Understanding the Cultural Value of 'In Harmony-Sistema England'

This research project on which this paper reports was designed to explore questions of cultural value in relation to the schools music project In Harmony-Sistema England. Our core research focus has been upon the ways in which children, their teachers and tutors, and their families understand the value of their participation in IHSE initiatives. The project engaged with three case studies of IHSE initiatives (based in Norwich, Telford and Newcastle) and qualitative data was gathered with primary school children, school staff, parents and IHSE musicians in all three cases

Studies on the role of the thymus and spleen in the immune system of the clawed toad (xenopus laevis, daudin)

1) A thymus-independent alioimmune system emerges early in the life of the clawed toad, independent of changes in the lymphoid system occurring at metamorphosis. Studies in Chapter 2 on first and second-set allograft rejection, both in larvae blocked from metamorphosing and in normally developing toads, show that there is no qualitative difference between the larval and adult allo-immune response. 2) In the intact adult, the spleen is shown to be a major site of cellular reactivity following allografting. Spleen transfer experiments between mutually tolerant partners demonstrate that this reactivity has an immunological basis. Preliminary studies in Chapter 3 implicate the spleen as a site of alioimmune memory.3) Work in Chapter 4 employs the sensitive ICA technique for investigating the role of thymus and spleen in humoral immunity. RFC kinetics in the spleen following administration of different doses of sheep erythrocytes reveal a dose response curve more similar to that described in mammals than in other amphibian species. Higher immunegen doses result in more rapid and more elevated RFC production. Morphological characterisation of rosettes failed to distinguish separate functional populations (i.e. "helper" and antibody producing) of lymphocytes in Xenopus. Early thymectomy abrogates responsiveness to injected SRBC as measured by cellular proliferation and RFC levels.4) Chapter 5 identifies a critical role of the thymus throughout much of larval life in the maturation of humoral immunity. Thymectomy up to stage 53 abrogates RFC production to SRBC, and antibody production is impaired by thymectomy as late as stage 57. Thymectomy later at stage 52 has no effect on allograft responses. The larval thymus controls development of both alioimmunity and humoral immunity but commands the maturation of the latter for a more prolonged period of development. Adult thymectomy has no effect on SRBC responsiveness up to 250 days post-surgery. 5) Chapter 6 provides new insight into the ultrastructure of developing thymus and emphasises the rudimentary nature of this organ at the time when thymectomy is routinely performed

Examining the impact of a novel integrated care pathway for faecal incontinence on patients and within a National Health Service organisation

Background: Faecal incontinence (FI) is a common healthcare problem. The management of FI patients is widely reported as being disjointed. In response to this and governmental guidance, an integrated care pathway (ICP) was implemented at a local NHS trust. Aim: To assess how the implementation of a community-based ICP affects the key stakeholders and to observe the process of organisational change within the trust using normalization process theory (NPT). Methods: Mixed methodology combining semi-structured interviews of key stakeholders, narrative interviews with patients, focus group discussion, observational work and clinical quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis and the Framework Method, with NPT being used to structure the qualitative findings. Results: Key facilitators to the implementation of the ICP included clinical leadership, staff commitment, teamwork, adequate clinical capacity and good clinical outcomes. There was a delay in the implementation due to lack of organisational management input and key stakeholder time From a patient perspective, benefits were identified such as improved access to the service and symptom improvement. Conclusions: An ICP for FI could provide an answer to the long-standing issues that have blighted continence services. Patients report satisfaction based on improved access to the service alongside good clinical outcomes

An optical investigation into the effect of fuel spray, turbulent flow and flame propagation on DISI engine performance

There is currently considerable interest in new engine technologies to assist in the improvement of fuel economy and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from automotive vehicles. Within the current automotive market, legislative and economic forces are requiring automotive manufacturers to produce high performance engines with a reduced environmental impact and lower fuel consumption. To meet these targets, further understanding of the processes involved in in-cylinder combustion is required. This thesis discusses the effect of fuel spray structure, flame propagation and turbulent flow on DISI engine combustion. To investigate these flow processes within the fired single cylinder Jaguar optical engine a number of optical measurement techniques have been used, including high speed laser sheet flow visualisation (HSLSFV) and high speed digital particle image velocimetry (HSDPIV). Results obtained from dual location flame imaging has provided further understanding of the relationship between flame growth, engine performance and cycle-to-cycle variation. Detailed correlation analysis between flame growth speed and engine performance parameters demonstrated that it is the flow conditions local to the spark plug at the time of spark ignition that have greatest influence on combustion. It was also demonstrated that further gains in engine performance and stability can be achieved by optimising the fuel injection timing. The temporal and spatial development of flow field structures within the pent-roof combustion chamber at the time of spark ignition were quantified using HSDPIV. Decomposition analysis of the raw velocity data enabled the relationship between specific scales of turbulent flow structure and engine performance parameters to be investigated. Correlations between the high frequency turbulence component and pressure derivatives are shown, demonstrating that it is the frequencies of motion >600 Hz that have the greatest influence on early flame development and therefore rate of charge consumption, engine performance and combustion stability. A series of double fuel injection strategies were devised to investigate the potential for using the fuel injection event to influence flow field structures within the cylinder. Results demonstrated that while the fuel injection event had limited impact on bulk flow structures, there was an increase in turbulence post fuel injection, depending on the timing of the second injection pulse. However, this advantage was not sustained throughout the compression stroke to have significant impact on combustion. The final stage of research investigated fuel spray structure, flame propagation and charge motion at fuel impingement locations, comparing a single and triple injection strategy. A triple injection strategy is proposed that results in an improvement in the levels of fuel impingement on combustion chamber walls and a reduction in the high luminosity regions within the flame. Consequently, adopting the multiple injection strategy highlighted the potential for reducing unburned HC emissions and soot formation within homogeneous charge DISI engines

Weak and Straddling Secondary Nicotinic Synapses Can Drive Firing in Rat Sympathetic Neurons and Thereby Contribute to Ganglionic Amplification

Interactions between nicotinic excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) critically determine whether paravertebral sympathetic ganglia behave as simple synaptic relays or as integrative centers that amplify preganglionic activity. Synaptic connectivity in this system is characterized by an n + 1 pattern of convergence, where each ganglion cell receives one very strong primary input and a variable number (n) of weak secondary inputs that are subthreshold in strength. To test whether pairs of secondary nicotinic EPSPs can summate to fire action potentials (APs) and thus mediate ganglionic gain in the rat superior cervical ganglion, we recorded intracellularly at 34°C and used graded presynaptic stimulation to isolate individual secondary synapses. Weak EPSPs in 40 of 53 neurons had amplitudes of 0.5–7 mV (mean 3.5 ± 0.3 mV). EPSPs evoked by paired pulse stimulation were either depressing (n = 10), facilitating (n = 9), or borderline (n = 10). In 15 of 29 cells, pairs of weak secondary EPSPs initiated spikes when elicited within a temporal window <20 ms, irrespective of EPSP amplitude or paired pulse response type. In six other neurons, we observed novel secondary EPSPs that were strong enough to straddle spike threshold without summation. At stimulus rates <1 Hz straddling EPSPs appeared suprathreshold in strength. However, their limited ability to drive firing could be blocked by the afterhyperpolarization following an AP. When viewed in a computational context, these findings support the concept that weak and straddling secondary nicotinic synapses enable mammalian sympathetic ganglia to behave as use-dependent amplifiers of preganglionic activity

EuBrewNet – A European Brewer network (COST Action ES1207), an overview

COST Action ES1207, EuBrewNet, was proposed to coordinate Brewer spectrophotometer measurements of ozone, spectral UV and aerosol optical depth (AOD-UV) in the UV within Europe, and unite the ozone, UV and AOD communities, through a formally managed European Brewer Network capable of delivering a consistent, spatially homogeneous European data resource. With emphasis on the ozone measurements, an overview is given of new calibration and instrument characterization procedures, which are then incorporated into new algorithms for the determination of total column ozone taking account of non-linearities and stray light effects within the spectrometer. A new near real time database is described where all raw data are processed centrally and subjected to the same quality control criteria. Data products are produced in levels that reflect the stages of quality control applied from initial near real time to final archive quality for trend analysis. Work is ongoing to complete similar procedures for the UV and AOD-UV data products. Governance of the new network, which has already expanded beyond the boundaries of Europe, will be overseen directly by the WMO Scientific Advisory Groups

Organic Geochemical and Petrographic Analysis of Pure Macerals from the Ohio Shale

Recent advances now permit the separation of coal into constituent macerals of high purity using density gradient centrifugation (DGC). With the availability of pure macerals, the chemical structure of each can be investigated separately, without the interactive interference of the other macerals or mineral matter. The present study is a preliminary effort applying these methods to the study of oil shale kerogen. We have used a sample from the Huron Member of the Upper Devonian Ohio Shale from Logan County, Ohio. Whole rock petrographic examination revealed intact Tasmanites, telalginite of unknown derivation and a weakly fluorescing matrix. Pyrite is abundant, including framboidal and euhedral pyrite imbedded within macerals. The kerogen concentrate was subjected to DGC. The resulting profile shows a single, broad main peak, consisting of mixed telaginite, amorphinite and rare vitrinite. Variable amounts of entrapped minerals apparently account for the broad range of density within the peak, with the organic assemblage being fairly consistent. In future work, it is recommended that the kerogen be micronized prior to DOC to permit a cleaner separation. In order to investigate the chemistry of macerals, pyrolysis is preferred over simple extraction, since soluble native bitumen is mobile and may migrate from the maceral of origin into a neighboring one, acting as a natural contaminant. Pyrolysis techniques assure that the data reflect the nature of indigenous material only. The Ohio Shale kerogen and 4 DGC fractions were subjected to micro-scale, anhydrous, in vitro pyrolysis, followed by GCMS of the saturate and aromatic LC fractions of the pyrolyzate. The 4 DGC fractions are nearly identical in both their saturate and aromatic molecular distributions, consistent with the petrographic observations. To further demonstrate the efficacy of the method, a pure sporinite isolated from a coal in the Pennsylvanian Brazil Formation of Indiana was also analyzed. The sporinite pyrolyzate can readily be distinguished from that of the Ohio Shale alginite by the distributions of n-alkanes, isoprenoids, phyllocladane derivatives, extended tricyclic terpanes, hopanes, moretanes, steranes, alkylbenzenes and thiophene derivatives. Py-LC-GCMS is an effective and versatile characterization tool, as it provides a great number of molecular parameters

An experimental study into the effect of the pilot injection timing on the performance and emissions of a high-speed common-rail dual-fuel engine

Dual fuel technology has the potential to offer significant improvements in emissions of carbon dioxide from light-duty compression ignition engines. In these smaller capacity high speed engines, where the combustion event can be temporally shorter, the injection timing can have an important effect on the performance and emissions characteristics of the engine. This paper discusses the use of a 0.51-litre single-cylinder high speed direct injection diesel engine modified to achieve port directed gas injection. The effect of pilot diesel injection timing on dual fuel engine performance and emissions was investigated at engine speeds of 1500 and 2500 rpm and loads equivalent to 0.15, 0.3, 0.45 and 0.6 MPa gross indicated mean effective pressure, for a fixed gas substitution ratio (on an energy basis) of 50%. Furthermore, the effect of pilot injection quantity was investigated at a constant engine speed of 1500 rpm by completing a gaseous substitution sweep at the optimised injection timing for each load condition. The results identify the limits of single injection timing during dual fuel combustion and the gains in engine performance and stability that can be achieved through optimisation of the pilot injection timing. Furthermore, pilot injection timing and quantity were shown to have fundamental effects on the formation and emission of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and total hydrocarbons. The potential for dual fuel combustion to achieve significant reductions in specific CO2 was also highlighted, with reductions of up to 30% being achieved at full load compared to the baseline diesel case

Floppy aortic graft reconstruction for germ cell tumor invasion of the infrarenal aorta

AbstractSignificant aortic invasion by metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors can present difficult problems intraoperatively in attempted curative retroperitoneal lymph node dissection. Aortic replacement with Dacron graft has been a successful method of dealing with this predicament. We describe a new approach of intraoperative floppy aortic graft reconstruction in a young patient with testicular germ cell cancer in whom a 14 cm pseudoaneurysm involving the infrarenal aorta developed after four courses of preoperative chemotherapy. This technique prevents significant lower extremity and pelvic ischemia during resection of the aorta and retroperitoneal tumor while providing the urologic surgeon with excellent exposure and minimal interference from the aortic graft. (J Vasc Surg 2003;37:889-91.

The European COST Action EUBrewNet: towards consistency in quality control, quality assurance and coordinated operations of the Brewer Instrument

Presentación realizada en: 10th meeting of the Ozone Research Managers (ORM) como parte de "Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer", celebrado en Ginebra (Suiza) del 28 al 30 de marzo de 2017