Study of nonequilibrium two-phase flow of a gas-particle mixture Technical note no. 2

Two-phase nonequilibrium flow of particle suspensions in gaseous mediu

Modelling macronutrient dynamics in the Hampshire Avon river: a Bayesian approach to estimate seasonal variability and total flux

The macronutrients nitrate and phosphate are aquatic pollutants that arise naturally, however, in excess concentrations they can be harmful to human health and ecosystems. These pollutants are driven by river currents and show dynamics that are affected by weather patterns and extreme rainfall events. As a result, the nutrient budget in the receiving estuaries and coasts can change suddenly and seasonally, causing ecological damage to resident wildlife and fish populations. In this paper, we propose a statistical change-point model with interactions between time and river flow, to capture the macronutrient dynamics and their responses to river flow threshold behaviour. It also accounts for the nonlinear effect of water quality properties via nonparametric penalised splines. This model enables us to estimate the daily levels of riverine macronutrient fluxes and their seasonal and annual totals. In particular, we present a study of macronutrient dynamics on the Hampshire Avon River, which flows to the southern coast of the UK through the Christchurch Harbour estuary. We model daily data for more than a year during 2013-14 in which period there were multiple severe meteorological conditions leading to localised flooding. Adopting a Bayesian inference framework, we have quantified riverine macronutrient fluxes based on input river flow values. Out of sample empirical validation methods justify our approach, which captures also the dependencies of macronutrient concentrations with water body characteristics

Therapy for Auditory Processing Impairment in Aphasia: An evaluation of two approaches

Purpose: This study evaluated two forms of discrimination therapy for auditory processing impairment in aphasia. It aimed to determine whether therapy can improve speech perception and/or help participants use semantic information to compensate for their impairment. Changes in listening were also explored by recording the level of facilitation needed during therapy tasks. Finally the study examined the effect of therapy on an everyday listening activity: a telephone message task. Method: The study employed a repeated measures design. Eight participants received 12 sessions each of phonological and semantic-phonological therapy. Both programmes used minimal pair judgement tasks, but the latter embedded such tasks within a meaningful context, so encouraged the strategic use of semantic information (semantic bootstrapping). Experimental measures of auditory discrimination and comprehension were administered twice before therapy, once after each programme, and again six weeks later. The telephone message task was also administered at each time point. Test data were subjected to both group and individual analyses. Records of progress during therapy (i.e changes in support needed to carry out therapy tasks) were completed during treatment and analysed across the group. Results: Group analyses showed no significant changes in tests of word and nonword discrimination as a result of therapy. One comprehension task improved following therapy, but two did not. There was also no indication that therapy improved the discrimination of treated words, as assessed by a priming task. The facilitation scores indicated that participants needed less support during tasks as therapy progressed, possibly as a result of improved listening. There was a significant effect of time on the telephone message task. Across all tasks there were few individual gains. Conclusions: The results offer little evidence that therapy improved participants’ discrimination or semantic bootstrapping skills. Some changes in listening may have occurred, as indicated by the facilitation scores. Reasons for the null findings are discussed

Stakeholder mobilisation and sports stadium regeneration: antecedent factors underpinning the formation of the Our Tottenham community network

Research question: Within sport management, there is a lack of empirical research on the reasons why stakeholders mobilise. This article identifies four antecedent factors underpinning the formation of the Our Tottenham community network: a network formed by community groups in Tottenham to challenge, inter-alia, the stadium-led regeneration scheme. Research methods: The research draws on a longitudinal, qualitative case study, involving interviews, participant observation of community meetings, and analysis of documents. Results and Findings: Four factors underpinned the development of the Our Tottenham community network. The erosion of local democracy and the violation of reciprocity are categorised as reactive forces, in which mobilisation occurred as a response to the behaviour of the Council and the football club. Protecting community interests and increasing salience were driven more by the needs of the community and are categorised as proactive forces underpinning mobilisation. Implications: In the context of this case study, we argue that mobilising efforts occurred due to the presence of both reactive and proactive forces. This helped the Our Tottenham network to build a salient stakeholder coalition. The findings also suggest that focal organisations need to recognise how their behaviour can create the antecedent conditions for stakeholder mobilisation and put in place structures that enable community stakeholders to have a voice during stadium-led regeneration

ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in 24 neonatal units and associated networks in the south of England: no clustering of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in units or networks.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to characterize ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae present in 24 neonatal units (NNUs) in eight networks participating in a multicentre probiotic study and to test the hypothesis that specific strains would cluster within individual units and networks. METHODS: We performed analysis of stool samples for the presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae at 2 weeks post-natal age and 36 weeks post-menstrual age. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae were characterized and typed using molecular methods. RESULTS: ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (n = 71) were isolated from 67/1229 (5.5%) infants from whom we received a sample at either sampling time or both sampling times, and from infants in 18 (75%) of the 24 recruiting NNUs. Thirty-three Escherichia coli, 23 Klebsiella spp. and 6 Enterobacter spp. strains were characterized. ESBL-producing E. coli were all distinguishable within individual NNUs by antibiotic resistance genotype, serogroup (O25b), phenotype, phylotype or ST. Ten of the 33 were ST131 and 9 of the 10 ST131 isolates were ciprofloxacin resistant. Seven of the 10 ST131 isolates carried genes encoding CTX-M group 1 enzymes. ST131 isolates were isolated from centres within five of the eight NNU networks. There were clusters of indistinguishable ESBL-producing Klebsiella and Enterobacter isolates associated with specific NNUs. CONCLUSIONS: Strains of E. coli ST131 were distributed across neonatal networks in the south of England. There was no evidence of clustering of clonally related ESBL-producing E. coli strains, by contrast with Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp., which did cluster within units. The possibility that ESBL-producing E. coli strains are spread by vertical transmission requires further investigation

Journal Staff

This paper discusses the effect of high level multi-tone acoustic excitation on the acoustic properties of perforates. It is based on a large experimental study of the nonlinear properties of these types of samples without mean grazing or bias flow. Compared to previously published results the present investigation concentrates on the effect of multiple harmonics. It is known from previous studies that high level acoustic excitation at one frequency will change the acoustic impedance of perforates at other frequencies, thereby changing the boundary condition seen by the acoustic waves. This effect could be used to change the impedance boundary conditions and for instance increase the absorption. It could obviously also pose a problem for the correct modelling of sound transmission through ducts lined with such impedance surfaces. Experimental results are compared to a quasi-stationary model. The effect of the combination of frequency components and phase in the excitation signal is studied.QC 20131030</p