The evolution of a national research plan for computers in education in The Netherlands

This paper describes the evolution of a national research plan for computers and education in The Netherlands. This approach was initiated in 1983 and includes two phases: one from 1984 until 1988 and one from 1989 until 1992. The paper describes the research plans for the second phase, based upon the experiences of the first, and draws some general conclusions about the development of national research plans for computers in education

Review of aquaculture and fish consumption in Bangladesh

Fish play a crucial role in the Bangladeshi diet, providing more than 60% of animal source food, representing a crucial source of micro-nutrients, and possessing an extremely strong cultural attachment. Fish (including shrimp and prawn) is the second most valuable agricultural crop, and its production contributes to the livelihoods and employment of millions. The culture and consumption of fish therefore has important implications for national food and nutrition security, poverty and growth. This review examines the current state of knowledge on the aquaculture sector and fish consumption in Bangladesh, based on extensive analysis of secondary sources (including unpublished data unavailable elsewhere), consultation with various experts and specially conducted surveys. The review is comprised of three sections. Section 1 describes the main systems of aquaculture production in terms of their technical and social characteristics and outputs. Section 2 addresses issues relating to seed and feed. The final section analyses fish consumption patterns and demand, and attempts to estimate the volumes of fish produced from a range of sources.Food fish, Aquaculture, Food consumption, Fish consumption, Pond culture, Rice field aquaculture, Bangladesh,

In situ hybridisation and S1 mapping show that the presence of infiltrating plasma cells is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer.

In order to identify potential markers of prognosis in breast cancer, representative cDNA libraries were constructed using RNA isolated from primary breast tumour tissue associated with good and poor prognosis. Cross-screening of these libraries repeatedly identified cloned mRNA species associated with the immune system, in particular B-cells, in libraries derived from tumours of poor prognosis. We have used one of these a kappa IV light chain cDNA probe, in two complementary studies to investigate the relationship between immunoglobin gene expression and prognosis. The results obtained using a combination of S1 mapping, RNA blotting and in situ hybridisation demonstrate that the presence of plasma cells, as defined by infiltrating cells which express high levels of immunoglobulin kappa-chain mRNA, is associated with a poor prognosis

Imaging photomultiplier array with integrated amplifiers and high-speed USB interface

Multianode photomultiplier tube (PMT) arrays are finding application as convenient high-speed light sensitive devices for plasma imaging. This paper describes the development of a USB-based "plug-n-play" 16-channel PMT camera with 16 bits simultaneous acquisition of 16 signal channels at rates up to 2 MSs per channel. The preamplifiers and digital hardware are packaged in a compact housing which incorporates magnetic shielding, on-board generation of the high-voltage PMT bias, an optical filter mount and slits, and F-mount lens adaptor. Triggering, timing, and acquisition are handled by four field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) under instruction from a master FPGA controlled by a computer with a LABVIEW interface. We present technical design details and specifications and illustrate performance with high-speed images obtained on the H-1 heliac at the ANU

A three-dimensional parabolic equation model of sound propagation using higher-order operator splitting and Padé approximants

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 132 (2012): EL364-EL370, doi:10.1121/1.4754421.An alternating direction implicit (ADI) three-dimensional fluid parabolic equation solution method with enhanced accuracy is presented. The method uses a square-root Helmholtz operator splitting algorithm that retains cross-multiplied operator terms that have been previously neglected. With these higher-order cross terms, the valid angular range of the parabolic equation solution is improved. The method is tested for accuracy against an image solution in an idealized wedge problem. Computational efficiency improvements resulting from the ADI discretization are also discussed.This work was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research under Grant Nos. N00014-10-1-0040 and N00014-11-1-0701

Studies of resonantly produced plasmas in the H-1NF heliac using a far-infrared scanning interferometer

The H-1NF heliac regularly operates using the ion cyclotron range of frequencies at 0.5 T to produce plasmas with a mixture of hydrogen and helium gases. Due to the complex three-dimensional structure of the magnetic fluxsurfaces, these plasmas require sophisticated diagnostic systems, with good spatial coverage, to extract meaningful physical information. This article presents a study of the dependence of the plasma density profile on resonant heating conditions and magnetic configuration, using a far-infrared scanning interferometer. Recent modifications to the system and data that illustrate the performance of the interferometer will be discussed