Decision rules for the automated generation of storage strategies in data management systems

Thesis. 1975. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management.Bibliography: leaves 152-155.by Grant N Smith.M.S

Exploring factors influencing low back pain in people with non-dysvascular lower limb amputation: a national survey

Background: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal impairment in people with lower limb amputation. Given the multifactorial nature of LBP, exploring the factors influencing the presence and intensity of LBP is warranted. Objective: To investigate which physical, personal, and amputee-specific factors predicted presence and intensity of low back pain (LBP) in persons with non-dysvascular transfemoral (TFA) and transtibial amputation (TTA). Design: A retrospective cross-sectional survey. Setting: A national random sample of people with non-dysvascular TFA and TTA. Participants: Participants (N = 526) with unilateral TFA and TTA due to non-dysvascular aetiology (i.e. trauma, tumours, and congenital causes) and a minimum prosthesis usage of one year since amputation were invited to participate in the survey. The data from 208 participants (43.4% response rate) were used for multivariate regression analysis Methods (Independent variables): Personal (i.e. age, body mass, gender, work status, and presence of comorbid conditions), amputee-specific (i.e. level of amputation, years of prosthesis use, presence of phantom limb pain, residual limb problems, and non-amputated limb pain), and physical factors (i.e. pain provoking postures including standing, bending, lifting, walking,sitting, sit-to stand, and climbing stairs). Main outcome measures (Dependent variables): LBP presence and intensity. Results: A multivariate logistic regression model showed that the presence of two or more comorbid conditions (prevalence odds ratio (POR) = 4.34, p = .01), residual limb problems (POR 22 = 3.76, p<.01), and phantom limb pain (POR = 2.46, p = .01) influenced the presence of LBP. Given the high LBP prevalence (63%) in the study, there is a tendency for overestimation of PORand the results must be interpreted with caution. In those with LBP, the presence of residual limb problems (beta = 0.21, p = .01), and experiencing LBP symptoms during sit-to-stand task (beta = 0.22, p = .03) were positively associated with LBP intensity, while being employed demonstrated a negative association (beta = - 0.18, p = .03) in the multivariate linear regression model. Conclusions: Rehabilitation professionals should be cognisant of the influence that comorbid conditions, residual limb problems, and phantom pain have on the presence of LBP in people with non-dysvascular lower limb amputation. Further prospective studies could investigate the underlying causal mechanisms of LBP

Student consultancy projects playbook: learning outcomes and a framework for teaching practice in an international entrepreneurial context

Consultancy projects as an action learning method have become an integral part of management education at many business schools and universities. As an opportunity to apply management knowledge in practice, they have been proven to be a valuable experience when designed and executed adeptly by academics. Based on our activities and reflection as academics, and interviews with students and companies participating in five consultancy projects, this paper proposes a framework to execute student consultancy projects in the context of international entrepreneurship. Working with small, new, and innovative companies at a foreign location seeking to internationalise, the framework highlights the learning outcomes to be achieved by students along the consultancy process. Such outcomes may be cognitive including the integration of previous knowledge with practical insights, affective such as an appreciation of other’s views, and behavioural including the development of transferable communication and management skills. Additionally, the framework provides a guideline for the necessary teaching practice for managerial learning to take place. While the project’s team and client problem are critical, knowledgeable supervisors are needed especially at the beginning, while the level of intervention needs to be adjusted throughout the process

Identifying the Rules of Engagement Enabling Leukocyte Rolling, Activation, and Adhesion

The LFA-1 integrin plays a pivotal role in sustained leukocyte adhesion to the endothelial surface, which is a precondition for leukocyte recruitment into inflammation sites. Strong correlative evidence implicates LFA-1 clustering as being essential for sustained adhesion, and it may also facilitate rebinding events with its ligand ICAM-1. We cannot challenge those hypotheses directly because it is infeasible to measure either process during leukocyte adhesion following rolling. The alternative approach undertaken was to challenge the hypothesized mechanisms by experimenting on validated, working counterparts: simulations in which diffusible, LFA1 objects on the surfaces of quasi-autonomous leukocytes interact with simulated, diffusible, ICAM1 objects on endothelial surfaces during simulated adhesion following rolling. We used object-oriented, agent-based methods to build and execute multi-level, multi-attribute analogues of leukocytes and endothelial surfaces. Validation was achieved across different experimental conditions, in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo, at both the individual cell and population levels. Because those mechanisms exhibit all of the characteristics of biological mechanisms, they can stand as a concrete, working theory about detailed events occurring at the leukocyte–surface interface during leukocyte rolling and adhesion experiments. We challenged mechanistic hypotheses by conducting experiments in which the consequences of multiple mechanistic events were tracked. We quantified rebinding events between individual components under different conditions, and the role of LFA1 clustering in sustaining leukocyte–surface adhesion and in improving adhesion efficiency. Early during simulations ICAM1 rebinding (to LFA1) but not LFA1 rebinding (to ICAM1) was enhanced by clustering. Later, clustering caused both types of rebinding events to increase. We discovered that clustering was not necessary to achieve adhesion as long as LFA1 and ICAM1 object densities were above a critical level. Importantly, at low densities LFA1 clustering enabled improved efficiency: adhesion exhibited measurable, cell level positive cooperativity

First Neutrino Observations from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

The first neutrino observations from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are presented from preliminary analyses. Based on energy, direction and location, the data in the region of interest appear to be dominated by 8B solar neutrinos, detected by the charged current reaction on deuterium and elastic scattering from electrons, with very little background. Measurements of radioactive backgrounds indicate that the measurement of all active neutrino types via the neutral current reaction on deuterium will be possible with small systematic uncertainties. Quantitative results for the fluxes observed with these reactions will be provided when further calibrations have been completed.Comment: Latex, 7 pages, 10 figures, Invited paper at Neutrino 2000 Conference, Sudbury, Canada, June 16-21, 2000 to be published in the Proceeding

Constraints on Nucleon Decay via "Invisible" Modes from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have been used to constrain the lifetime for nucleon decay to ``invisible'' modes, such as n -> 3 nu. The analysis was based on a search for gamma-rays from the de-excitation of the residual nucleus that would result from the disappearance of either a proton or neutron from O16. A limit of tau_inv > 2 x 10^{29} years is obtained at 90% confidence for either neutron or proton decay modes. This is about an order of magnitude more stringent than previous constraints on invisible proton decay modes and 400 times more stringent than similar neutron modes.Comment: Update includes missing efficiency factor (limits change by factor of 2) Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Sheep Updates 2007 - part 4

This session covers eight papers from different authors: GRAZING 1. The impact of high dietary salt and its implications for the management of livestock grazing saline land, Dean Thomas, Dominique Blache, Dean Revell, Hayley Norman, Phil Vercoe, Zoey Durmic, Serina Digby, Di Mayberry, Megan Chadwick, Martin Sillence and David Masters, CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity, Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, WA. 2. Sustainable Grazing on Saline Lands - outcomes from the WA1 research project, H.C. Norman1,2, D.G. Masters1,2, R. Silberstein1,2, F. Byrne2,3, P.G.H. Nichols2,4, J. Young3, L. Atkins1,2, M.G. Wilmot1,2, A.J. Rintoul1,2, T. Lambert1,2, D.R. McClements2,4, P. Raper4, P. Ward1,2, C. Walton5 and T. York6 1CSIRO Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Wembley, WA 2CRC for Plant-based Management of Dryland Salinity. 3School of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Western Australia. 4Department of Agriculture and Food WA. 5Condering Hills, Yealering. 6Anameka Farms, Tammin. MEAT QUALITY 3. Development of intramuscular fat in prime lambs, young sheep and beef cattle, David Pethick1, David Hopkins2 and Malcolm McPhee3,1School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 2NSW Department of Primary Industries, Cowra, NSW,3NSW Dept. of Primary Industries, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 4. Importance of drinking water temperature for managing heat stress in sheep, Savage DB, Nolan JV, Godwin IR, Aoetpah A, Nguyen T, Baillie N and Lawler C University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia EWE MANAGEMENT TOOLS 5. E - sheep Management of Pregnant Merino Ewes and their Finishing Lambs, Ken GeentyA, John SmithA, Darryl SmithB, Tim DyallA and Grant UphillA A Sheep CRC and CSIRO Livestock Industries, Chiswick, NSW B Turretfield Research Station, SARDI, Roseworthy, SA 6. Is it important to manage ewes to CS targets? John Young, Farming Systems Analysis Service, Kojonup, WA MULESING 7. Mulesing accreditation - Vital for Wool\u27s Future, Dr Michael Paton, Department of Agriculture and Food WA, 8. Mulesing Alternatives, Jules Dorrian, Affiliation Project Manager Blowfly Control Australian Wool Inovatio

Measurement of the Total Active 8B Solar Neutrino Flux at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory with Enhanced Neutral Current Sensitivity

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) has precisely determined the total active (nu_x) 8B solar neutrino flux without assumptions about the energy dependence of the nu_e survival probability. The measurements were made with dissolved NaCl in the heavy water to enhance the sensitivity and signature for neutral-current interactions. The flux is found to be 5.21 +/- 0.27 (stat) +/- 0.38 (syst) x10^6 cm^{-2}s^{-1}, in agreement with previous measurements and standard solar models. A global analysis of these and other solar and reactor neutrino results yields Delta m^{2} = 7.1^{+1.2}_{-0.6}x10^{-5} ev^2 and theta = 32.5^{+2.4}_{-2.3} degrees. Maximal mixing is rejected at the equivalent of 5.4 standard deviations.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Electron Antineutrino Search at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Upper limits on the \nuebar flux at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have been set based on the \nuebar charged-current reaction on deuterium. The reaction produces a positron and two neutrons in coincidence. This distinctive signature allows a search with very low background for \nuebar's from the Sun and other potential sources. Both differential and integral limits on the \nuebar flux have been placed in the energy range from 4 -- 14.8 MeV. For an energy-independent \nu_e --> \nuebar conversion mechanism, the integral limit on the flux of solar \nuebar's in the energy range from 4 -- 14.8 MeV is found to be \Phi_\nuebar <= 3.4 x 10^4 cm^{-2} s^{-1} (90% C.L.), which corresponds to 0.81% of the standard solar model 8B \nu_e flux of 5.05 x 10^6 cm^{-2} s^{-1}, and is consistent with the more sensitive limit from KamLAND in the 8.3 -- 14.8 MeV range of 3.7 x 10^2 cm^{-2} s^{-1} (90% C.L.). In the energy range from 4 -- 8 MeV, a search for \nuebar's is conducted using coincidences in which only the two neutrons are detected. Assuming a \nuebar spectrum for the neutron induced fission of naturally occurring elements, a flux limit of Phi_\nuebar <= 2.0 x 10^6 cm^{-2} s^{-1}(90% C.L.) is obtained.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Measurement of the rate of nu_e + d --> p + p + e^- interactions produced by 8B solar neutrinos at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Solar neutrinos from the decay of $^8$B have been detected at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) via the charged current (CC) reaction on deuterium and by the elastic scattering (ES) of electrons. The CC reaction is sensitive exclusively to nu_e's, while the ES reaction also has a small sensitivity to nu_mu's and nu_tau's. The flux of nu_e's from ^8B decay measured by the CC reaction rate is \phi^CC(nu_e) = 1.75 +/- 0.07 (stat)+0.12/-0.11 (sys.) +/- 0.05(theor) x 10^6 /cm^2 s. Assuming no flavor transformation, the flux inferred from the ES reaction rate is \phi^ES(nu_x) = 2.39+/-0.34 (stat.)+0.16}/-0.14 (sys) x 10^6 /cm^2 s. Comparison of \phi^CC(nu_e) to the Super-Kamiokande Collaboration's precision value of \phi^ES(\nu_x) yields a 3.3 sigma difference, providing evidence that there is a non-electron flavor active neutrino component in the solar flux. The total flux of active ^8B neutrinos is thus determined to be 5.44 +/-0.99 x 10^6/cm^2 s, in close agreement with the predictions of solar models.Comment: 6 pages (LaTex), 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Letter