Infectious in vitro transcripts from a cloned cDNA of barley yellow dwarf virus

A full-length cDNA clone of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV-PAV serotype) has been constructed and fused to the bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase promoter. RNA transcripts produced in vitro, either capped or uncapped, were infectious in Triticum monococcum protoplasts. Protoplasts inoculated with in vitro-transcribed BYDV RNA accumulated coat protein, synthesized new viral RNAs, and produced virus particles. Aphid feeding on extracts from protoplasts inoculated with in vitro RNA transcripts can be used to transfer the virus progeny to whole plants. Introduction of mutations which interrupt specific BYDV-PAV open reading frames (ORFs) V and VI eliminated infectivity while an ORF I mutant remained infectious. Infectious RNA transcripts derived from BYDV cDNA clones will facilitate analysis of the molecular aspects of BYDV infection and further enhance our understanding of this economically important virus.

Physical activity and health-related quality of life among physiotherapists : a cross sectional survey in an Australian hospital and health service

Background Physiotherapists are a professional group with a high rate of attrition and at high risk of musculoskeletal disorders. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the physical activity levels and health-related quality of life of physiotherapists working in metropolitan clinical settings in an Australian hospital and health service. It was hypothesized that practicing physiotherapists would report excellent health-related quality of life and would already be physically active. Such a finding would add weight to a claim that general physical activity conditioning strategies may not be useful for preventing musculoskeletal disorders among active healthy physiotherapists, but rather, future investigations should focus on the development and evaluation of role specific conditioning strategies. Methods A questionnaire was completed by 44 physiotherapists from three inpatient units and three ambulatory clinics (63.7% response rate). Physical activity levels were reported using the Active Australia Survey. Health-related quality of life was examined using the EQ-5D instrument. Physical activity and EQ-5D data were examined using conventional descriptive statistics; with domain responses for the EQ-5D presented in a frequency histogram. Results The majority of physiotherapists in this sample were younger than 30 years of age (n = 25, 56.8%) consistent with the presence of a high attrition rate. Almost all respondents exceeded minimum recommended physical activity guidelines (n = 40, 90.9%). Overall the respondents engaged in more vigorous physical activity (median = 180 minutes) and walking (median = 135 minutes) than moderate exercise (median = 35 minutes) each week. Thirty-seven (84.1%) participants reported no pain or discomfort impacting their health-related quality of life, with most (n = 35,79.5%) being in full health. Conclusions Physical-conditioning based interventions for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders among practicing physiotherapists may be better targeted to role or task specific conditioning rather than general physical conditioning among this physically active population. It is plausible that an inherent attrition of physiotherapists may occur among those not as active or healthy as therapists who cope with the physical demands of clinical practice. Extrapolation of findings from this study may be limited due to the sample characteristics. However, this investigation addressed the study objectives and has provided a foundation for larger scale longitudinal investigations in this field.

Development of empirical equations for irradiance profile of a standard parabolic trough collector using Monte Carlo ray tracing technique

Irradiance profile around the receiver tube (RT) of a parabolic trough collector (PTC) is a key effect of optical performance that affects the overall energy performance of the collector. Thermal performance evaluation of the RT relies on the appropriate determination of the irradiance profile. This article explains a technique in which empirical equations were developed to calculate the local irradiance as a function of angular location of the RT of a standard PTC using a vigorously verified Monte Carlo ray tracing model. A large range of test conditions including daily normal insolation, spectral selective coatings and glass envelop conditions were selected from the published data by Dudley et al. [1] for the job. The R2 values of the equations are excellent that vary in between 0.9857 and 0.9999. Therefore, these equations can be used confidently to produce realistic non-uniform boundary heat flux profile around the RT at normal incidence for conjugate heat transfer analyses of the collector. Required values in the equations are daily normal insolation, and the spectral selective properties of the collector components. Since the equations are polynomial functions, data processing software can be employed to calculate the flux profile very easily and quickly. The ultimate goal of this research is to make the concentrating solar power technology cost competitive with conventional energy technology facilitating its ongoing research.

Experience of being an advanced practice nurse within Australian acute care settings : a systematic review of qualitative evidence

Background Nationally and internationally, advanced practice nurses are working under various titles and in different contexts to address gaps within healthcare systems. Analysis of advanced practice roles in different countries has been undertaken, but due to variations in cultural, geographical and professional factors, it is difficult and perhaps ineffectual to compare roles between countries. Contextual factors may also affect the actual experience of being an advanced practice nurse. A systematic review was therefore undertaken of qualitative evidence on the experience of being an advanced practice nurse in Australia, to provide deeper understanding of the role in the defined context. Methods The review followed the method for qualitative synthesis as per the Joanna Briggs Institute. An extensive search was undertaken of databases and online resources to find published and unpublished studies. Papers from 1990 to October 2011 which met specified inclusion criteria were appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument. Results Three published studies and one unpublished dissertation were included in the review. From these studies, 216 findings were extracted and these were formed into 18 categories. Six meta-syntheses grouped under the headings of expert knowledge, confidence, education, relationships, negative experiences and patient-centred experience were created. Organisational factors impact greatly on the experience, professionally and personally. Conclusions Heterogeneity of role titles makes synthesis a difficult process, but contextualising the population provides a pragmatic approach to informing the status of the advanced practice nurse discourse. The review identifies positive and negative experiences of being an advanced practice nurse in Australian acute care settings with overlapping and intertwining findings that reinforce the complexity of the role.

Dynamic effects of electrical pitting in steam-turbine tilting-pad thrust-bearings

This paper merges the analysis of a case history and the simplified theoretical model related to a rather singular phenomenon that may happen in rotating machinery. Starting from the first, a small industrial steam turbine experienced a very strange behavior during megawatt load. When the unit was approaching the maximum allowed power, the temperature of the babbitt metal of the pads of the thrust bearing showed constant increase with an unrecoverable drift. Bearing inspection showed that pad trailing edge had the typical aspect of electrical pitting. This kind of damage was not reparable and bearing pads had to replaced. This problem occurred several times in sequence and was solved only by adding further ground brushes to the shaft-line. Failure analysis indicated electrodischarge machining as the root fault. A specific model, able to take into consideration the effect of electrical pitting and loading capacity decreasing as a consequence of the damage of the babbitt metal, is proposed in the paper and shows that the phenomenon causes the irretrievable failure of the thrust bearing.

Fault symptoms of rolling element bearings under variable operating conditions - a multi domain analysis

Diagnostics of rolling element bearings have been traditionally developed for constant operating conditions, and sophisticated techniques, like Spectral Kurtosis or Envelope Analysis, have proven their effectiveness by means of experimental tests, mainly conducted in small-scale laboratory test-rigs. Algorithms have been developed for the digital signal processing of data collected at constant speed and bearing load, with a few exceptions, allowing only small fluctuations of these quantities. Owing to the spreading of condition based maintenance in many industrial fields, in the last years a need for more flexible algorithms emerged, asking for compatibility with highly variable operating conditions, such as acceleration/deceleration transients. This paper analyzes the problems related with significant speed and load variability, discussing in detail the effect that they have on bearing damage symptoms, and propose solutions to adapt existing algorithms to cope with this new challenge. In particular, the paper will i) discuss the implication of variable speed on the applicability of diagnostic techniques, ii) address quantitatively the effects of load on the characteristic frequencies of damaged bearings and iii) finally present a new approach for bearing diagnostics in variable conditions, based on envelope analysis. The research is based on experimental data obtained by using artificially damaged bearings installed on a full scale test-rig, equipped with actual train traction system and reproducing the operation on a real track, including all the environmental noise, owing to track irregularity and electrical disturbances of such a harsh application.

The combination of empirical mode decomposition and minimum entropy deconvolution for roller bearing diagnostics in non-stationary operation

Diagnostics is based on the characterization of mechanical system condition and allows early detection of a possible fault. Signal processing is an approach widely used in diagnostics, since it allows directly characterizing the state of the system. Several types of advanced signal processing techniques have been proposed in the last decades and added to more conventional ones. Seldom, these techniques are able to consider non-stationary operations. Diagnostics of roller bearings is not an exception of this framework. In this paper, a new vibration signal processing tool, able to perform roller bearing diagnostics in whatever working condition and noise level, is developed on the basis of two data-adaptive techniques as Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), Minimum Entropy Deconvolution (MED), coupled by means of the mathematics related to the Hilbert transform. The effectiveness of the new signal processing tool is proven by means of experimental data measured in a test-rig that employs high power industrial size components.

Hydraulic instability onset detection in Kaplan turbines by monitoring shaft vibrations

Design of hydraulic turbines has often to deal with hydraulic instability. It is well-known that Francis and Kaplan types present hydraulic instability in their design power range. Even if modern CFD tools may help to define these dangerous operating conditions and optimize runner design, hydraulic instabilities may fortuitously arise during the turbine life and should be timely detected in order to assure a long-lasting operating life. In a previous paper, the authors have considered the phenomenon of helical vortex rope, which happens at low flow rates when a swirling flow, in the draft tube conical inlet, occupies a large portion of the inlet. In this condition, a strong helical vortex rope appears. The vortex rope causes mechanical effects on the runner, on the whole turbine and on the draft tube, which may eventually produce severe damages on the turbine unit and whose most evident symptoms are vibrations. The authors have already shown that vibration analysis is suitable for detecting vortex rope onset, thanks to an experimental test campaign performed during the commissioning of a 23 MW Kaplan hydraulic turbine unit. In this paper, the authors propose a sophisticated data driven approach to detect vortex rope onset at different power load, based on the analysis of the vibration signals in the order domain and introducing the so-called "residual order spectrogram", i.e. an order-rotation representation of the vibration signal. Some experimental test runs are presented and the possibility to detect instability onset, especially in real-time, is discussed.

The relationship between cannabis outcome expectancies and cannabis refusal self-efficacy in a treatment population

Background and aims Self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectancies are central to Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Alcohol studies demonstrate the theoretical and clinical utility of applying both SCT constructs. This study examined the relationship between refusal self-efficacy and outcome expectancies in a sample of cannabis users, and tested formal mediational models. Design Patients referred for cannabis treatment completed a comprehensive clinical assessment, including recently validated cannabis expectancy and refusal self-efficacy scales. Setting A hospital alcohol and drug out-patient clinic. Participants Patients referred for a cannabis treatment [n = 1115, mean age 26.29, standard deviation (SD) 9.39]. Measurements The Cannabis Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) and Cannabis Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (CRSEQ) were completed, along with measures of cannabis severity [Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS)] and cannabis consumption. Findings Positive (β = −0.29, P < 0.001) and negative (β = −0.19, P < 0.001) cannabis outcome expectancies were associated significantly with refusal self-efficacy. Refusal self-efficacy, in turn, fully mediated the association between negative expectancy and weekly consumption [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.03, 0.17] and partially mediated the effect of positive expectancy on weekly consumption (95% CI = 0.06, 0.17). Conclusions Consistent with Social Cognitive Theory, refusal self-efficacy (a person's belief that he or she can abstain from cannabis use) mediates part of the association between cannabis outcome expectancies (perceived consequences of cannabis use) and cannabis use.

Developing an acculturation and resilience scale for use with culturally and linguistically diverse populations

Australian multicultural society consists of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) migrants, refugees and international students from different parts of the world. Despite hardships, these individuals show resilience and adapt successfully. However, there is a dearth of scales measuring these positive developments and personal strengths. The study describes the development and evaluation of a scale measuring resilience and acculturation of CALD people. Items were generated for the Acculturation and Resilience Scale (AARS).The AARS and other acculturation and psychological distress scales were administered to 225 CALD community members. Exploratory factor analyses resulted in a 27-item AARS with three subscales: Acculturation, Resilience, and Spirituality. The three-factor structure was subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis on a sample of 515 international students. The factor structure stability was upheld by the second sample. The psychometric properties were investigated using the two samples and demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and divergent validity. The scale addresses a major gap in the literature and can be used to measure the positive acculturation and resilience of the newly arrived and relocated individuals. Further research is warranted to examine the scale’s psychometric properties with migrants and refugees from a range of ethnic communities.

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As Drs Patel and McGhee intimate, the original nerve mapping technique they described 1 was tedious and time-consuming, requiring the capture of hundreds of separate images and many hours of manual montaging to form a confluent map. The maps they published also had distracting component image delineation. It is for these reasons that a number of research groups have sought to develop automated techniques for generating these nerve maps (Table 1).2–6...

Model-predictive control and closed-loop stability considerations for nonlinear plants described by local ARX-type models

In this paper, a model-predictive control (MPC) method is detailed for the control of nonlinear systems with stability considerations. It will be assumed that the plant is described by a local input/output ARX-type model, with the control potentially included in the premise variables, which enables the control of systems that are nonlinear in both the state and control input. Additionally, for the case of set point regulation, a suboptimal controller is derived which has the dual purpose of ensuring stability and enabling finite-iteration termination of the iterative procedure used to solve the nonlinear optimization problem that is used to determine the control signal.

Recognition and moral progress : a case study about discourses on disability in the media

This article aims to discuss the notion of moral progress in the theory of recognition. It argues that Axel Honneth's program offers sophisticated theoretical guidance to observe and critically interpret emancipatory projects in contemporary politics based on ideas of individuality and social inclusiveness. Using a case study – the investigation, through frame analysis, of transformations in the portrayal of people with impairment as well as in public discourses on the issue of disability in major Brazilian news media from 1960 to 2008 – this article addresses three controversies: the notion of progress as a directional process; the problem of moral disagreement and conflict of interest in struggles for recognition; and the processes of social learning. By articulating empirically based arguments and Honneth's normative discussions, this study concludes that one can talk about moral progress without losing sight of value pluralism and conflict of interest.

Diurnal variations in ocular aberrations of human eyes

Purpose: To investigate the diurnal variations in ocular wavefront aberrations over two consecutive days in young adult subjects. Materials and methods: Measurements of both lower-order (sphero-cylindrical refractive powers) and higher-order (3rd and 4th order aberration terms) ocular aberrations were collected for 30 young adult subjects at ten different times over two consecutive days using a Hartmann-Shack aberrometer. Fifteen subjects were myopic and 15 were emmetropic. Five sets of measurements were collected each day at approximately 3 hourly intervals, with the first measurement taken at ~9 am and the final measurement at ~9 pm. Results: Spherical equivalent refraction (p = 0.029) and spherical aberration (p = 0.043) were both found to undergo significant diurnal variation over the two measurement days. The spherical equivalent was typically found to be at a maximum (i.e. most hyperopic) at the morning measurement, with a small myopic shift of 0.37 ± 0.15 D observed over the course of the day. The mean spherical aberration of all subjects (0.038 ± 0.048 μm) was found to be positive during the day and gradually became more negative into the evening, with a mean amplitude of change of 0.036 ± 0.02 μm. None of the other considered sphero-cylindrical refractive power components or higher-order aberrations exhibited significant diurnal variation over the two days of the experiment (p>0.05). Except for the lower-order astigmatism at 90/180 deg (p = 0.040), there were no significant differences between myopes and emmetropes in the magnitude and timing of the observed diurnal variations (p>0.05). Conclusions: Significant diurnal variations in spherical equivalent and spherical aberration were consistently observed over two consecutive days of measurement. Research and clinical applications requiring precise refractive error and wavefront measurements should take these diurnal changes into account when interpreting wavefront data.

Simulating cooperative systems applications : a new complete architecture

For a decade, embedded driving assistance systems were mainly dedicated to the management of short time events (lane departure, collision avoidance, collision mitigation). Recently a great number of projects have been focused on cooperative embedded devices in order to extend environment perception. Handling an extended perception range is important in order to provide enough information for both path planning and co-pilot algorithms which need to anticipate events. To carry out such applications, simulation has been widely used. Simulation is efficient to estimate the benefits of Cooperative Systems (CS) based on Inter-Vehicular Communications (IVC). This paper presents a new and modular architecture built with the SiVIC simulator and the RTMaps™ multi-sensors prototyping platform. A set of improvements, implemented in SiVIC, are introduced in order to take into account IVC modelling and vehicles’ control. These 2 aspects have been tuned with on-road measurements to improve the realism of the scenarios. The results obtained from a freeway emergency braking scenario are discussed.