The 2-D and 3-D time marching transonic potential flow method for propfans

Recent efforts concentrated on the development of aerodynamic tools for the analysis of rotors at transonic speeds and of configurations involving relative rotation. Three distinct approaches were taken: (1) extension of the lifting surface method of Williams and Hwang (1986) to relative rotation; (2) development of a time marching linear potential method for counter rotation; and (3) development of 2 and 3 dimensional finite volume potential flow schemes for single rotation. Results from each of these approaches are described

The WTO and civil society

In line with a general trend in contemporary global governance, the World Trade Organization has been developing increased links with civil society groups. If conducted well, these contacts can make important contributions towards greater effectiveness and democracy in the global trade regime. If handled poorly, however, the relations can undermine policy and undercut democracy. Already the WTO and civic associations have taken notable steps to increase the quantity and quality of their mutual exchanges. Yet major resource constraints and deeper structural impediments have to date prevented a fuller development of this dialogue

St.Kitts and Nevis: sea moss farming, moss gloss

The introduction of sea moss farming into the island nation of St.Kitts and Nevis offers hope for new jobs, alternative livelihoods and food security

Temporal-adaptive Euler/Navier-Stokes algorithm for unsteady aerodynamic analysis of airfoils using unstructured dynamic meshes

A temporal adaptive algorithm for the time-integration of the two-dimensional Euler or Navier-Stokes equations is presented. The flow solver involves an upwind flux-split spatial discretization for the convective terms and central differencing for the shear-stress and heat flux terms on an unstructured mesh of triangles. The temporal adaptive algorithm is a time-accurate integration procedure which allows flows with high spatial and temporal gradients to be computed efficiently by advancing each grid cell near its maximum allowable time step. Results indicate that an appreciable computational savings can be achieved for both inviscid and viscous unsteady airfoil problems using unstructured meshes without degrading spatial or temporal accuracy

Barriers and solutions to addressing tobacco dependence in addiction treatment programs.

Despite the high prevalence of tobacco use among people with substance use disorders, tobacco dependence is often overlooked in addiction treatment programs. Several studies and a meta-analytic review have concluded that patients who receive tobacco dependence treatment during addiction treatment have better overall substance abuse treatment outcomes compared with those who do not. Barriers that contribute to the lack of attention given to this important problem include staff attitudes about and use of tobacco, lack of adequate staff training to address tobacco use, unfounded fears among treatment staff and administration regarding tobacco policies, and limited tobacco dependence treatment resources. Specific clinical-, program-, and system-level changes are recommended to fully address the problem of tobacco use among alcohol and other drug abuse patients

Stabilizing the Code—Methods to Preserve RNA Prove Their Worth

Commercially available platforms to stabilize messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA are critically designed to optimize and ensure the quality and integrity of those nucleic acids. This is not only essential for gene expression analyses, but would provide technical utility in providing concordant standard operating procedures in preserving the structural integrity of RNA species in multicenter clinical research programs and biobanking of cells or tissues for subsequent isolation of intact RNA. The major challenge is that the presence of degraded samples may adversely influence the interpretation of expression levels on isolated mRNA or microRNA samples and that in the absence of a concordant operating procedure between multiple collaborating research centers would confound data analysis and interpretation. However, in this issue of Biomarker Insights, Weber et al provide a detailed and critical analysis of two common RNA preservation systems, PAXgene and RNAlater. Such studies are lacking in the literature. However, the authors provide compelling evidence that not all conservation platforms are created equal and only one system proves its worth

Methods and practice of detecting selection in human cancers

Cancer development and progression is an evolutionary process, understanding these evolutionary dynamics is important for treatment and diagnosis as how a cancer evolves determines its future prognosis. This thesis focuses on elucidating selective evolutionary pressures in cancers and somatic tissues using population genetics models and cancer genomics data. First a model for the expected diversity in the absence of selection was developed. This neutral model of evolution predicts that under neutrality the frequency of subclonal mutations is expected to follow a power law distribution. Surprisingly more than 30% of cancer across multiple cohorts fitted this model. The next part of the thesis develops models to explore the effects of selection given these should be observable as deviations from the neutral prediction. For this I developed two approaches. The first approach investigated selection at the level of individual samples and showed that a characteristic pattern of clusters of mutations is observed in deep sequencing experiments. Using a mathematical model, information encoded within these clusters can be used to measure the relative fitness of subclones and the time they emerge during tumour evolution. With this I observed strikingly high fitness advantages for subclones of above 20%. The second approach enables measuring recurrent patterns of selection in cohorts of sequenced cancers using dN/dS, the ratio of non-synonymous to synonymous mutations, a method originally developed for molecular species evolution. This approach demonstrates how selection coefficients can be extracted by combining measurements of dN/dS with the size of mutational lineages. With this approach selection coefficients were again observed to be strikingly high. Finally I looked at population dynamics in normal colonic tissue given that many mutations accumulate in physiologically normal tissue. I found that the current view of stem cell dynamics was unable to explain sequencing data from individual colonic crypts. Some new models were proposed that introduce a longer time scale evolution that suppresses the accumulation of mutations which appear consistent with the data

The group of 77 in UNCTAD: anatomy of a Third World coalition

This thesis attempts to evaluate the processes through which members of the Group of Seventy-Seven manage to maintain the coalition. The analysis is concerned with the management of conflict within the Group and the development of cooperative strategies. The analysis focuses on the operation of the Group of Seventy-Seven in the institutional context of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Part One of the study consists of a detailed account of the origins of the Group of Seventy-Seven. The concrete historical circumstances which gave rise to the formation of the coalition are assessed. Part Two attempts to evaluate the importance of organisational characteristics for the development and maintenance of unity in the Group of Seventy-Seven. We investigate the salience of the UNCTAD framework for the development of persistent patterns of group behaviour. We then examine the creation and development of organisational structures and processes specific to the Group of Seventy-Seven. The transformation of the Group from a highly informal coalition to one with highly developed institutional procedures and the influence of these organisational features on coalition behaviour is analysed. Part Three of the study assesses the extent to which the negotiating positions of the Group of Seventy-Seven are affected by the existence of various cleavages within the coalition. Two detailed case-studies provide the data for an analysis of patterns of conflict and conflict management

Engineering magnetic nanosystems for cancer diagnosis and treatment

Iron oxide magnetic nanocomposites can be used for a variety of biomedical applications, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and as site specific drug delivery systems. By functionalising the surface of the nanocomposite, other functions like cell labelling and targeting can also be realised. Several iron oxide nanocomposites were prepared through microwave assisted co-precipitation reactions, using polyelectrolytes and dopamine as surface stabilisers. This provided a highly magnetic and versatile foundation that could be used immediately in biological applications (such as MR imaging) but could also be further functionalised extending the applications of the material. Functionalisation was achieved via electrostatic interactions and carbodiimide coupling which led to the development of a multifunctional nanocomposite capable of supporting both fluorescent and targeting groups. This work demonstrates that the construction of the nanocomposite is key to unlocking the biomedical potential of the material. HRTEM and SQUID results demonstrate the importance of microwave irradiation in the formation of highly crystalline materials. Microwave heating enhances crystal growth which improves the magnetisation values of the composite, to beyond materials prepared by traditional co-precipition methods. Polyelectrolytes can bestow excellent water stability on the particles, with the composite remaining in sus- pension for over 8 weeks. MRI measurements show that the high magnetism, combined with excellent water stability, translates into an effective MRI contrast agent, with the prepared composite out performing other commercial agents. Further functionalisation with fluorescent groups show other applications in cell labelling, and the addition of targeting groups can further enhance the selectivity of the composite. This work results in the development of a highly magnetic, extremely water stable iron oxide foundation, that can immediately be used as a MRI contrast agent and can support multiple functional groups like fluorescent dyes and targeting groups

A Descriptive Study of NCAA Life Skills Programs in the Big Ten Conference

The purposes of this study were: (1) To determine if Life Skills Programs exist in all of the 14 Big Ten Schools, (2) To determine if the NCAA Division I-A Life Skills Commitment Statements were utilized at all the Big Ten Schools and (3) To determine how Big Ten administrators perceived Life Skills Programs are across all 14 Big Ten Universities.;It was anticipated that all Big Ten colleges had a Challenging Athletes\u27 Minds for Personal Success Life Skills Program on their campus. All Big Ten Life Skills administrators perceived their programs to be effective.;A written questionnaire based on the literature was constructed to answer the three research questions posed by the researcher. Upon IRB approval, the questionaire was emailed to the Big Ten administrators of the Life Skills Programs. The following universities located within the Big Ten conference were requested to participate: Indiana University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Penn State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, and University of Wisconsin.;The questionnaire consisted of two parts; each part took approximately 20 minutes to complete. The researcher made follow up phone calls if the subjects did not respond to the emailed questionnaires after two weeks. Ten of the fourteen Big Ten administrators participated in the study. The researcher found that all ten (n=10) schools offered Life Skills Programs, All ten (n=10) schools provided five of the Life Skills Commitment Statements and all ten (n=10) schools reported their Life Skills Programs were effective