Sensing Shape Recovery Using Conductivity Noise in Thin Films of NiTi Shape Memory Alloys

Low frequency fluctuations in the electrical resistivity, or noise, have been used as a sensitive tool to probe into the temperature driven martensite transition in dc magnetron sputtered thin films of nickel titanium shape-memory alloys. Even in the equilibrium or static case, the noise magnitude was more than nine orders of magnitude larger than conventional metallic thin films and had a characteristic dependence on temperature. We observe that the noise while the temperature is being ramped is far larger as compared to the equilibrium noise indicating the sensitivity of electrical resistivity to the nucleation and propagation of domains during the shape recovery. Further, the higher order statistics suggests the existence of long range correlations during the transition. This new characterization is based on the kinetics of disorder in the system and separate from existing techniques and can be integrated to many device applications of shape memory alloys for in-situ shape recovery sensing.

Design and evaluation of a dual-microcomputer shared memory system with a shared I/O bus

The design, implementation and evaluation are described of a dual-microcomputer system based on the concept of shared memory. Shared memory is useful for passing large blocks of data and it also provides a means to hold and work with shared data. In addition to the shared memory, a separate bus between the I/O ports of the microcomputers is provided. This bus is utilized for interprocessor synchronization. Software routines helpful in applying the dual-microcomputer system to realistic problems are presented. Performance evaluation of the system is carried out using benchmarks.

BIFF to BAPFF: considering 'festival memory' in the face of innovation and change

As an art form, film has arguably always functioned as a stronghold for memory. Memories unfold in the stories told on screen, and remain preserved in the experiences of the audience viewing the film, at a particular time and place. The environment of a film festival further alters the viewing experience and its relationship to memory. The Brisbane International Film Festival (BIFF) was founded in 1992. After considerable disruption due to economic and socio-political changes, it took place for the last time in 2013. The change in BIFF’s leadership and programming agenda significantly impacted the festival’s image and its position on the wider festival circuit. Through an examination of cinema and memory) it will be argued that film festivals operate as (temporary) sites of memory, through the programming and screening of films, engagement with local audiences, and promotion of film culture. This specific and unique ‘festival memory’ inextricably links to the audience and the venue, and is curated by the festival programmers and staff, who carry a wealth of knowledge (not necessarily recorded), of past festivals, successes, and failures. The people involved, the festival staff and audience, act as caretakers of this ‘festival memory.’ This essay will therefore examine how the BIFF and its home, the Regent Theatre, have functioned as crucial ‘sites of memory’ for film and film culture in Brisbane, Australia.

Farewelling the regent: Considering 'festival memory' in the face of innovation and change

The rapid expansion of the international film festival circuit has included the loss of smaller, but well established festivals, often due to the perceived need for constant innovation and change. The Brisbane International Film Festival was founded in 1992. After considerable disruption to the festival’s leadership, programme and location due to economic and socio-political changes, it was held for the last time in 2013. Nafus and Anderson cite the term ‘lieux de memoire’, meaning ‘sites of memory’, as a place of “remembrance that exist(s) in a social world that constantly seeks to get ahead of itself, to “innovate” (Nafus and Anderson in Cefkin 2009, 141). The concept of ‘festival memory’ has not yet been explored in any depth, but such significant shifts in festivals such as BIFF are arguably sites where festival histories and identities, and film knowledge itself, can be irretrievably lost.

Molecular Pathways of Disturbed Sleep and Depression: Studies on Adenosine and Gene Expression Patterns

Background: Adenosine is a potent sleep-promoting substance, and one of its targets is the basal forebrain. Fairly little is known about its mechanism of action in the basal forebrain and about the receptor subtype mediating its regulating effects on sleep homeostasis. Homeostatic deficiency might be one of the causes of the profoundly disturbed sleep pattern in major depressive disorder, which could explain the reduced amounts of delta-activity-rich stages 3 and 4. Since major depression has a relatively high heritability, and on the other hand adenosine regulates sleep homeostasis and might also be involved in mood modulation, adenosine-related genes should be considered for their possible contribution to a predisposition for depression and disturbed sleep in humans. Depression is a complex disorder likely involving the abnormal functioning of several genes. Novel target genes which could serve as the possible common substrates for depression and comorbid disturbed sleep should be identified. In this way specific brain areas related to sleep regulation should be studied by using animal model of depression which represents more homogenous phenotype as compared to humans. It is also important to study these brain areas during the development of depressive-like features to understand how early changes could facilitate pathophysiological changes in depression. Aims and methods: We aimed to find out whether, in the basal forebrain, adenosine induces recovery non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep after prolonged waking through the A1 or/and A2A receptor subtype. A1 and A2A receptor antagonists were perfused into the rat basal forebrain during 3 h of sleep deprivation, and the amount of NREM sleep and delta power during recovery NREM sleep were analyzed. We then explored whether polymorphisms in genes related to the metabolism, transport and signaling of adenosine could predispose to depression accompanied by signs of disturbed sleep. DNA from 1423 individuals representative of the Finnish population and including controls and cases with depression, depression accompanied by early morning awakenings and depression accompanied by fatigue, was used in the study to investigate the possible association between polymorphisms from adenosine-related genes and cases. Finally to find common molecular substrates of depression and disturbed sleep, gene expression changes were investigated in specific brain areas in the rat clomipramine model of depression. We focused on the basal forebrain of 3-week old clomipramine-treated rats which develop depressive-like symptoms later in adulthood and on the hypothalamus of adult female clomipramine-treated rats. Results: Blocking of the A1 receptor during sleep deprivation resulted in a reduction of the recovery NREM sleep amount and delta power, whereas A2A receptor antagonism had no effect. Polymorphisms in adenosine-related genes SLC29A3 (equilibrative nucleoside transporter type 3) in women and SLC28A1 (concentrative nucleoside transporter type 1) in men associated with depression alone as well as when accompanied by early morning awakenings and fatigue. In Study III the basal forebrain of postnatal rats treated with clomipramine displayed disturbances in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor type A signaling, in synaptic transmission and possible epigenetic changes. CREB1 was identified as a common transcription denominator which also mediates epigenetic regulation. In the hypothalamus the major changes included the expression of genes in GABA-A receptor pathway, K+ channel-related, glutamatergic and mitochondrial genes, as well as an overexpression of genes related to RNA and mRNA processing. Conclusions: Adenosine plays an important role in sleep homeostasis by promoting recovery NREM sleep via the A1 receptor subtype in the basal forebrain. Also adenosine levels might contribute to the risk of depression with disturbed sleep, since the genes encoding nucleoside transporters showed the strongest associations with depression alone and when accompanied by signs of disturbed sleep in both women and men. Sleep and mood abnormalities in major depressive disorder could be a consequence of multiple changes at the transcriptional level, GABA-A receptor signaling and synaptic transmission in sleep-related basal forebrain and the hypothalamus.

Rural energy consumption patterns - A field study

This paper is a condensed version of the final report of a detailed field study of rural energy consumption patterns in six villages located west of Bangalore in the dry belt of Karnataka State in India. The study was carried out in two phases; first, a pilot study of four villages and second, the detailed study of six villages, the populations of which varied from around 350 to about 950. The pilot survey ended in late 1976, and most of the data was collected for the main project in 1977. Processing of the collected data was completed in 1980. The aim was to carry out a census survey, rather than a sample study. Hence, considerable effort was expended in production of both a suitable questionnaire, ensuring that all respondents were contacted, and devising methods which would accurately reflect the actual energy use in various energy-utilising activities. In the end, 560 households out of 578 (97%) were surveyed. The following ranking was found for the various energy sources in order of average percentage contribution to the annual total energy requirement: firewood, 81A·6%; human energy, 7A·7%; animal energy, 2A·7%; kerosene, 2A·1%; electricity, 0A·6% and all other sources (rice husks, agro-wastes, coal and diesel fuel), 5A·3%. In other words commercial fuels made only a small contribution to the overall energy use. It should be noted that dung cakes are not burned in this region. The average energy use pattern, sector by sector, again on a percentage basis, was as follows: domestic, 88A·3%; industry, 4A·7%; agriculture, 4A·3%; lighting, 2A·2% and transport, 0A·5%. The total annual per capita energy consumption was 12A·6 A± 1A·2 GJ, giving an average annual household consumption of around 78A·6 GJ.

Short- and long-term movement patterns in the freshwater whipray (Himantura dalyensis) determined by the signal processing of passive acoustic telemetry data.

Patterns of movement in aquatic animals reflect ecologically important behaviours. Cyclical changes in the abiotic environment influence these movements, but when multiple processes occur simultaneously, identifying which is responsible for the observed movement can be complex. Here we used acoustic telemetry and signal processing to define the abiotic processes responsible for movement patterns in freshwater whiprays (Himantura dalyensis). Acoustic transmitters were implanted into the whiprays and their movements detected over 12 months by an array of passive acoustic receivers, deployed throughout 64 km of the Wenlock River, Qld, Australia. The time of an individual's arrival and departure from each receiver detection field was used to estimate whipray location continuously throughout the study. This created a linear-movement-waveform for each whipray and signal processing revealed periodic components within the waveform. Correlation of movement periodograms with those from abiotic processes categorically illustrated that the diel cycle dominated the pattern of whipray movement during the wet season, whereas tidal and lunar cycles dominated during the dry season. The study methodology represents a valuable tool for objectively defining the relationship between abiotic processes and the movement patterns of free-ranging aquatic animals and is particularly expedient when periods of no detection exist within the animal location data.

Evoking poetics of memory through performing site: Naik Naik, a Malaysian Australian collaboration in the world heritage setting of Melaka

Memory, time and metaphor are central triggers for artists in exploring and shaping their creative work. This paper examines the place of artists as ‘memory-keepers’, and ‘memory-makers’, in particular through engagement with the time-based art of site-specific performance. Naik Naik (Ascent) was a multi-site performance project in the historic setting of Melaka, Malaysia, and is partially recaptured through the presence and voices of its collaborating artists. Distilled from moments recalled, this paper seeks to uncover the poetics of memory to emerge from the project; one steeped in metaphor rather than narrative. It elicits some of the complex and interdependent layers of experience revealed by the artists in Naik Naik; cultural, ancestral, historical, personal, instinctual and embodied memories connected to sound, smell, touch, sensation and light, in a spatiotemporal context for which site is the catalyst. The liminal nature of memory at the heart of Naik Naik, provides a shared experience of past and present and future, performatively interwoven.

Patterns of seed bank and size asymmetry of plant growth across varying sites in the invasive Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae)

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is a weed of great significance in Australia and worldwide, but little is known about connections among components of its life history. We document over a 3-year period, the links between L. camara seed-bank dynamics and its above-ground growth, including size asymmetry in four land-use types (a farm, a hoop pine plantation and two open eucalypt forests) invaded by the weed near Brisbane, Queensland Australia. Seed-bank populations varied appreciably across sites and in response to rainfall and control measures, and they were higher (~1,000 seeds/m2) when annual rainfall was 15-30 % below the long-term yearly average. Fire reduced seed-bank populations but not the proportion germinating (6-8 %). Nearly a quarter of fresh seeds remain germinable after 3 years of soil burial. For small seedlings (<10 cm high), the expected trade-offs in two life-history traits-survival and growth-did not apply; rather the observed positive association between these two traits, coupled with a persistent seed-bank population could contribute to the invasiveness of the plant. Relationships between absolute growth rate and initial plant size (crown volume) were positively linear, suggesting that most populations are still at varying stages of the exponential phase of the sigmoid growth; this trend also suggests that at most sites and despite increasing stand density and limiting environmental resources of light and soil moisture, lantana growth is inversely size asymmetric. From the observed changes in measures of plant size inequality, asymmetric competition appeared limited in all the infestations surveyed. © 2013 Crown Copyright as represented by: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Australia.

Eine Erinnerung an den Geburtstag von Frau Sobernheim (in memory of Mrs. Sobernheim's birthday); Wiesbaden Portraits Groups Women

Image 200 participants include Erna Behr, Lenka Bederheimer, Paula Arendt, Elsa Trum, Hedwig Trum, Ruth Rosenau, Johanna Schoenmann and Martha Bruchfeld

Spatial and temporal foraging patterns of Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), for protein and implications for management

Fruit flies require protein for reproductive development and actively feed upon protein sources in the field. Liquid protein baits mixed with insecticide are used routinely to manage pest fruit flies, such as Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt). However, there are still some gaps in the underpinning science required to improve the efficacy of bait spray technology. The spatial and temporal foraging behaviour of B. tryoni in response to protein was investigated in the field. A series of linked trials using either wild flies in the open field or laboratory-reared flies in field cages and a netted orchard were undertaken using nectarines and guavas. Key questions investigated were the fly's response to protein relative to: height of protein within the canopy, fruiting status of the tree, time of day, season and size of the experimental arena. Canopy height had a significant response on B. tryoni foraging, with more flies foraging on protein in the mid to upper canopy. Fruiting status also had a significant effect on foraging, with most flies responding to protein when applied to fruiting hosts. B. tryoni demonstrated a repeatable diurnal response pattern to protein, with the peak response being between 12:0016:00 h. Season showed significant but unpredictable effects on fruit fly response to protein in the subtropical environment where the work was undertaken. Relative humidity, but not temperature or rainfall, was positively correlated with protein response. The number of B. tryoni responding to protein decreased dramatically as the spatial scale increased from field cage through to the open field. Based on these results, it is recommend that, to be most effective, protein bait sprays should be applied to the mid to upper canopies of fruiting hosts. Overall, the results show that the protein used, an industry standard, has very low attractancy to B. tryoni and that further work is urgently needed to develop more volatile protein baits.

Muscle activation patterns in the Nordic hamstring exercise: Impact of prior strain injury

This study aimed to determine: 1) the spatial patterns of hamstring activation during the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE); 2) whether previously injured hamstrings display activation deficits during the NHE, and; 3) whether previously injured hamstrings exhibit altered cross-sectional area. Ten healthy, recreationally active males with a history of unilateral hamstring strain injury underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of their thighs before and after 6 sets of 10 repetitions of the NHE. Transverse (T2) relaxation times of all hamstring muscles (biceps femoris long head, (BFlh); biceps femoris short head (BFsh); semitendinosus (ST); semimembranosus (SM)), were measured at rest and immediately after the NHE and cross-sectional area (CSA) was measured at rest. For the uninjured limb, the ST’s percentage increase in T2 with exercise was 16.8, 15.8 and 20.2% greater than the increases exhibited by the BFlh, BFsh and SM, respectively (p<0.002 for all). Previously injured hamstring muscles (n=10) displayed significantly smaller increases in T2 post-exercise than the homonymous muscles in the uninjured contralateral limb (mean difference -7.2%, p=0.001). No muscles displayed significant between limb differences in CSA. During the NHE, the ST is preferentially activated and previously injured hamstring muscles display chronic activation deficits compared to uninjured contralateral muscles.

Patterns of entrepreneurial career development: An optimal matching analysis approach

Longitudinal studies of entrepreneurial career development are rare, and current knowledge of self-employment patterns and their relationships with individual difference characteristics is limited. In this study, the authors analyzed employment data from a subsample of 514 participants from the German Socio-Economic Panel study (1984–2008). Results of an optimal matching analysis indicated that a continuous self-employment pattern could be distinguished from four alternative employment patterns (change from employment to self-employment, full-time employees, part-time employees, and farmers). Results of a multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that certain socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., age and gender) and personality characteristics (i.e., conscientiousness and risk-taking propensity) were related to the likelihood of following a continuous self-employment pattern compared to the other employment patterns. Implications for future research on entrepreneurial career development are discussed.

Career patterns: A twenty-year panel study

Using 20 years of employment and job mobility data from a representative German sample (N = 1259), we employ optimal matching analysis (OMA) to identify six career patterns which deviate from the traditional career path of long-term, full-time employment in one organization. Then, in further analyses, we examine which socio-demographic predictors affect whether or not individuals follow that traditional career path. Results indicate that age, gender, marital status, number of children, education, and career starts in the public sector significantly predicted whether or not individuals followed the traditional career path. The article concludes with directions for future theoretical and methodological research on career patterns.