Some Comments on Branes, G-flux, and K-theory

This is a summary of a talk at Strings2000 explaining three ways in which string theory and M-theory are related to the mathematics of K-theory.Comment: 10pp., late

An optimised recovery method for thermophilic Campylobacter from liver

BACKGROUND: The past three decades have witnessed the rise of Campylobacter enteritis in man from virtual obscurity to notoriety, with present isolation rates superseding those of other enteric pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. in most developed countries. Although campylobacters are not completely new to applied bacteriology, they have evaded traditional isolation techniques used for the isolation of pure cultures, apart from single isolations that were free from competing organisms. Offals, in particular liver have been decribed as both a source of campylobacters, as well as a route of transmission of this organism to human. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop an optimum method for the recovery of Campylobacter spp. from porcine liver. RESULTS: Four isolation techniques (methods A-D) were compared in a small pilot study for their ability to successfully recover campylobacters from freshly eviscerated porcine liver. The optimum isolation method involved direct swabbing of the liver tissues followed by plating onto Preston Selective medium, which was superior to methods involving mechanical disruption to liver tissues, including direct plating and enrichment methods, with and without blood. Consequently, any isolation method that involves disruption of liver tissue e.g. homogenisation or stomaching, is not suitable for the detection of campylobacters from liver and hence it is recommended that employment of a direct swabbing technique without mechanical disruption of tissues in combination with selective plating to optimally recover campylobacters from freshly eviscerated liver. CONCLUSIONS: Employment of a direct swabbing technique in combination with selective plating allow Campylobacter spp. to be optimally recovered from freshly eviscerated liver and therefore this technique is recommended when examining liver for the presence of this organism

Liquid switch is remotely operated by low dc voltage

A liquid switch which does not depend on any mechanical, gravitational, or inertial actuation is developed for use in space environments. It may be remotely operated on low dc voltage

Natural Areas and Reference Collections for Environmental Education in Some Arkansas Schools

A survey of 20 school campuses throughout Arkansas showed that most lack natural areas for outdoor environmental education. For most Arkansas schools no checklists of local plants are available, and there are no reference collections at the schools. Projects are underway at State College of Arkansas to establish herberia for the woody plants of Arkansas and the vascular plants of Faulkner County

All roads lead to Rome: channelling inter-campus, interlibrary and off-campus requests through a single user interface

The message from remote library clients is clear and unequivocal - they want material quickly and easily. They would prefer not to have to differentiate between the three library services of intercampus, interlibrary, or off-campus requests - they just want a particular document or book forwarded to them as soon as possible. At the University of Southern Queensland Library, VDX software has been utilised to provide a single search and request interface for library material. Differentiating between individual clients,it displays and activates only those services for which a particular client is eligible. Remote undergraduates for example, have the ability to search and request from USQ catalogue only, while those students eligible for interlibrary loans can search and initiate requests across a range of catalogues. Whilst simplifying processes for clients, the challenge to Library staff has been to successfully manipulate the software and work processes to handle this complex arrangement. This paper will discuss the introduction of this new initiative focusing on the following issues: - Background - Client view - Dual services and associated challenges - Impact on staff - Improvements planned in the next six months - Marketing - Conclusio

Financial liberalisation in India and a new test of the complementarity hypothesis

This paper reappraises the financial repression hypothesis for India in the light of the partial liberalisation of the financial sector in the early 1990s, using for the first time, state-of-art multivariate cointegration and vector error correction models (VECM). From this robust test we find that for the Indian economy over the sample period 1951-1999 money and capital are complementary, suggesting that higher real interest rates will raise the demand for money and lead to higher levels of investment. Furthermore, testing for a structural break in the early 1990s – to coincide with the liberalisation of the financial sector in India – suggests that these reforms have not significantly changed the complementary relationship between money and capital. The policy implication is that further financial liberalisation is required in India, to enhance investment and economic growth