Mechanical properties of wool and cotton yarns used in twenty-first century tapestry: preparing for the future by understanding the present

The conservation of historic tapestries is a complex and highly skilled task. Tapestries now being woven will need conservation in years to come. Can we, by understanding the properties of these contemporary works, assist the conservators of the future? The recreation of the Hunt of the Unicorn tapestries being undertaken by the West Dean Tapestry Studio offers a unique opportunity to access the materials being used and to create a body of data on their initial properties. This study uses tensile testing of the warp and weft materials to determine their maximum load at break, extension at maximum load, and specific stress (tenacity). Wool weft yarns from two different sources and of two thicknesses were examined. These wools were dyed ‘in house’ and the effect of the different dyes used was also assessed. These parameters all showed some significant (P < 0.05) differences. Cotton warp yarns of differing thickness and a gold thread were also tested. The comparison of how cotton and wool break demonstrates that when a tapestry is put under sufficient stress the cotton will snap but the wool may only stretch. However, this could often be beyond its recovery range resulting in a failure to return to shape

High-resolution mapping of heteroduplex DNA formed during UV-induced and spontaneous mitotic recombination events in yeast.

In yeast, DNA breaks are usually repaired by homologous recombination (HR). An early step for HR pathways is formation of a heteroduplex, in which a single-strand from the broken DNA molecule pairs with a strand derived from an intact DNA molecule. If the two strands of DNA are not identical, there will be mismatches within the heteroduplex DNA (hetDNA). In wild-type strains, these mismatches are repaired by the mismatch repair (MMR) system, producing a gene conversion event. In strains lacking MMR, the mismatches persist. Most previous studies involving hetDNA formed during mitotic recombination were restricted to one locus. Below, we present a global mapping of hetDNA formed in the MMR-defective mlh1 strain. We find that many recombination events are associated with repair of double-stranded DNA gaps and/or involve Mlh1-independent mismatch repair. Many of our events are not explicable by the simplest form of the double-strand break repair model of recombination

Smallholder Household Maize Production and Marketing Behavior in Zambia: Implications for Policy

CSO/MACO nationally-representative rural surveys provide important insights on smallholder crop marketing behavior from the 2001 and 2004 harvests. Only about 25 percent of smallholder farmers in Zambia sold maize in both seasons, and about 15-20 percent of smallholders sold fresh horticulture as well as groundnuts, with 11-13 percent selling cassava. From 6-10 percent of farmers produced and sold cotton. Overall, Zambian smallholder agriculture has become more diversified over the past decade, with maize, cassava, groundnuts, cotton, horticultural crops, and animal products all becoming important sources of cash revenue as well as production for home consumption (except, of course, cotton). Importantly in both seasons studied, horticulture crop sales are roughly equivalent to the value of maize sales nationwide There is substantial variation in farm income and off-farm income across small farm households, owing to disparities in landholding size, other productive assets, and variables affecting access to markets. Two percent of all smallholder farms nationwide accounted for over 40% of all the maize sold by smallholder households in Zambia in 2000/01 and 2003/04. This same two percent of smallholder households also accounted for about 17% and 20% of the total value of all crop sales of the smallholder sector. Poverty reduction policy options are severely constrained by these production and marketing patterns especially if operating though programs that raise market prices for sellers and buyers.food security, food policy, Zambia, maize, production, marketing, Crop Production/Industries, Q20,

Tables Don Fine Feathers

The table of today is leaning away from the conventional white damask to the startling blues, greens, reds, stripes, checks and flowers. Even the semi-formal dinner table offers the surprise combination of a navy blue tablecloth as a background for white chinaware

An exploration of attitudes about readmission to a psychiatric hospital

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Constraining the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure through the Federalism Canons of Statutory Interpretation

The doctrine for deciding when to apply the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to state claims heard in federal court has become a quagmire of exceptions and ephemeral distinctions, in large measure due to the persistent difficulty courts have in separating substantive rules from procedural ones in an era where special procedural rules are often used as an essential regulatory tool in state governance. This article examines the power of Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to displace contrary state law in diversity cases by focusing on the limited functional competence of the Supreme Court and its Advisory Committee to displace state policymaking decisions through the federal rulemaking process. It demonstrates that applying canons of statutory construction to the Rules Enabling Act that focus upon congressional intent and the political safeguards of federalism reveals the narrowness of the federal rulemaking power in the Enabling Act. It argues that reading the Enabling Act through a presumption against preemption and “clear statement” rules resonates with the core principles underlying the modern understanding of Erie Railroad Co. v. Tompkins. This article concludes that the Court has no power under the Enabling Act to undermine state policymaking in areas left by Congress to the states that fall within the states’ historic police powers, regardless whether the Rules themselves only purport to regulate procedural matters within the federal courts. In areas within the states’ police power to regulate the general welfare, where Congress has left regulation to the states and the states have chosen to use the litigation process itself to shape social, economic, or political goals, the states’ policies should prevail over the Federal Rules in diversity cases heard in federal court, even though the manner the states have used to effect such governance might conflict with the Federal Rules

A Matter of Time: an Investigation into the Learning and Teaching of Time in the Middle Primary Years

This is a report into the investigation of the learning and teaching of time in the middle years of primary school. The study began with the identification of the major Components for a clear understanding of time by investigating the purposes for and tools by which time has been measured over the centuries. Having identified the major Components of time as Awareness of time, Succession, Duration and Measurement of time, key ideas that gave additional information about each major Component were drawn from the literature and listed. A Framework for the Learning and Teaching of Time was developed incorporating each of the major Components and the accompanying key ideas. To investigate what students in Years 3 and 4 understood about time, a one-to-one task based interview was developed and trialled based on the major Components of Succession, Duration and Measurement of time. An Awareness of time was deemed to be incorporated into each item as students in Year 3 and 4 were assumed to have an understanding of Awareness of time. The responses given by the students to each interview item were scored according to pre-determined responses; 2 points for a response that demonstrated a clear understanding, 1 point for demonstrating a partial understanding, and 0 points if no understanding was demonstrated. Twenty-seven students from a Year 3/4 class in a Victorian regional city school were interviewed using the one-to-one task based interview as a means of ascertaining the understanding of time students at this year level could demonstrate. The responses to each interview item were analysed with the lowest scoring items being considered the most challenging items. Following design research methodology an eight-lesson intervention for the Year 3/4 class was planned and implemented focussing on the lowest scoring items from the students’ interview scores. Post-intervention interviews were conducted three weeks after the intervention with the results of each student and each item compared. Each student increased their total scores, although not all students improved on every item. The lessons were analysed to identify the pedagogies and experiences that appeared to enhance student understanding. Introducing each lesson with the reading of a children’s book that focussed on the lesson foci; physical involvement; manipulating materials and equipment; the use of correct terminology; group work, discussion, self-reflections on their learning; and sufficient time to complete a variety of activities were shown to be advantageous to the students’ learning. This research provides insights into Year 3 and 4 students’ understanding of time. It is of benefit to both teachers and researchers as it gives greater direction to the learning and teaching of time than has been previously available