Dyadic arts interventions for people living with dementia

Background: In recent years, evidence for the positive effects of singing with people with dementia has been substantial. Some research has used physiological measures to analyse the impact of singing, however this method has not before been used in a community study with people with dementia; this study explored the interactions between these areas of research. Method: A mixed methods, quasi-experimental design was employed in this exploratory, within-subjects study. Physiological measures of stress (salivary cortisol and heart rate) and subjective measures of wellbeing and stress were obtained during a choral singing group from 17 participants, 10 with a dementia and 7 caregivers. Data were also collected during a non-singing control condition. Interviews investigating the influence of the singing group were conducted with caregivers and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Quantitative results showed positive effects of group singing on subjective stress and wellbeing, with some significant increases in composite wellbeing, happiness and optimism. Stress hormone results were mixed but the majority showed a decreasing trend. Heart rate variability significantly increased for people with dementia which may be associated with the significant increase in happiness, as shown in previous research. Qualitatively, group singing was overall reported to have a positive influence on people with dementia and caregivers. These influences included effects on mood and cognition, and positive aspects of the intervention were described. Conclusions: The findings suggest that additional research is warranted to further investigate interactions of physiological and psychological variables related to choral singing in people with a dementia. Methodological difficulties of saliva collection with this population need to be addressed if stress hormones are used in future research

Evaluation of Rice Hulls as a Lignocellulosic Substitute in Wood Plastic Composites

Rising raw material costs and shortage of woody materials necessitate alternative sources for lignocellulosic material in wood plastic composites (WPC). This study was conducted to evaluate rice hull (RH), an agricultural residue, as a cellulosic substitute in WPC. Samples were fabricated with approximately 4% zinc stearate, 48% high-density polyethylene obtained from recycled plastics and 48% lignocellulosic material by mass. The composition of the lignocellulosic material was changed from 0 to 100% RH at 20% increments while the remainder was wood flour. The extruded sampled were tested for mechanical properties such as specific gravity, water absorption, linear coefficients of thermal expansion, and strengths under compression, shear and bending. The results showed that increasing the proportions of RH to wood flour in the new composite increased the specific gravity but decreased the water absorption. The rice hull rates did not change any of the strength properties. Overall, physical and mechanical properties of the new composite was comparable to that of two of the commercial WPCs. Therefore, rice hull is a viable and renewable alternative for lignocellulosic material in WPC intended for non-structural applications such as decking, fencing, flooring and OEM

Thermal energy storage material thermophysical property measurement and heat transfer impact

The thermophysical properties of salts having potential for thermal energy storage to provide peaking energy in conventional electric utility power plants were investigated. The power plants studied were the pressurized water reactor, boiling water reactor, supercritical steam reactor, and high temperature gas reactor. The salts considered were LiNO3, 63LiOH/37 LiCl eutectic, LiOH, and Na2B4O7. The thermal conductivity, specific heat (including latent heat of fusion), and density of each salt were measured for a temperature range of at least + or - 100 K of the measured melting point. Measurements were made with both reagent and commercial grades of each salt

Anomalous hydrodynamics and "normal" fluids in rapidly rotating BECs

In rapidly rotating bose systems we show that there is a region of anomalous hydrodynamics whilst the system is still condensed, which coincides with the mean field quantum Hall regime. An immediate consequence is the absence of a normal fluid in any conventional sense. However, even the superfluid hydrodynamics is not described by conventional Bernoulli and continuity equations. We show there are kinematic constraints which connect spatial variations of density and phase, that the positions of vortices are not the simplest description of the dynamics of such a fluid (despite their utility in describing the instantaneous state of the condensate) and that the most compact description allows solution of some illuminating examples of motion. We demonstrate, inter alia, a very simple relation between vortices and surface waves. We show the surface waves can form a "normal fluid" which absorbs energy and angular momentum from vortex motion in the trap. The time scale of this process is sensitive to the initial configuration of the vortices, which can lead to long-lived vortex patches - perhaps related to those observed at JILA.Comment: 4 pages; 1 sentence and references modifie

Exact vortex nucleation and cooperative vortex tunneling in dilute BECs

With the imminent advent of mesoscopic rotating BECs in the lowest Landau level (LLL) regime, we explore LLL vortex nucleation. An exact many-body analysis is presented in a weakly elliptical trap for up to 400 particles. Striking non-mean field features are exposed at filling factors >>1 . Eg near the critical rotation frequency pairs of energy levels approach each other with exponential accuracy. A physical interpretation is provided by requantising a mean field theory, where 1/N plays the role of Planck's constant, revealing two vortices cooperatively tunneling between classically degenerate energy minima. The tunnel splitting variation is described in terms of frequency, particle number and ellipticity.Comment: 4 pages,4 figure

Implementation principles - turning intentions into outcomes

Companies sometimes fail to take effective action even when they know what they should do. Recent research shows that this surprising situation is more common than one would expect. How can the track record of companies in achieving the outcomes targeted by manufacturing strategy be improved? This article proposes a set of eight principles to improve the chances of taking effective action to turn intentions into outcomes. Rooted in the literature, the principles have also surfaced in case based research and commented on in the context of international consulting activities

Soil acidity in the eastern wheatbelt.

Effect of profile acidity on nutrient and water use by wheat, 85M48. Effect of liming a wodjil soil prile on lupin production, 82ME10 and 82M5 . Lime banding in acid subsoils for wheat, 81M54. Liming topsoil. Rates of lime on wheat, 80M30. Residual value of lime (lupins 1985) 80M31. Survey Survey of extremely poor eastern wheatbelt yellow earth soils, 85ME9