2005, followed by a decrease to 108,454 cells/mL in 2007. Spatial clustering of high SCC scores was not observed (i.e., SCC on one farm was not related to SCC on other farms), which is consistent with mastitis being a herd problem as opposed to an area-based problem. SCC increased with parity from 97,000 cells/mL in parity 1 to 199,000 cell/mL in parity 6. SCC decreased between the period 5 to 35 days in milk (DIM) and 36 to 65 DIM, and increased thereafter. Cows calving in the months of January and September were associated with lower average 305 day SCC. The rate of increase in SCC from mid to late lactation was greatest in older parity animals. There was a test day milk loss of 1.43, 2.08, 2.59, 2.56 and 2.62 litres (parities 1 to 5, respectively) associated with an increase of SCC category from 400,000 cells/mL. When SCC was adjusted (test day SCC/dilution estimate, and test day SCC + (-ß)(test day milk yield)) to account for milk yield, similar trends in milk loss were observed. Alternatively, adjusting SCC (SCC*test day milk yield/mean test day milk yield) to account for milk yield showed an increase in test day milk with increasing SCC category. The results from this study highlight that adherence to best milking/farming practice will help reduce SCC and TBC on farms. The results contribute to the knowledge relating to SCC through increasing the accuracy of milk loss due to SCC and management practices associated with SCC. The results in the study can also be used in the development of strategies to reduce SCC on farms

Molecular Genetic Typing of Staphylococcus aureus from Cows, Goats, Sheep, Rabbits and Chickens

End of project reportsS. aureus can also cause a number of infections in animals such as tick-associated pyaemia in lambs, staphylococcosis in rabbits, septicaemia, abscesses and chondronecrosis in chickens and pneumonia and osteomyelitis complex in turkeys. S. aureus is the most frequent cause of bovine mastitis, a disease that is of economic importance worldwide (Beck et al., 1992). Typically staphylococcal mastitis is chronic in nature, with subclinical mastitis being the most common form

Fabrication of titanium multi-wall Thermal Protection System (TPS) test panel arrays

Several arrays were designed and tested. Tests included vibrational and acoustical tests, radiant heating tests, and thermal conductivity tests. A feasible manufacturing technique was established for producing the protection system panels

Satisfaction with Sexual Health Education among Recent Graduates of Ontario High Schools

Satisfaction with sexual health education can be seen as student evaluation of how effectively the sexual health education curriculum meets its goals. First-year university students completed one questionnaire containing measures concerning satisfaction with high school sexual health education, sexuality-related individual difference variables, and intentions to pursue further sexual health education at the university level. Question 1 was whether students were satisfied with their high school sexual health education. Results were examined for differences by gender and type of school attended (i.e., public or Catholic). Participants rated sexual health topics as very important; believed that most sexual health education should occur between Grade 6 and 8, but that many relevant topics were not covered until Grade 9 to 12; and were generally satisfied with their sexual health education teachers and the sexual health education program in, general. With few exceptions, participant ratings did not differ by gender or type of school attended. In Question 2, comfort with sexuality, past sexual behaviour, and sexual self-concept were examined as potential correlates of satisfaction with sexual health education. Results differed by gender of participants: For males, sexual self-concept (but not comfort with sexuality or past sexual behaviour) correlated significantly and positively with satisfaction with sexual health education; for females, comfort with sexuality and past sexual behaviour (but not sexual self-concept) were significantly and negatively correlated with satisfaction with sexual health education. Question 3 examined whether satisfaction with sexual health education predicted intentions to pursue further sexual health education. It was found that students who were less satisfied with sexual health education were more likely to pursue further sexual health education at the university level. Results suggest that student’s perceive the current sexual health education curriculum in Ontario as satisfactory in delivering sexual health education; however, the results also suggest several potential changes to the sexual health education curriculum: Some topics may need inclusion earlier in the curriculum, different approaches for sexual health education may be appropriate for males and females, and more emphasis may be necessary on the importance of continuing sexual health education

Re-design and fabrication of titanium multi-wall Thermal Protection System (TPS) test panels

The Titanium Multi-wall Thermal Protection System (TIPS) panel was re-designed to incorporate Ti-6-2-4-2 outer sheets for the hot surface, ninety degree side closures for ease of construction and through panel fastness for ease of panel removal. Thermal and structural tests were performed to verify the design. Twenty-five panels were fabricated and delivered to NASA for evaluation at Langley Research Center and Johnson Space Center

Epigenetics, Behaviour, and Health

<p/> <p>The long-term effects of behaviour and environmental exposures, particularly during childhood, on health outcomes are well documented. Particularly thought provoking is the notion that exposures to different social environments have a long-lasting impact on human physical health. However, the mechanisms mediating the effects of the environment are still unclear. In the last decade, the main focus of attention was the genome, and interindividual genetic polymorphisms were sought after as the principal basis for susceptibility to disease. However, it is becoming clear that recent dramatic increases in the incidence of certain human pathologies, such as asthma and type 2 diabetes, cannot be explained just on the basis of a genetic drift. It is therefore extremely important to unravel the molecular links between the "environmental" exposure, which is believed to be behind this emerging incidence in certain human pathologies, and the disease's molecular mechanisms. Although it is clear that most human pathologies involve long-term changes in gene function, these might be caused by mechanisms other than changes in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence. The genome is programmed by the epigenome, which is composed of chromatin and a covalent modification of DNA by methylation. It is postulated here that "epigenetic" mechanisms mediate the effects of behavioural and environmental exposures early in life, as well as lifelong environmental exposures and the susceptibility to disease later in life. In contrast to genetic sequence differences, epigenetic aberrations are potentially reversible, raising the hope for interventions that will be able to reverse deleterious epigenetic programming.</p

Corticosteroid vs Platelet Rich Plasma Injections in the Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis compared to traditional corticosteroid injections. Design: Systematic literature review. Methods: A literature search was performed in Pubmed using the search terms “plantar fasciitis” and “platelet rich plasma”. Inclusion criteria included publication within 10 years, randomized control trial, human study, and containing the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot scoring system. Results: Our literature search resulted in the review of three randomized- control trials. Mahindra et al. showed that PRP was superior to corticosteroid injections in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis at 3 months. Acosto-Olivo et al. found both treatments were equally effective at reducing symptoms of plantar fasciitis over a 16- week period. Similar to Mahindra et al., Monto found that PRP was a more effective treatment for maintaining remission of chronic plantar fasciitis over a 24- month period. Conclusion: PRP injections are shown to be as effective or more effective than corticosteroid injections in the treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis that has failed conservative treatment