Operation of a forced circulation, croloy 9 m, mercury loop to study corrosion product separation techniques

Forced circulation, Croloy 9M mercury loop designed to investigate corrosion product separation technique

Resilience Management: A Framework for Assessing and Improving the Resilience of Organisations

Resilient Organisations Research Report 2007/01Organisations today are increasingly aware of the need to prepare for the unexpected. High profile international events of the last decade, such as the September 11th terrorist attacks, the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the emerging threat of a pandemic all serve to remind organisations that the unimaginable can and does happen. Stories emerge from these events of organisations that survived or failed; at first glance there does not appear to be a particular pattern. Some survivors had excellent disaster response plans in place; others had none, surviving purely on the merits of strong leadership and the commitment and determination of staff. Many organisations that are devastated simply never reopen again; others evolve so radically that they are hard to recognise from their pre-crisis form. This research project seeks to explore what it is that makes some organisations more able to survive a major crisis than others, and suggests a framework for both evaluating and improving the resilience of individual organisations

Exploring Parental Perceptions of Self-Efficacy, Role Modeling and Factors Contributing to Family Health Practices from an Employer-Provided Family Weight Management Program: A Mixed Methods Study

Parents provide a social learning environment where family nutrition, eating habits and physical activity are largely influenced by and correlated with parental modeling of these behaviors. Increasing self-efficacy is an important component in parents being role models because theoretically, it promotes cognitive change that supports their confidence and ability to modify behaviors that contributes to healthier family practices and biometric outcomes. Phase one of this sequential two-phase study used biometric data (body mass index [BMI], cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure) from parents (N = 37) participating in their employer’s family wellness initiative as dependent variables. Parental perceptions of nutrition, eating habits, and physical activity related to self-efficacy and role modeling collected via a survey questionnaire served as the independent variables. Correlation analysis indicated significant associations between BMI and nutrition self-efficacy, eating habits self-efficacy and eating habits role modeling. Linear regression analysis showed that nutrition self-efficacy and eating habits role modeling were significant predictors of BMI. A repeated measures t test revealed statistically, attending the family health and weight management program may help participants reduce their BMI, cholesterol, and diastolic blood pressure readings. Phase two used multiple cases (parents, n = 12) that were selected for interviews using purposeful sampling based on their scores reflecting high and low ranges on the self-efficacy and role modeling subscales from the surveys. Each interview was transcribed, coded using the constant comparative method, and individually analyzed for themes. Cross-case synthesis was used to analyze all the cases for commonality and variations. As a result of the findings, participants may be inclined to continue participating in wellness programs because the employer provides opportunities to assist families in their efforts to build confidence and demonstrate role modeling behaviors. The correlations and predictive results in phase one may help substantiate the benefits of participating in the program. Findings from phase two indicated parents acknowledged their role as leaders in creating environments that assist their families in establishing healthy behaviors and voluntarily engaged in this program because it provided assistance and projected them in the right direction for their family to be successful with health and weight management concerns

Bisphosphonate-Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles for Contrast-Enhanced X-Ray Detection of Breast Microcalcifications

Microcalcifications are one of the most common abnormalities detected by mammography for the diagnosis of breast cancer. However, the detection of microcalcifications and correct diagnosis of breast cancer are limited by the sensitivity and specificity of mammography. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the potential of bisphosphonate-functionalized gold nanoparticles (BP-Au NPs) for contrast-enhanced radiographic detection of breast microcalcifications using two models of breast microcalcifications which allowed for precise control over levels of hydroxyapatite (HA) mineral within a low attenuating matrix. First, an in vitro imaging phantom was prepared with varying concentrations of HA uniformly dispersed in an agarose hydrogel. The X-ray attenuation of HA-agarose compositions labeled by BP-Au NPs was increased by up to 26 HU compared to unlabeled compositions for HA concentrations ranging from 1–10 mg/mL. Second, an ex vivo tissue model was developed to more closely mimic the heterogeneity of breast tissue by injecting varying concentrations of HA in a Matrigel carrier into murine mammary glands. The X-ray attenuation of HA-Matrigel compositions labeled by BP-Au NPs was increased by up to 289 HU compared to unlabeled compositions for HA concentrations ranging from 0.5–25 mg/mL, which included an HA concentration (0.5 mg/mL) that was otherwise undetectable by micro-computed tomography. Cumulatively, both models demonstrated the ability of BP-Au NPs to enhance contrast for radiographic detection of microcalcifications, including at a clinically-relevant imaging resolution. Therefore, BP-Au NPs may have potential to improve clinical detection of breast microcalcifications by mammography

Organisational resilience following the Darfield earthquake of 2010

This paper presents the preliminary findings of a study on the resilience and recovery of organisations following the Darfield earthquake in New Zealand on 4 September 2010. Sampling included organisations proximal and distal to the fault trace, organisations located within central business districts, and organisations from seven diverse industry sectors. The research captured information on the challenges to, the impacts on, and the reflections of the organisations in the first months of recovery. Organisations in central business districts and in the hospitality sector were most likely to close while organisations that had perishable stock and livestock were more heavily reliant on critical services. Staff well-being, cash flow, and customer loss were major concerns for organisations across all sectors. For all organisations, the most helpful factors in mitigating the effects of the earthquake to be their relationship with staff, the design and type of buildings, and critical service continuity or swift reinstatement of services

Effects of bisphosphonate ligands and PEGylation on targeted delivery of gold nanoparticles for contrast-enhanced radiographic detection of breast microcalcifications

A preclinical murine model of hydroxyapatite (HA) breast microcalcifications (µcals), which are an important clinical biomarker for breast cancer detection, was used to investigate the independent effects of high affinity bisphosphonate (BP) ligands and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer on targeted delivery of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for contrast-enhanced radiographic detection. The addition of BP ligands to PEGylated Au NPs (BP-PEG-Au NPs) resulted in five-fold greater binding affinity for targeting HA µcals, as expected, due to the strong binding affinity of BP ligands for calcium. Therefore, BP-PEG-Au NPs were able to target HA µcals in vivo after intramammary delivery, which enabled contrast-enhanced radiographic detection of µcals in both normal and radiographically dense mammary tissues similar to previous results for BP-Au NPs, while PEG-Au NPs did not. The addition of a PEG spacer between the BP targeting ligand and Au NP surface enabled improved in vivo clearance. PEG-Au NPs and BP-PEG-Au NPs were cleared from all mammary glands (MGs) and control MGs, respectively, within 24–48 h after intramammary delivery, while BP-Au NPs were not. PEGylated Au NPs were slowly cleared from MGs by lymphatic drainage and accumulated in the spleen. Histopathology revealed uptake of PEG-Au NPs and BP-PEG-Au NPs by macrophages in the spleen, liver, and MGs; there was no evidence of toxicity due to the accumulation of NPs in organs and tissues compared with untreated controls for up to 28 days after delivery

Wolbachia infections in native and introduced populations of fire ants (Solenopsis spp.)

Wolbachia are cytoplasmically inherited bacteria that induce a variety of effects with fitness consequences on host arthropods, including cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, male-killing and feminization. We report here the presence of Wolbachia in native South American populations of the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, but the apparent absence of the bacteria in introduced populations of this pest species in the USA. The Wolbachia strains in native S. invicta are of two divergent types (A and B), and the frequency of infection varies dramatically between geographical regions and social forms of this host. Survey data reveal that Wolbachia also are found in other native fire ant species within the Solenopsis saevissima species complex from South America, including S. richteri. This latter species also has been introduced in the USA, where it lacks Wolbachia. Sequence data reveal complete phylogenetic concordance between mtDNA haplotype in S. invicta and Wolbachia infection type (A or B). In addition, the mtDNA and associated group A Wolbachia strain in S. invicta are more closely related to the mtDNA and Wolbachia strain found in S. richteri than they are to the mtDNA and associated group B Wolbachia in S. invicta. These data are consistent with historical introgression of S. richteri cytoplasmic elements into S. invicta populations, resulting in enhanced infection and mtDNA polymorphisms in S. invicta. Wolbachia may have significant fitness effects on these hosts (either directly or by cytoplasmic incompatibility) and therefore these microbes potentially could be used in biological control programmes to suppress introduced fire ant populations