NANA: Novel assessment of nutrition and ageing

Purpose NANA is a 3-year project using sensitively-designed technology to improve data collection and integrate information on nutrition, physical and cognitive function and mental health to identify individuals at risk of under-nourishment and improve targeting of interventions. This research will also improve our understanding of the interactions between these factors, in order to better medical treatment and social provision. The toolkit has potential for commercial development for additional segments of the population. Method This is a multi-disciplinary program involving psychology, nutrition, engineering and software engineering. The first phase is a user needs analysis and will involve consulting with a broad cross-section of older people, caregivers, and health professionals, to establish what technical approaches would be useful and acceptable. The second phase focuses on the development of an integrated measurement toolkit. There are three inter-related subsections: (i) an iterative program to develop the assessment technology, (ii) techniques for dietary assessment in older people, and (iii) a parallel investigation of measures of cognition and mental health in older people. It includes a full validation of the assessment toolkit and will comprise a comparison of the new, integrated assessment with traditional 'pen and paper' methods with volunteers having the equipment installed in their homes.

Radar scattering from ice aggregates using the horizontally aligned oblate spheroid approximation

The assumed relationship between ice particle mass and size is profoundly important in radar retrievals of ice clouds, but, for millimeter-wave radars, shape and preferred orientation are important as well. In this paper the authors first examine the consequences of the fact that the widely used ‘‘Brown and Francis’’ mass–size relationship has often been applied to maximumparticle dimension observed by aircraftDmax rather than to the mean of the particle dimensions in two orthogonal directions Dmean, which was originally used by Brown and Francis. Analysis of particle images reveals that Dmax ’ 1.25Dmean, and therefore, for clouds for which this mass–size relationship holds, the consequences are overestimates of ice water content by around 53% and of Rayleigh-scattering radar reflectivity factor by 3.7 dB. Simultaneous radar and aircraft measurements demonstrate that much better agreement in reflectivity factor is provided by using this mass–size relationship with Dmean. The authors then examine the importance of particle shape and fall orientation for millimeter-wave radars. Simultaneous radar measurements and aircraft calculations of differential reflectivity and dual-wavelength ratio are presented to demonstrate that ice particles may usually be treated as horizontally aligned oblate spheroids with an axial ratio of 0.6, consistent with them being aggregates. An accurate formula is presented for the backscatter cross section apparent to a vertically pointing millimeter-wave radar on the basis of a modified version of Rayleigh–Gans theory. It is then shown that the consequence of treating ice particles as Mie-scattering spheres is to substantially underestimate millimeter-wave reflectivity factor when millimeter-sized particles are present, which can lead to retrieved ice water content being overestimated by a factor of 4.h

Analysis of expression of flagella by Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium by monoclonal antibodies recognising both phase specific and common epitopes

Monoclonal antibodies specific for phase 1 ("i" antigen), phase 2 ("1,2" antigen) and common epitopes of the flagellins of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium were raised. Having confirmed their specificity, the monoclonal antibodies were used to develop semi-quantitative ELISAs in order to assess the relative expression of the two phases by strains of Typhimurium. The majority of Typhimurium strains representative of a wide cross-section of definitive types from animal and environmental sources preferentially expressed phase 1 antigen in vitro. DT40 strains were unique in expressing phase 2 preferentially. The ratio of phase 1 to phase 2 expressed by strains tended to be constant for any one strain when strains were grown on a number of conventional laboratory media. However, the ratio of phases was shown to be modulated by incubation at 42 degreesC and buffering media at pH values, notably 4.5, other than neutral. Selenite broth and Rambach media repressed flagellation. Crown Copyright (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the salinity and freezing tolerance of Crataegus genotypes using chlorophyll fluorescence

The effect of increasing salinity and freezing stress singly and in combination on a range of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters in foliar tissue of six Crataegus genotypes was examined. In general, increased stress reduced fluorescence values and absorption, trapping and electron transport energy fluxes per leaf reaction center and cross section, with decreased sigmoidicity of OJIP curves as a measure of the plastoquinone pool, reflecting decreased energy fluxes. Based on percentage reduction in a performance index from controls compared to stress-treated values, plants were ranked in order of tolerant > intermediate > sensitive. Use of this PIp ranking criteria enabled the distinguishing of marked differences in foliar salt/freezing hardiness between the Crataegus species used. Interpretation of the photochemical data showed that salinity and freezing affects both the acceptor and donor side of Photosystem II, while OJIP observations provided information regarding structural and functional changes in the leaf photosynthetic apparatus of the test species. It is concluded that chlorophyll fluorescence offers a rapid screening technique for assessing foliar salinity and freezing tolerance of woody perennials

Regional performance and characteristics of Indian manufacturing industry

This paper investigates the regional characteristics of Indian manufacturing industry. Its aim is to assess whether geography plays any major role in determining the performance or characteristics of Indian manufacturing firms, and in order to do this, it presents the results of cross-section regressions estimated on the basis of a balanced sample of 1607 firms across the 30 Indian states. The results suggest that firm performance and characteristics are related to many of the expected industrial organization variables. However, there is also evidence of significant region–state influences on both the performance and characteristics of Indian manufacturing industry. As such, the results demonstrate that analyses which focus solely on standard non-spatial industrial organization variables will fail to explain much of the cross-sectional variation in firm performance and characteristics. In particular, while there are no systematic simple centre–periphery variations in the Indian regional economic system, there is evidence to suggest that industrial spatial concentration, regional specialization, and regional market size play a key role in determining the performance and characteristics of Indian manufacturing industry.

Distribution of β-amylase I haplotypes among European cultivated barleys

The barley β-amylase I (Bmy1) locus encodes a starch breakdown enzyme whose kinetic properties and thermostability are critical during malt production. Studies of allelic variation at the Bmy1 locus have shown that the encoded enzyme can be commonly found in at least three distinct thermostability classes and demonstrated the nucleotide sequence variations responsible for such phenotypic differences. In order to explore the extent of sequence diversity at the Bmy1 locus in cultivated European barley, 464 varieties representing a cross-section of popular varieties grown in western Europe over the past 60 years, were genotyped for three single nucleotide polymorphisms chosen to tag the four common alleles found in the collection. One of these haplotypes, which has not been explicitly recognised in the literature as a distinct allele, was found in 95% of winter varieties in the sample. When release dates of the varieties were considered, the lowest thermostability allele (Bmy1-Sd2L) appeared to decrease in abundance over time, while the highest thermostability allele (Bmy1-Sd2H) was the rarest allele at 5.4% of the sample and was virtually confined to two-row spring varieties. Pedigree analysis was used to track transmission of particular alleles over time and highlighted issues of genetic stratification of the sample.

Photoproduction of heavy quarks in next-to-leading order QCD with longitudinally polarized initial states

We present all relevant details of our calculation of the complete next-to-leading order O(αS2α) QCD corrections to heavy flavor photoproduction with longitudinally polarized point-like photons and hadrons. In particular we provide analytical results for the virtual plus soft gluon cross section. We carefully address the relevance of remaining theoretical uncertainties by varying, for instance, the factorization and renormalization scales independently. Such studies are of importance for a meaningful first direct determination of the polarized gluon density Δg from the total charm production spin asymmetry by the upcoming COMPASS experiment. It is shown that the scale uncertainty is considerably reduced in next-to-leading order, but the dependence on the charm quark mass is sizable at fixed target energies. Finally, we study several differential single-inclusive heavy quark distributions and, for the polarized HERA option, the total bottom spin asymmetry.

Next-to-leading order QCD corrections to the polarized photoproduction of heavy flavors

We present a calculation of the next-to-leading order ... QCD corrections to heavy flavor photoproduction with longitudinally polarized beams. We apply our results to study the longitudinal spin asymmetry for the total charm quark production cross section which will be utilized by the forthcoming COMPASS experiment at CERN to obtain first direct information on the polarized gluon density Δg. We also briefly discuss the main theoretical uncertainties inherent in this calculation. In particular we demonstrate that the factorization scale dependence is considerably reduced in next-to-leading order.

Influence of shape and absorbing surface: a numerical study of railway noise barriers

Results are presented of a study of a performance of various track-side railway noise barriers, determined by using a two- dimensional numerical boundary element model. The basic model uses monopole sources and has been adapted to allow the sources to exhibit dipole-type radiation characteristics. A comparison of boundary element predictions of the performance of simple barriers and vehicle shapes is made with results obtained by using the standard U.K. prediction method. The results obtained from the numerical model indicate that modifying the source to exhibit dipole characteristics becomes more significant as the height of the barrier increases, and suggest that for any particular shape, absorbent barriers provide much better screening efficiency than the rigid equivalent. The cross-section of the rolling stock significantly affects the performance of rigid barriers. If the position of the upper edge is fixed, the results suggest that simple absorptive barriers provide more effective screening than tilted barriers. The addition of multiple edges to a barrier provides additional insertion loss without any increase in barrier height.

Padé approximants for the acoustical properties of rigid frame porous media with pore size distributions

Expressions for the viscosity correction function, and hence bulk complex impedance, density, compressibility, and propagation constant, are obtained for a rigid frame porous medium whose pores are prismatic with fixed cross-sectional shape, but of variable pore size distribution. The lowand high-frequency behavior of the viscosity correction function is derived for the particular case of a log-normal pore size distribution, in terms of coefficients which can, in general, be computed numerically, and are given here explicitly for the particular cases of pores of equilateral triangular, circular, and slitlike cross-section. Simple approximate formulae, based on two-point Pade´ approximants for the viscosity correction function are obtained, which avoid a requirement for numerical integration or evaluation of special functions, and their accuracy is illustrated and investigated for the three pore shapes already mentioned

Approximate solution of second kind integral equations on infinite cylindrical surfaces

The paper considers second kind integral equations of the form $\phi (x) = g(x) + \int_S {k(x,y)} \phi (y)ds(y)$ (abbreviated $\phi = g + K\phi $), in which S is an infinite cylindrical surface of arbitrary smooth cross section. The “truncated equation” (abbreviated $\phi _a = E_a g + K_a \phi _a $), obtained by replacing S by $S_a $, a closed bounded surface of class $C^2 $, the boundary of a section of the interior of S of length $2a$, is also discussed. Conditions on k are obtained (in particular, implying that K commutes with the operation of translation in the direction of the cylinder axis) which ensure that $I - K$ is invertible, that $I - K_a $ is invertible and $(I - K_a )^{ - 1} $ is uniformly bounded for all sufficiently large a, and that $\phi _a $ converges to $\phi $ in an appropriate sense as $a \to \infty $. Uniform stability and convergence results for a piecewise constant boundary element collocation method for the truncated equations are also obtained. A boundary integral equation, which models three-dimensional acoustic scattering from an infinite rigid cylinder, illustrates the application of the above results to prove existence of solution (of the integral equation and the corresponding boundary value problem) and convergence of a particular collocation method.

Component-resolved bleaching spectra of quartz optically stimulated luminescence: preliminary results and implications for dating

Bleaching spectra of the ‘fast’ and ‘medium’ optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) components of quartz are reported. A dependence of photoionization cross-section, σ, on wavelength was observed for the fast and medium components and a significant difference in their responses to stimulation wavelength was found. The ratio of the fast and medium photoionization cross-sections, σfast/σmedium, varied from 30.6 when stimulated with View the MathML source light to 1.4 at View the MathML source. At View the MathML source the fast and medium photoionization cross-sections were found to be sufficiently different that infrared bleaching at raised temperatures allowed the selective removal of the fast component with negligible depletion of the medium. A method for optically separating the OSL components of quartz is suggested, based on the wavelength dependence of photoionization cross-sections.

Further investigations of the quartz optically stimulated luminescence components using linear modulation

The optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz is known to be the sum of several components with different rates of charge loss, originating from different trap types. The OSL components are clearly distinguished using the linear modulation (LM OSL) technique. A variety of pre-treatment and measurement conditions have been used on sedimentary samples in conjunction with linearly modulated optical stimulation to study in detail the behaviour of the OSL components of quartz. Single aliquots of different quartz samples have been found to contain typically five or six common LM OSL components when stimulated at View the MathML source. The components have been parameterised in terms of thermal stability (i.e. E and s), photoionisation cross-section energy dependence and dose response. The results of studies concerning applications of component-resolved LM OSL measurements on quartz are also presented. These include the detection of partial bleaching in young samples, use of ‘stepped wavelength’ stimulation to observe OSL from single components and attempts to extend the age range of quartz OSL dating.

Radiative forcing and global warming potentials of 11 halogenated compounds

Radiative forcing values have been calculated for 11 halogenated compounds which are in current use or which have been suggested as possible replacements for the chlorofluorocarbons. Absorption cross-sections measured over a range of atmospheric temperature and pressure conditions as part of a multi-laboratory programme have been used together with a narrow band radiative transfer model. We provide a “best estimate” radiative forcing taking into account the likely vertical profile of the gas in each case. The Global Warming Potential over a variety of time horizons has also been calculated where the lifetime is available. We present the first such information for 1,2-dichloroethane. For chloroform our radiative forcing is 5 times higher than the value used in previous assessments, possibly because these ignored the effect of absorption outside the 800–1200 cm−1 “window”. For several of the other compounds considered here, our forcing is between 10 and 30% lower than previous assessments. The perfluorocarbons have been found to have large global warming potentials, many times that of CFC-11, due to both strong absorption and long lifetimes. The importance of absorption features at wavenumbers below 800 cm−1 and the effect of temperature variations in absorption cross-section on the radiative forcing are also investigated.

The gravity wave momentum flux in hydrostatic flow with directional shear over elliptical mountains

Semi-analytical expressions for the momentum flux associated with orographic internal gravity waves, and closed analytical expressions for its divergence, are derived for inviscid, stationary, hydrostatic, directionally-sheared flow over mountains with an elliptical horizontal cross-section. These calculations, obtained using linear theory conjugated with a third-order WKB approximation, are valid for relatively slowly-varying, but otherwise generic wind profiles, and given in a form that is straightforward to implement in drag parametrization schemes. When normalized by the surface drag in the absence of shear, a quantity that is calculated routinely in existing drag parametrizations, the momentum flux becomes independent of the detailed shape of the orography. Unlike linear theory in the Ri → ∞ limit, the present calculations account for shear-induced amplification or reduction of the surface drag, and partial absorption of the wave momentum flux at critical levels. Profiles of the normalized momentum fluxes obtained using this model and a linear numerical model without the WKB approximation are evaluated and compared for two idealized wind profiles with directional shear, for different Richardson numbers (Ri). Agreement is found to be excellent for the first wind profile (where one of the wind components varies linearly) down to Ri = 0.5, while not so satisfactory, but still showing a large improvement relative to the Ri → ∞ limit, for the second wind profile (where the wind turns with height at a constant rate keeping a constant magnitude). These results are complementary, in the Ri > O(1) parameter range, to Broad’s generalization of the Eliassen–Palm theorem to 3D flow. They should contribute to improve drag parametrizations used in global weather and climate prediction models.