The advantages of theft over toil: The design inference and arguing from ignorance

Intelligent design theorist William Dembski has proposed an explanatory filter for distinguishing between events due to chance, lawful regularity or design. We show that if Dembski's filter were adopted as a scientific heuristic, some classical developments in science would not be rational, and that Dembski's assertion that the filter reliably identifies rarefied design requires ignoring the state of background knowledge. If background information changes even slightly, the filter's conclusion will vary wildly. Dembski fails to overcome Hume's objections to arguments from design.

Lot-fed goats - the advantages of using an enriched environment

By reducing the stress associated with high stocking density in a feedlot it is likely that goats will utilise their feed more efficiently and suffer fewer health problems. One possible method of reducing stress is to enrich the feedlot environment. In a feedlot of 160 castrated goats (average weight 24.6 +/- 2.6 kg), 2 types of feedlot structures were compared; a typical feedlot and an 'environmentally enriched' feedlot, and goats stocked at 2 densities; a high stocking density (1667 goats/ha) and a relatively low stocking density (897 goats/ha). Over a 42-day period, environmental enrichment (old car/truck tyres and wooden railway sleepers to climb on and PVC piping to mouth and butt) increased weight gain by 83% (P = 0.04) and reduced the occurrence of inanition by 36%. Aggressive behaviour at the feed trough was reduced by 30% (P = 0.03) in pens of lower density when compared with pens of higher density. We conclude that lot feeding goats in environmentally enriched surroundings will increase feed conversion and reduce the number of non-eaters when compared with typically bare pen structures. Doubling in liveweight gain of goats within enriched feedlot surroundings when compared with typical structures shows promise as a cost effective, animal-welfare-orientated practice.

Practical and economic advantages of choice feeding systems for laying poultry

Poultry can be managed under different feeding systems, depending on the husbandry skills and the feed available. These systems include the following: (1) a complete dry feed offered as a mash ad libitum; (2) the same feed offered as pellets or crumbles ad libitum; (3) a complete feed with added whole grain; (4) a complete wet feed given once or twice a day; (5) a complete feed offered on a restricted basis; (6) choice feeding. Of all these, an interesting alternative to offering complete diets is choice feeding which can be applied on both a small or large commercial scale. Under choice feeding or free-choice feeding birds are usually offered a choice between three types of feedstuffs: (a) an energy source (e.g. maize, rice bran, sorghum or wheat); (b) a protein source (e.g. soyabean meal, meat meal, fish meal or coconut meal) plus vitamins and minerals and (c), in the case of laying hens, calcium in granular form (i.e. oyster-shell grit). This system differs from the modern commercial practice of offering a complete diet comprising energy and protein sources, ground and mixed together. Under the complete diet system, birds are mainly only able to exercise their appetite for energy. When the environmental temperature varies, the birds either over- or under-consume protein and calcium. The basic principle behind practising choice feeding with laying hens is that individual hens are able to select from the various feed ingredients on offer and compose their own diet, according to their actual needs and production capacity. A choice-feeding system is of particular importance to small poultry producers in developing countries, such as Indonesia, because it can substantially reduce the cost of feed. The system is flexible and can be constructed in such a way that the various needs of a flock of different breeds, including village chickens, under different climates can be met. The system also offers a more effective way to use home-produced grain, such as maize, and by-products, such as rice bran, in developing countries. Because oyster-shell grit is readily available in developing countries at lower cost than limestone, the use of cheaper oyster-shell grit can further benefit small-holders in these countries. These benefits apart, simpler equipment suffices when designing and building a feed mixer on the farm, and transport costs are lower. If whole (unground) grain is used, the intake of which is accompanied by increased efficiency of feed utilisation, the costs of grinding, mixing and many of the handling procedures associated with mash and pellet preparation are eliminated. The choice feedstuffs can all be offered in the current feed distribution systems, either by mixing the ingredients first or by using a bulk bin divided into three compartments.

Examining the role of networking capability in small and medium firm internationalization

While research on SME internationalization has increased, there remains a lack of relevant theory on the SME internationalization process. The literature reports that small firms overcome their resource poverty-based constraints to internationalization by developing network relationships. Networking enables SMEs to acquire much needed internationalization process knowledge, and knowledge for the development of innovative products and services for this internationalization. However, networking activity has not yet been conceptualized and measured as a competitive capability in internationalization research. Drawing on the capability-based theory of competitive strategy, this paper conjectures that internationally entrepreneurial SMEs build and nurture distinctive networking capabilities, enabling them to acquire new knowledge. These learning capabilities enable them to pursue innovation thereby facilitating nternationalization. Data from Australian firms largely supports the conceptual framework. Implications for theory and practice are presented.

Demonstrating the effects of multi-path propagation and advantages of diversity antenna techniques

In this paper, experimental investigations are performed into assessing the quality of communication link between Bluetooth devices in an indoor environment, as an initial step of demonstrating benefits of diversity and smart antenna techniques in mobile computing.

Spontaneous transitions in the coordination of a whole body task

This paper describes an example of spontaneous transitions between qualitatively different coordination patterns during a cyclic lifting and lowering task. Eleven participants performed 12 trials of repetitive lifting and lowering in a ramp protocol in which the height of the lower shelf was raised or lowered 1 cm per cycle between 10 and 50 cm. Two distinct patterns of coordination were evident: a squat technique in which moderate range of hip, knee and ankle movement was utilised and ankle plantar-flexion occurred simultaneously with knee and hip extension; and a stoop technique in which the range of knee movement was reduced and knee and hip extension was accompanied by simultaneous ankle dorsi-flexion. Abrupt transitions from stoop to squat techniques were observed during descending trials, and from squat to stoop during ascending trials. Indications of hysteresis was observed in that transitions were more frequently observed during descending trials, and the average shelf height at the transition was 5 cm higher during ascending trials. The transitions may be a consequence of a trade-off between the biomechanical advantages of each technique and the influence of the lift height on this trade-off.

Spatial Technologies: What use are they to managers of environmental lands?

This paper reviews the potential use of three types of spatial technology to land managers, namely satellite imagery, satellite positioning systems and supporting computer software. Developments in remote sensing and the relative advantages of multispectral and hyperspectral images are discussed. The main challenge to the wider use of remote sensing as a land management tool is seen as uncertainty whether apparent relationships between biophysical variables and spectral reflectance are direct and causal, or artefacts of particular images. Developments in satellite positioning systems are presented in the context of land managers’ need for position estimates in situations where absolute precision may or may not be required. The role of computer software in supporting developments in spatial technology is described. Spatial technologies are seen as having matured beyond empirical applications to the stage where they are useful and reliable land management tools. In addition, computer software has become more user-friendly and this has facilitated data collection and manipulation by semi-expert as well as specialist staff.

Bioimpedance spectrometry in the determination of body water compartments: Accuracy and clinical significance

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) offers the potential for a simple, portable and relatively inexpensive technique for the in vivo measurement of total body water (TBW). The potential of BIA as a technique of body composition analysis is even greater when one considers that body water can be used as a surrogate measure of lean body mass. However, BIA has not found universal acceptance even with the introduction of multi-frequency BIA (MFBIA) which, potentially, may improve the predictive accuracy of the measurement. There are a number of reasons for this lack of acceptance, although perhaps the major reason is that no single algorithm has been developed which can be applied to all subject groups. This may be due, in part, to the commonly used wrist-to-ankle protocol which is not indicated by the basic theory of bioimpedance, where the body is considered as five interconnecting cylinders. Several workers have suggested the use of segmental BIA measurements to provide a protocol more in keeping with basic theory. However, there are other difficulties associated with the application of BIA, such as effects of hydration and ion status, posture and fluid distribution. A further putative advantage of MFBIA is the independent assessment not only of TBW but also of the extracellular fluid volume (ECW), hence heralding the possibility of,being able to assess the fluid distribution between these compartments. Results of studies in this area have been, to date, mixed. Whereas strong relationships of impedance values at low frequencies with ECW, and at high frequencies with TBW, have been reported, changes in impedance are not always well correlated with changes in the size of the fluid compartments (assessed by alternative and more direct means) in pathological conditions. Furthermore, the theoretical advantages of Cole-Cole modelling over selected frequency prediction have not always been apparent. This review will consider the principles, methodology and applications of BIA. The principles and methodology will,be considered in relation to the basic theory of BIA and difficulties experienced in its application. The relative merits of single and multiple frequency BIA will be addressed, with particular attention to the latter's role in the assessment of compartmental fluid volumes. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overflow characteristics of circular weirs: Effects of inflow conditions

The most common types of weirs are the broad-crested weir, the sharp-crested weir, the circular-crested weir, and nowadays, the ogee crest weir, Advantages of the cylindrical weir shape include the stable overflow pattern, the ease to pass floating debris, the simplicity of design compared to ogee crest design, and the associated lower costs. in this study, the writers describe new experiments of circular weir overflows, with eight cylinder sizes, for several weir heights and for five types of inflow conditions: partially developed inflow, fully developed inflow, upstream ramp, upstream undular hydraulic jump, and upstream (breaking) hydraulic jump. Within the range of the experiments, the cylinder size, the weir height DIR and the presence of an upstream ramp had no effect on the discharge coefficient, flow depth at crest, and energy dissipation. But the inflow conditions had substantial effects on the discharge characteristics and flow properties at the crest. Practically, the results indicate that discharge measurements with circular weirs are significantly affected by the upstream flow conditions.

Polymerization of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/diaminodiphenyl sulfone epoxy resins using radio frequency fields

Curing of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A/diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DGEBA/DDS) epoxy resin has been effected by heating with radio frequency (RF) radiation at frequencies of 30-99 MHz. The epoxy resins can be cured rapidly at low RF power levels. Comparison of the kinetics of the RF curing with thermal curing while maintaining the same curing temperature revealed no differences. Previous differences in rates of thermal and microwave curing are believed to be due to lack of temperature control during microwave curing. For RF curing,the rate of cure, at constant power level, increases at lower RF frequency, thus emphasizing one of the principal advantages of RF curing over microwave curing. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

An Activated O N Acyl Transfer Auxiliary: Efficient Amide-Backbone Substitution of Hindered "Difficult" Peptides

Overcoming the phenomenon known as difficult synthetic sequences has been a major goal in solid-phase peptide synthesis for over 30 years. In this work the advantages of amide backbone-substitution in the solid-phase synthesis of difficult peptides are augmented by developing an activated N-alpha-acyl transfer auxiliary. Apart from disrupting troublesome intermolecular hydrogen-bonding networks, the primary function of the activated N-alpha-auxiliary was to facilitate clean and efficient acyl capture of large or beta-branched amino acids and improve acyl transfer yields to the secondary N-alpha-amine. We found o-hydroxyl-substituted nitrobenzyl (Hnb) groups were suitable N-alpha-auxiliaries for this purpose. The relative acyl transfer efficiency of the Hnb auxiliary was superior to the 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl (Hmb) auxiliary with protected amino acids of varying size. Significantly, this difference in efficiency was more pronounced between more sterically demanding amino acids. The Hnb auxiliary is readily incorporated at the N-alpha-amine during SPPS by reductive alkylation of its corresponding benzaldehyde derivative and conveniently removed by mild photolysis at 366 nm. The usefulness of the Hnb auxiliary for the improvement of coupling efficiencies in the chain-assembly of difficult peptides was demonstrated by the efficient Hnb-assisted Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of a known hindered difficult peptide sequence, STAT-91. This work suggests the Hnb auxiliary will significantly enhance our ability to synthesize difficult polypeptides and increases the applicability of amide-backbone substitution.

Evolution of local recruitment and its consequences for marine populations

Advantages of dispersal on the scales that are possible in a long pelagic larval period are not apparent, even for benthic species. An alternative hypothesis is that wide dispersal may be an incidental byproduct of an ontogenetic migration from and then back to the parental habitat. Under this hypothesis, the water column is a better habitat than the bottom for early development. Because the parental area is often an especially favorable habitat for juveniles and adults, selection may even favor larval retention or larval return rather than dispersal. Where larval capabilities and currents permit, a high percentage of recruits may then be produced from local adults. Expected consequences of a high proportion of local recruitment are stronger links between stock and recruitment, greater vulnerability to recruitment overfishing and local modifications of habitat, greater local benefits from fishery reserves, and possibly more localized adaptation within populations. Export of some larvae is consistent with a high proportion of retained or returning larvae, could stabilize populations linked by larval exchange, and provide connectivity between marine reserves. Even a small amount of larval export could account for the greater gene flow, large ranges, and long evolutionary durations seen in species with long pelagic larval stages.

A randomized trial comparing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and HRT plus calcitriol in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis with vertebral fractures: Benefit of the combination on total body and hip density

We report a prospective, randomized, multi-center, open-label 2-year trial of 81 postmenopausal women aged 53-79 years with at least one minimal-trauma vertebral fracture (VF) and low (T-score below 2) lumbar bone mineral density (BMD). Group HRT received piperazine estrone sulfate (PES) 0.625 - 1.25 mg/d +/- medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 2.5 - 5 mg/d,- group HRT/D received HRT plus calcitriol 0.25 mug bd. All with a baseline dietary calcium (Ca) of < I g/d received Ca carbonate 0.6 g nocte. Final data were on 66 - 70 patients. On HRT/D, significant (P < 0.001) BNID increases from baseline by DXA were at total body - head, trochanter, Ward's, total hip, inter-trochanter and femoral shaft (% group mean Delta 4.2, 6.1, 9.3. 3.7. 3.3 and 3.3%, respectively). On HRT, at these significant Deltas were restricted to the trochanter and sites. si Wards. Significant advantages of HRT/D over HRT were in BMD of total body (- head), total hip and trochanter (all P = 0.01). The differences in mean Delta at these sites were 1.3, 2.6 and 3.9%. At the following, both groups Improved significantly -lumbar spine (AP and lateral), forearm shaft and ultradistal tibia/fibula. The weightbearing, site - specific benefits of the combination associated with significant suppression of parathyroid hormone-suggest a beneficial effect on cortical bone. Suppression of bone turnover was significantly greater on HRT/D (serum osteocalcin P = 0.024 and urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine ratio P = 0.035). There was no significant difference in the number of patients who developed fresh VFs during the trial (HRT 8/36, 22%; HRT/D 4/34, 12% - intention to treat); likewise in the number who developed incident nonvertebral fractures. This Is the first study comparing the 2 treatments in a fracture population. The results indicate a significant benefit of calcitriol combined with HRT on total body BMD and on BNID at the hip, the major site of osteoporotic fracture.

The distribution of naloxone to heroin users

Overdose deaths are a manor contributor to excess mortality among heroin users. It has been proposed that opioid overdose morbidity and mortality could be reduced substantially by distributing the opioid antagonist naloxone to heroin users. The ethical issues raised by this proposal are evaluated from a utilitarian perspective. The potential advantages of naloxone distribution include the increased chance of comatose opioid users being quickly resuscitated by others present at the time of an overdose, naloxone's safety and its lack of abuse potential. The main problems raised by the proposal are: the medico-legal complications of medical practitioners prescribing a drug that is most likely to be administered to and by people other than the one for whom it is prescribed; the economic costs of distributing naloxone sufficiently widely to have an impact on overdose morbidity and mortality; and the potentially greater cost-effectiveness of simpler educational interventions. Given the possible benefits of naloxone distribution, it may be worthwhile considering a controlled trial of naloxone distribution to high-risk heroin users.

Simulated-annealing-based genetic algorithm for modeling the optical constants of solids

We propose a simulated-annealing-based genetic algorithm for solving model parameter estimation problems. The algorithm incorporates advantages of both genetic algorithms and simulated annealing. Tests on computer-generated synthetic data that closely resemble optical constants of a metal were performed to compare the efficiency of plain genetic algorithms against the simulated-annealing-based genetic algorithms. These tests assess the ability of the algorithms to and the global minimum and the accuracy of values obtained for model parameters. Finally, the algorithm with the best performance is used to fit the model dielectric function to data for platinum and aluminum. (C) 1997 Optical Society of America.