Tertiary magnetism in Northern Sardinia

Imperial Users onl

Public perceptions of recycled water: a survey of visitors to the London 2012 Olympic Park

The Old Ford Water Recycling Plant, operated by Thames Water, was used to supply non-potable recycled blackwater to some of the venues at the London 2012 Games. In an effort to learn from this experience, Thames Water commissioned a survey of visitors to the Olympic Park during the Games to explore public responses to the water recycling project. Results show a very high level of support for using non-potable recycled blackwater, both in public venues and in homes. Such findings may indicate a growing receptivity towards this technology, and show that Thames Water (and other private water companies) are well placed to encourage and even lead public discussion around the role of water reuse in the future of urban water supplies

Stability of hexagonal solidification patterns

We investigate the dynamics of cellular solidification patterns using three-dimensional phase-field simulations. The cells can organize into stable hexagonal patterns or exhibit unsteady evolutions. We identify the relevant secondary instabilities of regular hexagonal arrays and find that the stability boundaries depend significantly on the strength of crystalline anisotropy. We also find multiplet states that can be reached by applying well-defined perturbations to a pre-existing hexagonal array.Comment: Minor changes, mainly in introduction and conclusion, one reference adde

Knowing It\u27s Real Means You Gotta Make a Decision : Depictions of Post-Traumatic Disorders and Coping Mechanisms in THE PUNISHER and JESSICA JONES

Post-traumatic disorders have been included in some of the most popular narratives in mainstream culture. Though the early decades of movies included 1948’s The Best Days of Our Lives is an award-winning movie that follows three veterans home from World War II and depicts their struggles with reacclimating to society it became more popular after Vietnam veterans and their allies fought and protested for an appropriate diagnosis for PTSD after decades of it not being seen as a legitimate psychological disorder. Since then, post-traumatic disorders have been included in media as popular as the series finale of M*A*S*H in 1983, the most watched episode in history; and 2014’s American Sniper, the highest grossing military movie of all time. Similarly, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which started with the release of Iron Man in 2008, continues to include depictions of characters struggling with long-term effects of trauma. This thesis will take a closer look at two pieces of Marvel media which both feature progressive depictions of narratives deeply rooted in the trauma many of the characters suffer. In The Punisher (2017), post-traumatic disorders are portrayed differently within separate characters, ensuring that the depiction within the show as a whole is dynamic. In Jessica Jones (2015), Jessica’s struggle with CPTSD manifests itself with a myriad of symptoms, each of which are depicted by the different ways they affect her daily life. The concluding chapter will include a brief history of the stigma against mental disorders and mental health therapy before looking at how the inclusion of therapy in these shows is working against these stigmas. It will end with a discussion of how Marvel is pushing the narrative that trauma is everywhere and can be felt by anyone regardless of background, as well as the importance of creating friendships and connections to the people around you in order to heal from trauma

Theory, design and application of gradient adaptive lattice filters

SIGLELD:D48933/84 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Relations of EEG and Perceived Response to Methylphenidate among Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Methylphenidate (MPH) is a common stimulant medication that has demonstrated efficacy in treatment among individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as those with co-occurring oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms (Connor et al., 2002, Cortese et al., 2018). However, there are currently no known reliable markers to predict response to MPH (Kim et al., 2015) and current approaches rely on trial-and-error by patients. Electroencephalographic (EEG) methods show promise as one tool to identify and predict MPH response. The current study examined relations between EEG frequencies and perceived response to MPH across both ADHD and ODD symptoms utilizing caregiver report on the Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms and Normal Behaviors (SWAN; Swanson et al., 2012). Participants included 30 children with ADHD (70% male) between the ages of 7 -11 years (MAge = 121.27 months, SD = 16.47 months) and their primary caregivers. Children’s absolute power frequencies were gathered during a resting state EEG paradigm. Caregivers completed measures regarding their child’s medication history, and retrospectively rated their child’s ADHD and ODD symptoms across pre-MPH and optimal MPH dosage timepoints. Results indicated that alpha frequency was marginally predictive of SWAN scores at optimal-MPH dosage while controlling for SWAN scores prior to MPH (p = .058). No other frequency bands examined demonstrated significant relations. Given the small sample size and low statistical power of this study, the results may underestimate relations between EEG frequencies and SWAN scores. These findings provide preliminary support for EEG spectral power as a potential predictor of MPH response, lending credence for future investigation and potential clinical utility

The occurrence and pathogenicity of Clostridium oedematiens in animals

Clostridium oedematiens (Clostridium novyi) is an anaerobic spore forming bacillus. The organism is an important pathogen of sheep and cattle, and can be responsible for gas gangrene in humans. Four tykes designated A, B, C and D are recognised on the basis of serological neutralisation tests. Cl. oedematiens is generally regarded as being very difficult to handle in the laboratory; thus, the recent introduction of a commercially available fluorescent globulin for the identification of this organism has encouraged. workers to disregard the necessity for confirmatory isolation and typing procedures.Reliable techniques for the isolation and subculture of Ci. oedematiens are an essential prerequisite for a study of the occurrence of this organism, and my initial work soon confirmed that type B, C and D strains of Cl. oedematiens are Lifficul.t to subculture with confidence on solid media. It became clear that much preliminary laboratory work is necessary before a field investigation could yield meaningful data.The writer considered that the irregular growth of this organism on solid media might be related to (i) failures in the anaerobic environment; (ii) a requirement for a particularly complex nutritional medium; or (iii) the viability of the inoculu'E and each of these variables is carefully studied in the present work. The first part describes a reappraisal of the technique for setting up a modern anaerobic jar. Variations in the technique are assessed, and it is concluded that the irregular growth of these strains is not necessarily related to faults in normal anaerobic procedure.A variety of culture media are tested for the ability to support regular growth of Cl. oedematiens. The aim. of these experiments is to determine whether the organism crows better on complex media than on relatively simple media; it is found that irregular growth occurs on both types of media.The viability of a number of different inocula are studied in order to test the assumption that an inoculum containing spores shoul be viable. The results of these experiments are compatible with the view that consistent growth of Cl. oedematiens on solid media may be related to the spore content of the inoculum; however, it is likely that other factors are involved, and a theory is developed that a low redox potential in the mioroenvironment is also necessary for the successful outgrowth of viable particles.The epidemiological distribution of this organism can be assessed only if adequate descriptions and techniques of identification are available. Thus, the characters of the Cl. oedematiens group are confirmed and extended during the present work. These studies inelude (i) a critical evaluation of the fluorescent staining procedure (ii) a reappraisal of the fermentation reactions of the group; (iii) an assessment of the value of solid indicator media in the identification of this organism; (iv) an intensive study of the soluble products of Cl. oedematiens; and (v) the development of a practical system of typing with cultures grown in cooked-meet medium.The soluble products of the organism are investigated in various types of media, and particular attention is paid to the production of the factors that are responsible for the pathogenic effects in-vivo. Culture products of Ci. oedematiens are fractionated and it is found that the biological activities are readily separated. by Orel-filtration procedures. A thin-layer chromatographic technique is developed in an attempt to identify more precisely the factors that affect egg - yolk emulsion. A cytopathic effect that is produced by the soluble products of Cl. oedematiens is investigated, and is provisionally attributed to the presence of the alpha antigen.The experimental observations are discussed in relation to our present knowledge of Cl. oede .atiens e d future lines of research are indicated

Multi-physics ensemble snow modelling in the western Himalaya

Combining multiple data sources with multi-physics simulation frameworks offers new potential to extend snow model inter-comparison efforts to the Himalaya. As such, this study evaluates the sensitivity of simulated regional snow cover and runoff dynamics to different snowpack process representations. The evaluation is based on a spatially distributed version of the Factorial Snowpack Model (FSM) set up for the Astore catchment in the upper Indus basin. The FSM multi-physics model was driven by climate fields from the High Asia Refined Analysis (HAR) dynamical downscaling product. Ensemble performance was evaluated primarily using MODIS remote sensing of snow-covered area, albedo and land surface temperature. In line with previous snow model inter-comparisons, no single FSM configuration performs best in all of the years simulated. However, the results demonstrate that performance variation in this case is at least partly related to inaccuracies in the sequencing of inter-annual variation in HAR climate inputs, not just FSM model limitations. Ensemble spread is dominated by interactions between parameterisations of albedo, snowpack hydrology and atmospheric stability effects on turbulent heat fluxes. The resulting ensemble structure is similar in different years, which leads to systematic divergence in ablation and mass balance at high elevations. While ensemble spread and errors are notably lower when viewed as anomalies, FSM configurations show important differences in their absolute sensitivity to climate variation. Comparison with observations suggests that a subset of the ensemble should be retained for climate change projections, namely those members including prognostic albedo and liquid water retention, refreezing and drainage processes

Supporting the emotional needs of young people in care: a qualitative study of foster carer perspectives

Young people who have been removed from their family home and placed in care have often experienced maltreatment and there is well-developed evidence of poor psychological outcomes. Once in care, foster carers often become the adult who provides day-to-day support, yet we know little about how they provide this support or the challenges to and facilitators of promoting better quality carer-child relationships. The aim of this study was to understand how carers support the emotional needs of the young people in their care and their views on barriers and opportunities for support. Participants were 21 UK foster carers, recruited from a local authority in England. They were predominantly female (86%), aged 42-65 years old and ranged from those who were relatively new to the profession (<12 months' experience) to those with over 30 years of experience as a carer. We ran three qualitative focus groups to gather in-depth information about their views on supporting their foster children's emotional well-being. Participants also completed short questionnaires about their training experiences and sense of competence. Only half of the sample strongly endorsed feeling competent in managing the emotional needs of their foster children. While all had completed extensive training, especially on attachment, diagnosis-specific training for mental health problems (eg, trauma-related distress, depression) was less common. Thematic analysis showed consistent themes around the significant barriers carers faced navigating social care and mental health systems, and mixed views around the best way to support young people, particularly those with complex mental health needs and in relation to reminders of their early experiences. Findings have important implications for practice and policy around carer training and support, as well as for how services support the mental health needs of young people in care