Thin FRP/GFRC structural elements

This paper presents background work leading to the development of thin structural elements made of GFRC (Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete) reinforced with FRP (Fiber Reinforced Polymer) bars. Such thin structural elements are suitable for a variety of applications such as cladding, security screens, etc, but this paper focuses on their use as permanent formwork. The first part of the paper deals with optimising a uniform thickness GFRC section to achieve maximum flexural capacity at minimum weight. The second part deals with the interaction between FRP and GFRC, in particular with the issues of bond. The third part presents the performance of a 3 m span thin GFRC permanent formwork panel system reinforced with FRP. Both experimental and analytical studies are presented and it is concluded that FRP/GFRC thin structural elements can be designed using conventional techniques requiring only the use of appropriate material characteristics

Contractarian Methods in Political and Legal Evaluation

The discussion of John Rawls\u27s work over the last twenty years has made contractarianism a familiar term in political theory.\u27 But although Rawls\u27s work was rooted in the familiar social contract theories of Locke, Rousseau and Kant and although other theorists have made some use of the approach, the general discussion of the concept of contractarian argument in the modem literature has remained focused on Rawls\u27s particular conception of it. Criticisms of Rawls\u27s theory have been assumed to be criticisms of contractarianism in general, and the limitations in Rawls\u27s use of the social contract idea have been assumed to be limitations that any contractarian would encounter. In part, this is because Rawls himself has contributed so much in his more recent writings to the critical discussion of the methods used in A Theory of Justice. We think it is time, however, for the discussion of contractarianism to be detached from the analysis of that particular work, so that it can be considered on its merits as a general approach to political and legal evaluation. Our aim in this article is to present contractarianism in an attractive light. But we do not assume that there is just one contractarian method. There are many, and a consideration of contractarianism as a general theoretical approach involves a consideration of the differences among these various methods and the choices that must be made in their design. In this article, we consider some of those choices-between negative and positive contractarianism; hypothetical, tacit and actual consent; holistic and particular evaluations; rational choice and Rousseauian assumptions about the motivation of the contracting parties, and so on. These choices raise issues with which any particular contractarian conception must deal

Competent women, subliminal group hierarchies and executive leadership

Objective: We analysed the experiences of successful executive women leaders to ascertain how they attained appointments to roles as high as the C-suite and boardroom. Theoretical focus: Sociologists use ‘status characteristics theory’ (SCT) to explain the influence of status beliefs based on salient characteristics, such as gender, on the assessment of a person’s competency in group task situations (Berger et al. 1980). SCT suggests women can elevate their position from their stereotypically assigned place in the subliminal group hierarchy by shortening the path of relevance (Berger et al. 1980) between perceptions of their gender and their competence to perform a leadership role. Research question: What strategies do successful executive women use to overcome subliminal, gender-influenced assessments of their leadership competency? Method: In 2016, we interviewed 25 women who held positions within the executive suite and/or on the Board of Australian companies and government departments. A thematic analysis adhering to a ‘contextualist’ approach (Braun & Clarke, 2006) was applied to examine the participants’ responses. Major conclusions: The women demonstrated their competence via two overarching strategies: active demonstrations with associated internal dialogues. Under these two strategies sit four sets of mirror-imaged tactics: balanced career choices; outcome driven; image management; and leveraged relationships. Combined, these inputs reflect physical and mental manoeuvres women have used to achieve shortened paths of relevance, suggesting that they reconfigured the cognitive, stereotypical status assessment of being less competent than the men in the group, to being viewed as a person capable of an executive leadership role

Kim Waldron : Travail, espoir et honnêteté

« Dans cette biographie lucide, l'artiste et immigrante de première génération Kim Waldron explore son histoire familiale -- héritage qu'elle a jadis contesté, mais qui a malgré tout façonné son caractère. » -- quatrième de couverture

Kim Waldron : Honesty, Hope & Hard Work

"In this insightful memoir, first-generation immigrant and artist Kim Waldron explores the ways she has defied, and is ultimately defined by, her family history" -- p. [4] of cover

The Do-It-Yourself Cookbook

"The Do-It-Yourself Cookbook houses the Beautiful Creatures project - a series of photographs and artworks that question our profound disconnection to the food we eat. In order to understand how animals are transformed into the meat we consume, I put myself in the shoes of the slaughterer, the butcher and the cook during a one-month residency at English Harbour Art Centre in Newfoundland" -- p. 10

Identification of furfural resistant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces paradoxus from a collection of environmental and industrial isolates

Background Fermentation of bioethanol using lignocellulosic biomass as a raw material provides a sustainable alternative to current biofuel production methods by utilising waste food streams as raw material. Before lignocellulose can be fermented it requires physical, chemical and enzymatic treatment in order to release monosaccharides, a process that causes the chemical transformation of glucose and xylose into the cyclic aldehydes furfural and hydroxyfurfural. These furan compounds are potent inhibitors of Saccharomyces fermentation, and consequently furfural tolerant strains of Saccharomyces are required for lignocellulosic fermentation. Results This study investigated yeast tolerance to furfural and hydroxyfurfural using a collection of 71 environmental and industrial isolates of the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its closest relative Saccharomyces paradoxus. The Saccharomyces strains were initially screened for growth on media containing 100 mM glucose and 1.5 mg ml-1 furfural. Five strains were identified that showed a significant tolerance to growth in the presence of furfural and these were then screened for growth and ethanol production in the presence of increasing amounts (0.1-4 mg ml-1) of furfural. Conclusions Of the five furfural tolerant strains S. cerevisiae NCYC 3451 displayed the greatest furfural resistance, and was able to grow in the presence of up to 3.0 mg ml-1 furfural. Furthermore, ethanol production in this strain did not appear to be inhibited by furfural, with the highest ethanol yield observed at 3.0 mg ml-1 furfural. Although furfural resistance was not found to be a trait specific to any one particular lineage or population, three of the strains were isolated from environments where they might be continually exposed to low levels of furfural through the on-going natural degradation of lignocelluloses, and would therefore develop elevated levels of resistance to these furan compounds. Thus these strains represent good candidates for future studies of genetic variation relevant to understanding and manipulating furfural resistance and in the development of tolerant ethanologenic yeast strains for use in bioethanol production from lignocellulose processing

Intraosseous ameloblastoma masquerading as exophytic growth: a case report

Intraosseous ameloblastoma is the most common and simple type of ameloblastoma prevalent among odontogenic tumors. Clinico-radiographically intraosseous ameloblastoma presents as slow, painless swelling or expansion of the jaws and described as multilocular expansile radiolucency that occurs most frequently in mandibular molar/ramus area. This article describes a case of follicular ameloblastoma involving 45 year old male which is different from the usual presentation, which includes-exophytic growth, different location and without expansion of the cortex

Conformational and thermodynamic hallmarks of DNA operator site specificity in the copper sensitive operon repressor from Streptomyces lividans

Metal ion homeostasis in bacteria relies on metalloregulatory proteins to upregulate metal resistance genes and enable the organism to preclude metal toxicity. The copper sensitive operon repressor (CsoR) family is widely distributed in bacteria and controls the expression of copper efflux systems. CsoR operator sites consist of G-tract containing pseudopalindromes of which the mechanism of operator binding is poorly understood. Here, we use a structurally characterized CsoR from Streptomyces lividans (CsoRSl) together with three specific operator targets to reveal the salient features pertaining to the mechanism of DNA binding. We reveal that CsoRSl binds to its operator site through a 2-fold axis of symmetry centred on a conserved 5′-TAC/GTA-3′ inverted repeat. Operator recognition is stringently dependent not only on electropositive residues but also on a conserved polar glutamine residue. Thermodynamic and circular dichroic signatures of the CsoRSl-DNA interaction suggest selectivity towards the A-DNA-like topology of the G-tracts at the operator site. Such properties are enhanced on protein binding thus enabling the symmetrical binding of two CsoRSl tetramers. Finally, differential binding modes may exist in operator sites having more than one 5′-TAC/GTA-3′ inverted repeat with implications in vivo for a mechanism of modular control. © 2013 The Author(s)

Organizational guidance for the care of patients with head-and-neck cancer in Ontario.

Background: At the request of the Head and Neck Cancers Advisory Committee of Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), a working group and expert panel of clinicians with expertise in the management of head-and-neck cancer developed the present guideline. The purpose of the guideline is to provide advice about the organization and delivery of health care services for adult patients with head-and-neck cancer. Methods: This document updates the recommendations published in the Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) 2009 organizational guideline Results: To ensure that all patients have access to the highest standard of care available in Ontario, the guideline establishes the minimum requirements to maintain a head-and-neck disease site program. Recommendations are made about the membership of core and extended provider teams, minimum skill sets and experience of practitioners, cancer centre-specific and practitioner-specific volumes, multidisciplinary care requirements, and unique infrastructure demands. Conclusions: The recommendations contained in this document offer guidance for clinicians and institutions providing care for patients with head-and-neck cancer in Ontario, and for policymakers and other stakeholders involved in the delivery of health care services for head-and-neck cancer