Contributions and challenges of ‘New Public Management’: New Zealand since 1984

When New Public Management (NPM) swept around the world in the 1980s the New Zealand public sector embraced its theories and embarked upon a rigorous reform process which brought both praise and some scepticism. New Zealand was seen at that time, by some observers, to be a ‘world leader’. However, in the years following the initial impact of NPM the euphoria has given way to a more rigorous analysis of the performance of the public sector and a re-examination of the functions and responsibilities of the public service

Red-sensitive imaging systems for holography

The primary objective of the work described in this thesis was to devise a red-sensitive photoresist imaging process for use in the replication of diffraction optics. In the introduction the chemistry of conventional photopolymer systems and photoresists used for holographic recording and the fabrication of diffraction gratings and diffracting optical elements is reviewed. The limitations of commercially available photoresist systems, particularly for applications requiring the use of red light are discussed. A polymer system has been investigated which could be imaged by photochemically generated free radicals, followed by a simple aqueous development procedure as required by the original specification. The polymer chosen for study was a copolymer of methyl methacrylate, methacrylic acid and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. This was derivatized using methacryloyl chloride or methacrylic anhydride in order to introduce cross-linkable units to the polymer backbone. Polymers have been characterized by a number of techniques and the effect of varying composition on aqueous base solubility has been thoroughly studied. Various methods of derivatization have been employed. The ease of imaging has been found to be very sensitive to both the composition of the polymer and the extent of functionalization. High quality images have been obtained from this polymer using an organic solvent developer. Imaging experiments have been carried out on thin films of the photopolymer coated on glass using phenylazotriphenylmethane (PATM) as photoinitiator. Good images of 100 lines permillimetre (1 mm-1) have been recorded by contact printing. Interferometry has been used to demonstrate that interference patterns having 600 and 1200 1 mm-1 can be recorded using this polymer with PATM as initiator, exposed to an argon ion laser operating at 458nm. A number of two component photoredox initiator systems have been investigated, the light absorbing species of such systems being a dye such as methylene blue or certain cyanine dyes. The second component of these initiators may be an aryl sulphinate salt, a 1,3-diketone or some alkyl sulphides. The red light-initiated phatopolymerization of acrylamide has been demonstrated using some of these initiators and a low resolution photopolymer image has been recorded using Azure A and perinaphth-1,3-indandione as the photoinitiator system. This polymer can, in principle, produce images over a wide range of wavelengths depending on the nature of the initiator used.<p

The biology of apis SPP. in oman with special reference to apis florea fab

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The effect of makeup on contact lens wear

Aim: the purpose of this thesis was to investigate the incidence of contact lens wear and makeup, to determine if any advice regarding lens insertion/makeup application could aid comfort. Method: A questionnaire of a student population at Aston University Optometry department and to patients attending branches of The Optic Shop, South Wales, was conducted to determine wearing patterns for contact lenses and makeup. Those who regularly wore make-up and contact lenses were invited to take part in a subjective study to investigate differences in the level of comfort between inserting lenses before and after applying makeup over a 5 day period. Finally a more detailed objective study was conducted into the objective effects on myopes, hyperopes and presbyopes of inserting lenses before and after makeup, with and without the use of an eye makeup primer and with no makeup. Results: There were different wearing patterns and experience between a student population and a patient cohort. No subjective differences inthe levels of comfort with inserting contact lenses before and after the application of makeup was identified p<0.05). There was also no objective differences found between the insertion of contact lenses before and after the application of makeup, regardless of refractive error (p,0.05). However, ocular comfort and anterior eye health was adversely affected by the use of make-up in combination with contact lenses (p=0.025, p=0.001) and this could be reduced by the application of eyelid primer. Conclusions: The use of make-up in combination with contact lenses is common in females. The sequence of contact lens and make-up application does not affect ocular comfort and anterior eye health, however, it is adversely affected by the application of make-up and this effect can be reduced by the use of eyelid primer

Selection of imprinted nanoparticles by affinity chromatography

Soluble molecularly imprinted nanoparticles were synthesised via iniferter initiated polymerisation and separated by size via gel permeation chromatography. Subsequent fractionation of these particles by affinity chromatography allowed the separation of high affinity fractions from the mixture of nanoparticles. Fractions selected this way possess affinity similar to that of natural antibodies (Kd 6.6 × 10−8) M and were also able to discriminate between related functional analogues of the templ

The rational development of molecularly imprinted polymer-based sensors for protein detection.

The detection of specific proteins as biomarkers of disease, health status, environmental monitoring, food quality, control of fermenters and civil defence purposes means that biosensors for these targets will become increasingly more important. Among the technologies used for building specific recognition properties, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are attracting much attention. In this critical review we describe many methods used for imprinting recognition for protein targets in polymers and their incorporation with a number of transducer platforms with the aim of identifying the most promising approaches for the preparation of MIP-based protein sensors (277 references)

The stabilisation of receptor structure in low cross-linked MIPs by an immobilised template

In molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) a high level of cross-linking is usually important for preserving the receptor structure. We propose here an alternative approach for stabilising binding sites, which involves the use of an immobilised template. The idea is based on the assumption that an immobilised template will ‘‘hold’’ polymeric chains and complementary functionalities together, preventing the collapsing of the binding sites. To test this postulate, a range of polymers was prepared using polymerisable (2,4-diamino-6- (methacryloyloxy)ethyl-1,3,5-triazine) and non-polymerisable (or extractable) (2,4-diamino-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazine) templates, methacrylic acid as functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross-linker. The level of cross- linking was varied from 12 to 80%. Polymerisations were performed in acetonitrile using UV initiation. Binding properties of the synthesised materials were characterised both by HPLC and equilibrium batch binding experiments followed by HPLC-MS or UV-visible detection. The adsorption isotherms of polymers were obtained and fitted to the Langmuir model to calculate dissociation constant, Kd, and concentration of binding sites for each material. The results strongly indicate that the presence of an immobilised template improves the affinity of MIPs containing low percentages of cross- linker. The low cross-linked MIPs synthesised with a polymerisable template also retain a reasonable degree of selectivity. Low crosslinked MIPs with such binding characteristics would be useful for the creation of new types of optical and electrochemical sensors, where induced fit or the ‘‘gate effect’’ could be used more effectively for generating and enhancin

Computer discrimination between diseases of the brain based on MR image features

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The Business Of Death: Community, Culture & Change In Durham, NC

How are communities resilient in the face of disruption and dislocation? What institutions and traditions hold fast in the wake of change? Displaced by urban renewal multiple times, family-owned funeral homes have proven to be some of the longest-surviving African American businesses in Durham, North Carolina. These institutions have survived physical dislocation and social disruption by engaging in the oldest of occupational traditions: caring for the dead and comforting the living. This paper looks at the history of African American funeral homes and explores how these businesses have weathered the forces of change through the strength of tradition.Master of Art