Investigating the of Water treatment residuals on Phosphorus mobility derived from biosolid application to Willow coppice

Short rotation willow coppice (SRWC) treatment of biosolids is limited by the oversupply of biosolid derived phosphorus; this can lead to eventual losses of phosphorus to water. Water treatment residuals (WTR), a by-product of potable water treatment, have been identified as a viable soil amendment for mitigation of phosphorus loss. WTR exploit the capacity of internally held aluminium oxide-hydroxide complexes to immobilise labile phosphorus. However indiscriminate additions to plots can result in inadequate control or excessive immobilization of soluble P, leading to crop deficiencies. Four commercially grown common willow (Salix) genotypes (Terra Nova, Endeavour, Resolution and Tora) were grown in soil amended with WTR at five different application rates (0, 10, 25, 50 and 100 tonne ha-1 air-dry basis) in a glasshouse pot experiment. The effects of application rates on plant yields, tissue P concentrations, P uptake and soil labile P availability were measured. Results indicate labile P was reduced with increasing WTR application rates, without any negative agronomic impacts.

Deriving lessons relating to marine spatial planning from Canada's Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management Initiative

Stakeholder participation is viewed as a key element of ecosystem-based marine spatial planning (MSP). There is much debate over the effectiveness of stakeholder participation in ecosystem-based management (EBM) in general and over the form it should take. Particular challenges relating to participation in the marine environment are highlighted. A study of the Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management initiative, which uses a collaborative planning model to implement EBM, is presented in order to explore these issues further. Criteria derived from a review of collaborative planning literature are employed to evaluate the effectiveness of this model, which is found to be a useful consensus-building tool. Although a strategic-level plan has been adopted, the initiative has encountered difficulties transitioning from plan development to plan implementation. These are attributable in large measure to deficiencies in the design of the collaborative model. Useful lessons relating mainly to stakeholder engagement, the role of the lead agency, and implementation strategies are advanced for those engaging in MSP processes.

Stakeholder Participation in Marine Spatial Planning:Lessons from the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Stakeholder participation is advanced as a key element of marine spatial planning (MSP) by the U.S. Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. It provides little guidance, however, regarding stakeholder participation. We argue that much can be learned from existing ecosystem-based marine management initiatives. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, which utilizes an advisory council to facilitate stakeholder participation, is evaluated in this article with a view to identifying key lessons for new MSP initiatives. A set of criteria, derived from collaborative planning theory, is employed to evaluate the effectiveness of this approach. The advisory council meets some criteria for effective stakeholder participation but is found to be lacking in key elements, including shared purpose and interdependency. Benefits associated with stakeholder participation are constrained accordingly. Deficiencies in the design of the council and its decision-making procedures, requiring attention in order to facilitate more effective stakeholder participation in new MSP initiatives, are highlighted. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

On the required shape corrections to the local density and generalized gradient approximations to the Kohn-Sham potentials for molecular response calculations of (hyper)polarizabilities and excitation energies

It is well known that shape corrections have to be applied to the local-density (LDA) and generalized gradient (GGA) approximations to the Kohn-Sham exchange-correlation potential in order to obtain reliable response properties in time dependent density functional theory calculations. Here we demonstrate that it is an oversimplified view that these shape corrections concern primarily the asymptotic part of the potential, and that they affect only Rydberg type transitions. The performance is assessed of two shape-corrected Kohn-Sham potentials, the gradient-regulated asymptotic connection procedure applied to the Becke-Perdew potential (BP-GRAC) and the statistical averaging of (model) orbital potentials (SAOP), versus LDA and GGA potentials, in molecular response calculations of the static average polarizability alpha, the Cauchy coefficient S-4, and the static average hyperpolarizability beta. The nature of the distortions of the LDA/GGA potentials is highlighted and it is shown that they introduce many spurious excited states at too low energy which may mix with valence excited states, resulting in wrong excited state compositions. They also lead to wrong oscillator strengths and thus to a wrong spectral structure of properties like the polarizability. LDA, Becke-Lee-Yang-Parr (BLYP), and Becke-Perdew (BP) characteristically underestimate contributions to alpha and S-4 from bound Rydberg-type states and overestimate those from the continuum. Cancellation of the errors in these contributions occasionally produces fortuitously good results. The distortions of the LDA, BLYP, and BP spectra are related to the deficiencies of the LDA/GGA potentials in both the bulk and outer molecular regions. In contrast, both SAOP and BP-GRAC potentials produce high quality polarizabilities for 21 molecules and also reliable Cauchy moments and hyperpolarizabilities for the selected molecules. The analysis for the N-2 molecule shows, that both SAOP and BP-GRAC yield reliable energies omega(i) and oscillator strengths f(i) of individual excitations, so that they reproduce well the spectral structure of alpha and S-4.(C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

The unexpected discovery of a novel low-oxygen-activated locus for the anoxic persistence of Burkholderia cenocepacia

Burkholderia cenocepacia is a Gram-negative aerobic bacterium that belongs to a group of opportunistic pathogens displaying diverse environmental and pathogenic lifestyles. B. cenocepacia is known for its ability to cause lung infections in people with cystic fibrosis and it possesses a large 8?Mb multireplicon genome encoding a wide array of pathogenicity and fitness genes. Transcriptomic profiling across nine growth conditions was performed to identify the global gene expression changes made when B. cenocepacia changes niches from an environmental lifestyle to infection. In comparison to exponential growth, the results demonstrated that B. cenocepacia changes expression of over one-quarter of its genome during conditions of growth arrest, stationary phase and surprisingly, under reduced oxygen concentrations (6% instead of 20.9% normal atmospheric conditions). Multiple virulence factors are upregulated during these growth arrest conditions. A unique discovery from the comparative expression analysis was the identification of a distinct, co-regulated 50-gene cluster that was significantly upregulated during growth under low oxygen conditions. This gene cluster was designated the low-oxygen-activated (lxa) locus and encodes six universal stress proteins and proteins predicted to be involved in metabolism, transport, electron transfer and regulation. Deletion of the lxa locus resulted in B. cenocepacia mutants with aerobic growth deficiencies in minimal medium and compromised viability after prolonged incubation in the absence of oxygen. In summary, transcriptomic profiling of B. cenocepacia revealed an unexpected ability of aerobic Burkholderia to persist in the absence of oxygen and identified the novel lxa locus as key determinant of this important ecophysiological trait.

Reaching common ground:A patient-family-based conceptual framework of quality EOL care

Improvement in the quality of end-of-life (EOL) care is a priority health care issue since serious deficiencies in quality of care have been reported across care settings. Increasing pressure is now focused on Canadian health care organizations to be accountable for the quality of palliative and EOL care delivered. Numerous domains of quality EOL care upon which to create accountability frameworks are now published, with some derived from the patient/family perspective. There is a need to reach common ground on the domains of quality EOL care valued by patients and families in order to develop consistent performance measures and set priorities for health care improvement. This paper describes a meta-synthesis study to develop a common conceptual framework of quality EOL care integrating attributes of quality valued by patients and their families. © 2005 Centre for Bioethics, IRCM.

Active carers: living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

It has long been recognised that the majority of care provided in chronic illness comes not from health and social care professionals, but from family and friends. One such illness is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world.To explore the specific care needs of informal caregivers of patients with advanced COPD, interviews were conducted with seven active family caregivers. Interviews were taped, transcribed and content analysed to obtain the caregivers' needs. Results confirm that family caregivers provide direct care with little support and assistance. Participants reported restricted activities of daily living and some emotional distress. There were knowledge deficiencies among caregivers relating to the COPD illness trajectory and little awareness of the potential of palliative care. Family caregivers need social and professional support while caring for a patient at home. This would help to ensure that their physical and emotional health does not suffer. There is a need to devise interventions to ensure family caregivers are supported.

Affinity-Purified Respiratory Syncytial Virus Antibodies from Intravenous Immunoglobulin Exert Potent Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity

Mixed infections are one of the major therapeutic challenges, as the current strategies have had limited success. One of the most common and widespread conditions of mixed infection is respiratory syncytial virus-mediated pathology of the respiratory tract in children. There is a dire need for the development of novel therapeutic approaches during mixed infections. Therapeutic intravenous immunoglobulin preparations, obtained from plasma pools of healthy donors have been used in immune deficiencies. This study was thus designed to characterize the functional efficacy of RSV-specific antibodies in IVIg. To explore the functional ability of these affinity-purified RSV-specific antibodies, the antibody-dependent and complement dependent cytotoxicity was determined using peripheral cells of healthy donors. This study demonstrates the existence of highly potent RSV-specific antibodies in IVIg preparations and provides the basis for the use of IVIg as broad-spectrum protective shield to RSV-infected children during mixed infections

Management research on multinational corporations:A methodological critique

In the context of burgeoning research on multinational corporations (MNCs), this paper addresses the issue of the representativeness of databases of MNCs in Ireland. It identifies some important deficiencies in existing databases much used by scholars in the field. Drawing on the international literature, it finds that this problem also characterises research on MNCs in many other countries. In the Irish context, we find that the extant empirical research has generally excluded two key categories of MNCs, namely, (a) foreign MNCs which are not grant-aided by the main industrial promotions agencies and (b) Irish-owned MNCs. The paper outlines our experience in identifying and addressing these deficiencies and describes the methods that might be employed in more precisely defining the MNC population in Ireland. More generally the paper reviews some of the issues and obstacles confronting scholars investigating the MNC sector in Ireland and abroad.

Effectiveness of the Construction Management Courses

This research assesses the effectiveness of current MSc. Construction Project Management programmes within the UK and Ireland. A review of published prospectuses is used to create questionnaires for universities, graduates and employers. Responses provide an insight into programme creation and their relative success in addressing the needs of industry and in achieving other educational objectives. Since the majority of learning institutions have attained professional accreditation, it is useful to review these awards and to assess their potential value to both graduates and industry alike. Interviews are conducted with representatives from the main professional accrediting bodies to understand their procedures and rigour in enforcing standards of education and training. The results show that project management education could be further enhanced by the inclusion of more practical learning and that current programmes place greater emphasis on hard skills at the expense of the softer human skills. There is clearly a need for a closer working relationship between academics and practitioners to tackle the perceived gap between theoretical learning and construction practice. Learning institutions can use the findings to improve their programmes and address the education deficiencies identified by the industry, by the professional institutions and by graduates.

Improved principal component monitoring using the local approach

This paper shows that current multivariate statistical monitoring technology may not detect incipient changes in the variable covariance structure nor changes in the geometry of the underlying variable decomposition. To overcome these deficiencies, the local approach is incorporated into the multivariate statistical monitoring framework to define two new univariate statistics for fault detection. Fault isolation is achieved by constructing a fault diagnosis chart which reveals changes in the covariance structure resulting from the presence of a fault. A theoretical analysis is presented and the proposed monitoring approach is exemplified using application studies involving recorded data from two complex industrial processes. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of a Final Year Work-shadowing Attachment

The transition from medical student to junior doctor is well recognised to be a difficult and stressful period. To ease this transition, most UK universities have a work-shadowing period (WSP), during which students can learn practical skills needed for forthcoming employment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the WSP at Queen's University Belfast, and gain the views of both students and Foundation Programme Supervisors and Directors (FPSDs). The study utilised both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (questionnaires) approaches. The FPSDs completed a specific questionnaire designed for this study, while the students completed the university's internal quality assurance questionnaire. Twenty-eight of the 37 (76%) FPSDs and 106 / 196 (54%) students completed the questionnaires. Focus groups were conducted with up to 10 students in each group in both a regional centre and a district general hospital at the start and the end of the WSP as well as 8 weeks into working life. The transcripts of the focus groups were analysed and themes identified. A number of deficiencies with the current WSP were identified, including concerns about the use of log books, the timing of the attachment and relatively low levels of supervision provided by senior hospital staff members. As a result, students felt unprepared for commencing work, with particular mention given to medical emergencies, prescribing, and the emotional aspects of the job. A number of recommendations are made, including the need for more senior input to ensure better student attendance, participation and clinical interaction. Furthermore, students should be offered additional supervised responsibility for delivery of patient care and more experiential learning with respect to drug prescribing and administration. The study also suggests that more needs to be done to help ease the emotional and psychological stresses of the early FY1 period. These issues have been resolved to a large extent with the introduction of the new final year Student Assistantship module in the academic year 2010-2011. © The Ulster Medical Society, 2012.

Structural reinforcement of microvascular networks using electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly with halloysite nanotubes

We demonstrate a method for tailoring local mechanical properties near channel surfaces of vascular structural polymers in order to achieve high structural performance in microvascular systems. While synthetic vascularized materials have been created by a variety of manufacturing techniques, unreinforced microchannels act as stress concentrators and lead to the initiation of premature failure. Taking inspiration from biological tissues such as dentin and bone, these mechanical deficiencies can be mitigated by complex hierarchical structural features near to channel surfaces. By employing electrostatic layer-by-layer assembly (ELbL) to deposit films containing halloysite nanotubes onto scaffold surfaces followed by matrix infiltration and scaffold removal, we are able to controllably deposit nanoscale reinforcement onto 200 micron diameter channel surface interiors in microvascular networks. High resolution strain measurements on reinforced networks under load verify that the halloysite reduces strain concentrations and improves mechanical performance.

The potential impact of undiagnosed vision impairment on reading development in the early years of school

This paper presents a critical review of the literature surrounding the potential impact of undiagnosed and untreated vision impairment on reading development in the early years of primary school. Despite pre-school screening programmes, it is still possible for children to enter school with undiagnosed, uncorrected vision impairments. This can be due to health care access issues for children. Data reviewed indicated correlations between hyperopic vision impairment and poor reading development. However, the relationships reported remain complex, with myopic vision impairment being reported to correlate to high reading ability in some studies. In addition, correlation does not necessarily imply causation. Previous research in the field is reported. Deficiencies in the current literature base are discussed. Finally, recommendations for teaching practice and the nature of research that explores whether vision impairment is the cause of poor reading development for some children in school is suggested.

The Kremlin's Scholar. A Memoir of Soviet Politics under Stalin and Khrushchev

The memoirs are dominated by two grand figures of Soviet history, Stalin and Khrushchev. The account of Stalin is riddled with ambiguities. There is an undoubted personal admiration for Stalin, his intellectual and political capacity (Stalin allegedly read 300 pages per day), his simplicity in daily life seen in "an old tunic, patched-up socks, almost constant isolation" (p. 190). At the same time, Shepilov acknowledged the paranoid aspects of Stalin's personality, especially towards the end of his life. Stalin's mechanisms of power are illustrated by Shepilov's account of work on a new book on political economy. Stalin personally chose key people for important tasks and controlled them at key junctures to ensure the desired outcome. In this light, Shepilov's claims that the Great Purges of the late 1930s could have been outside of Stalin's immediate control seem implausible, to say the least (p. 41).

All Stalin's deficiencies, however, pale in comparison with those of Khrushchev, the bête noire of Shepilov's memoirs. There is plenty of criticism of Khrushchev's policies, particularly in agriculture and foreign affairs. What comes across most pungently is, however, Shepilov's disdain of Khrushchev's personality and leadership style. In this respect, the book is unashamedly biased and remarkable for its omissions as much as for its revelations.