Creeping insulation - Hong Kong green wall

Hong Kong is a densely populated city suffering badly from the urban heat island effect. Green wall offers a means of ameliorating the situation but there are doubts over its suitability in Hong Kong’s unique environment. In this paper, we look at the potential for green walls in Hong Kong first by summarizing some of the Chinese green walling systems and associated vegetation in use, then by an introduction to three existing green walls in Hong Kong, and finally through a small experiment aimed at identifying the likely main effects of green walled housing. The results indicate that green walling in Hong Kong is likely to provide enhanced internal house environment in terms of warm weather temperature reduction, stabilization and damping, with direct energy savings in air-conditioning and indirect district benefits of reduced heat island effect and carbon emissions. The green walling insulation properties also suggest the possibility of warmer homes in winter and/or energy savings in mechanical heating provision.

EGFR expression as a predictor of survival for first-line chemotherapy plus cetuximab in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer : analysis of data from the phase 3 FLEX study

Background: Findings from the phase 3 First-Line ErbituX in lung cancer (FLEX) study showed that the addition of cetuximab to first-line chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival compared with chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio [HR] 0·871, 95% CI 0·762-0·996; p=0·044) in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To define patients benefiting most from cetuximab, we studied the association of tumour EGFR expression level with clinical outcome in FLEX study patients. Methods: We used prospectively collected tumour EGFR expression data to generate an immunohistochemistry score for FLEX study patients on a continuous scale of 0-300. We used response data to select an outcome-based discriminatory threshold immunohistochemistry score for EGFR expression of 200. Treatment outcome was analysed in patients with low (immunohistochemistry score <200) and high (≥200) tumour EGFR expression. The primary endpoint in the FLEX study was overall survival. We analysed patients from the FLEX intention-to-treat (ITT) population. The FLEX study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00148798. Findings: Tumour EGFR immunohistochemistry data were available for 1121 of 1125 (99·6%) patients from the FLEX study ITT population. High EGFR expression was scored for 345 (31%) evaluable patients and low for 776 (69%) patients. For patients in the high EGFR expression group, overall survival was longer in the chemotherapy plus cetuximab group than in the chemotherapy alone group (median 12·0 months [95% CI 10·2-15·2] vs 9·6 months [7·6-10·6]; HR 0·73, 0·58-0·93; p=0·011), with no meaningful increase in side-effects. We recorded no corresponding survival benefit for patients in the low EGFR expression group (median 9·8 months [8·9-12·2] vs 10·3 months [9·2-11·5]; HR 0·99, 0·84-1·16; p=0·88). A treatment interaction test assessing the difference in the HRs for overall survival between the EGFR expression groups suggested a predictive value for EGFR expression (p=0·044). Interpretation: High EGFR expression is a tumour biomarker that can predict survival benefit from the addition of cetuximab to first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC. Assessment of EGFR expression could offer a personalised treatment approach in this setting. Funding: Merck KGaA. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Talk in activity during young children’s use of digital technologies at home

Internet-connected tablets and smart phones are being used increasingly by young children. Little is known, however, about their social interactions with family members when engaged with these technologies. This article examines video-recorded interactions between a father and his two young children, one aged 18 months using an iPhone and one aged three years accessing an iPad. Drawing on Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis, analysis establishes ways the family members engage and disengage in talk so as to manage their individual activity with mobile devices and accomplish interaction with each other. Findings are relevant for understanding children’s everyday practices with mobile technologies.

Expression of thrombospondin-1 in resected colorectal liver metastases predicts poor prognosis

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the expression and prognostic relevance of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) in tumor biopsies taken from a consecutive series of liver resections done at the University Hospitals of Leicester and the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Experimental Design Patients having undergone a liver resection for colorectal liver metastases at our institutions between 1993 and 1999 inclusive were eligible. Inclusion criteria were curative intent, sufficient tumor biopsy, and patient follow-up data. One hundred eighty-two patients were considered in this study. Standard immunohistochemical techniques were used to study the expression of TSP-1 in 5-μm tumor sections from paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. TSP-1 was correlated with survival using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test for univariate analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model for multivariate analysis. Results One hundred eighty-two patients (male, n = 122 and female, n = 60) ages between 25 and 81 years (mean, 61 years) were included. TSP-1 was expressed around blood vessels (n = 45, 25%) or in the stroma (n = 59, 33%). No expression was detected in the remaining tumors. TSP-1 significantly correlated with poor survival on univariate (P = 0.01 for perivascular expression and P = 0.03 for stromal expression) and multivariate analysis (P = 0.01 for perivascular expression). Conclusion TSP-1 is a negatively prognostic factor for survival in resected colorectal liver metastases. © 2005 American Association for Cancer Research.

A study of the phosphate mineral kapundaite NaCa(Fe3+)4(PO4)4(OH)3⋅5(H2O) using SEM/EDX and vibrational spectroscopic methods

Vibrational spectroscopy enables subtle details of the molecular structure of kapundaite to be determined. Single crystals of a pure phase from a Brazilian pegmatite were used. Kapundaite is the Fe3+ member of the wardite group. The infrared and Raman spectroscopy were applied to compare the structure of kapundaite with wardite. The Raman spectrum of kapundaite in the 800–1400 cm−1 spectral range shows two intense bands at 1089 and 1114 cm−1 assigned to the ν1PO43- symmetric stretching vibrations. The observation of two bands provides evidence for the non-equivalence of the phosphate units in the kapundaite structure. The infrared spectrum of kapundaite in the 500–1300 cm−1 shows much greater complexity than the Raman spectrum. Strong infrared bands are found at 966, 1003 and 1036 cm−1 and are attributed to the ν1PO43- symmetric stretching mode and ν3PO43- antisymmetric stretching mode. Raman bands in the ν4 out of plane bending modes of the PO43- unit support the concept of non-equivalent phosphate units in the kapundaite structure. In the 2600–3800 cm−1 spectral range, Raman bands for kapundaite are found at 2905, 3151, 3311, 3449 and 3530 cm−1. These bands are broad and are assigned to OH stretching vibrations. Broad infrared bands are also found at 2904, 3105, 3307, 3453 and 3523 cm−1 and are attributed to water. Raman spectroscopy complimented with infrared spectroscopy has enabled aspects of the structure of kapundaite to be ascertained and compared with that of other phosphate minerals.

Diabetes, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia in small aboriginal community in northern Australia

A small rural Aboriginal community in northern Australia was surveyed for diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), hyperinsulinemia, and lipid levels. Of the 122 adults >17 yr of age who participated (95% response rate), 11.5% had diabetes, 7.4% had IGT, and the remaining 81.1% had normal glucose tolerance. Both diabetes and IGT were strongly age related. This high frequency of diabetes occurred, despite the population being relatively lean. Although the body mass index (BMI) increased with age in both men and women, only 25% of the population overall had BMI >25 kg/m2. There were wide ranges of insulin responses to glucose, with the upper fertile of 2-h insulin levels being more than seven times higher than the lower fertile (144 ± 13 vs. 19 ± 1 mLI/L). Hyperinsulinemia was associated with IGT, elevated triglycerides, and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Lipid abnormalities were much more frequent among men than women. Cholesterol levels were an average of 0.55 mM higher and triglycerides an average of 1.05 mM higher in men than in women, and both increased with age. In conclusion, this small isolated Aboriginal population from northern Australia had an unexpectedly high frequency of diabetes (in view of their relative leanness) in association with a high frequency of metabolic abnormalities indicative of insulin resistance (hyperinsulinemia, IGT, hypertriglyceridemia).

Blurred lines : reconsidering the concept of ‘diversion’ in youth justice systems in Australia

This article revisits ‘diversion’ in the context of youth justice in Australia. Although ‘diversion’ is omnipresent in youth justice, it is rarely subject to critical examination. This article raises four interrelated questions: what young people are to be ‘diverted’ from and to; whether young people are to be ‘diverted’ from the criminal justice system or from offending; whether young people are to be ‘diverted’ from criminal justice processes or outcomes; and whether ‘diversion’ should be considered distinct from crime prevention and early intervention. The article concludes that the confusion about youth ‘diversion’ may foster individualised interventions in young people’s lives.

Self in the City : Young Adult Fiction about New York City after 9/11

This chapter discusses fictional texts set in New York City soon after Septem- ber 11, 2001 (9/11), or whose characters are affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center. Whereas these texts may not have been directly marketed at young adults, they all address ‘youth issues’. Each of the books discussed here contain or are focalized through the eyes of adolescent protagonists. They are all coming-of-age narratives in that the crises within them are usually a result of a catastrophe, taking the characters on journeys of self-discovery, which, once fulfilled, lead them back home.1 As Jerry Griswold (1992) has suggested, coming-of-age stories are especially well suited to the American psyche, and are already familiar to readers of literature based in New York City (the most familiar work being J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye). As with other clas- sic American young adult (YA) literature, the journey and homecoming com- monly associated with coming-of-age are often employed in fiction about 9/11. With the key elements of loss and suffering, self-awareness, introspection, and growth, the coming-of-age novel also fulfils agendas common to both litera- ture and politics: the literary journey becomes the nation’s journey.

Alcohol ingestion impairs maximal post-exercise rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis following a single bout of concurrent training

Introduction The culture in many team sports involves consumption of large amounts of alcohol after training/competition. The effect of such a practice on recovery processes underlying protein turnover in human skeletal muscle are unknown. We determined the effect of alcohol intake on rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) following strenuous exercise with carbohydrate (CHO) or protein ingestion. Methods In a randomized cross-over design, 8 physically active males completed three experimental trials comprising resistance exercise (8×5 reps leg extension, 80% 1 repetition maximum) followed by continuous (30 min, 63% peak power output (PPO)) and high intensity interval (10×30 s, 110% PPO) cycling. Immediately, and 4 h post-exercise, subjects consumed either 500 mL of whey protein (25 g; PRO), alcohol (1.5 g·kg body mass−1, 12±2 standard drinks) co-ingested with protein (ALC-PRO), or an energy-matched quantity of carbohydrate also with alcohol (25 g maltodextrin; ALC-CHO). Subjects also consumed a CHO meal (1.5 g CHO·kg body mass−1) 2 h post-exercise. Muscle biopsies were taken at rest, 2 and 8 h post-exercise. Results Blood alcohol concentration was elevated above baseline with ALC-CHO and ALC-PRO throughout recovery (P<0.05). Phosphorylation of mTORSer2448 2 h after exercise was higher with PRO compared to ALC-PRO and ALC-CHO (P<0.05), while p70S6K phosphorylation was higher 2 h post-exercise with ALC-PRO and PRO compared to ALC-CHO (P<0.05). Rates of MPS increased above rest for all conditions (~29–109%, P<0.05). However, compared to PRO, there was a hierarchical reduction in MPS with ALC-PRO (24%, P<0.05) and with ALC-CHO (37%, P<0.05). Conclusion We provide novel data demonstrating that alcohol consumption reduces rates of MPS following a bout of concurrent exercise, even when co-ingested with protein. We conclude that alcohol ingestion suppresses the anabolic response in skeletal muscle and may therefore impair recovery and adaptation to training and/or subsequent performance.

How rural criminology informs critical thinking in criminology

Over the past quarter century, a growing volume of rural-focused criminological work has emerged. In this article, the literature related to three rural criminological issues are examined and discussed in terms of their lessons for critical criminology. Research on rural communities and crime is examined as a way to criticize and challenge mainstream criminological theories and concepts like social disorganisation and collective efficacy, and to remind critical criminologists of the importance for developing critical perspectives for place-based or ecological theories of crime. Agricultural crime studies are discussed in terms of the need to develop a critical criminology of agriculture and food. Finally, criminological studies of rural ‘others’ is used to show the need for critical criminologists to give greater analytic attention to divisions and marginalities of peoples living in smaller and more isolated places based on gender, race, and lifestyles, among other factors.

Transfer pricing and multinational financial institutions : the case for replacing arm’s length price with a unitary approach

The international tax system, designed a century ago, has not kept pace with the modern multinational entity rendering it ineffective in taxing many modern businesses according to economic activity. One of those modern multinational entities is the multinational financial institution (MNFI). The recent global financial crisis provides a particularly relevant and significant example of the failure of the current system on a global scale. The modern MNFI is increasingly undertaking more globalised and complex trading operations. A primary reason for the globalisation of financial institutions is that they typically ‘follow-the-customer’ into jurisdictions where international capital and international investors are required. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently reported that from 1995-2009, foreign bank presence in developing countries grew by 122 per cent. The same study indicates that foreign banks have a 20 per cent market share in OECD countries and 50 per cent in emerging markets and developing countries. Hence, most significant is that fact that MNFIs are increasingly undertaking an intermediary role in developing economies where they are financing core business activities such as mining and tourism. IMF analysis also suggests that in the future, foreign bank expansion will be greatest in emerging economies. The difficulties for developing countries in applying current international tax rules, especially the current traditional transfer pricing regime, are particularly acute in relation to MNFIs, which are the biggest users of tax havens and offshore finance. This paper investigates whether a unitary taxation approach which reflects economic reality would more easily and effectively ensure that the profits of MNFIs are taxed in the jurisdictions which give rise to those profits. It has previously been argued that the uniqueness of MNFIs results in a failure of the current system to accurately allocate profits and that unitary tax as an alternative could provide a sounder allocation model for international tax purposes. This paper goes a step further, and examines the practicalities of the implementation of unitary taxation for MNFIs in terms of the key components of such a regime, along with their their implications. This paper adopts a two-step approach in considering the implications of unitary taxation as a means of improved corporate tax coordination which requires international acceptance and agreement. First, the definitional issues of the unitary MNFI are examined and second, an appropriate allocation formula for this sector is investigated. To achieve this, the paper asks first, how the financial sector should be defined for the purposes of unitary taxation and what should constitute a unitary business for that sector and second, what is the ‘best practice’ model of an allocation formula for the purposes of the apportionment of the profits of the unitary business of a financial institution.

A comparison between bagasse and water efficient alternatives using KOH/AQ pulping

Numerous crops grow in sugar regions that have the potential to increase the amount of biomass available to a small bagasse-based pulp factory. Arundo donax and Sorghum offer unique advantages to farmers compared to other agricultural crops. Sorghum bicolour requires only 1/3 of the water of sugarcane. Arundo donax is a very high yield crop, it can also grow with little water but it has the further advantage in that it is also highly stress tolerant, making it suitable for land which is unsuited to other crops. Pulps produced from these crops were benchmarked against sugarcane bagasse pulp. Arundo, sorghum and bagasse were pulped using KOH and anthraquinone to 20 Kappa number so as to produce a bleachable pulp which is suitable for making photocopier paper and tissue products. The unbleached sorghum pulp has better tensile strength properties than the unbleached Arundo pulp (43.8 Nm/g compared to 21.4 Nm/g) and the bleached sorghum pulp tensile strength was similar to bagasse (28.4 Nm/g). At 20 Kappa number, sorghum pulp had acceptable yield for a non-wood fibre (45% c.f. 55% for bagasse), Arundo donax pulp had low tensile strength, and relatively low yield (38.7%), even for an agricultural fibre and required severe cooking conditions to achieve similar delignification to sugarcane bagasse or sorghum. Sorghum and Arundo donax produced thicker handsheets than bagasse (>160 µm c.f. 122 µm for bagasse). In preliminary experiments sorghum and bagasse responded slightly better to Totally Chlorine Free peroxide bleaching (QPP), although none achieved a satisfactory brightness level and further improvement would be required to produce a bleached pulp.

Sub-modelling for the ratchetting failure of insulated rail joints

Insulated rail joints are critical for train safety as they control electrical signalling systems; unfortunately they exhibit excessive ratchetting of the railhead near the endpost insulators. This paper reports a three-dimensional global model of these joints under wheel–rail contact pressure loading and a sub-model examining the ratchetting failures of the railhead. The sub-model employs a non-linear isotropic–kinematic elastic–plastic material model and predicts stress/strain levels in the localised railhead zone adjacent to the endpost which is placed in the air gap between the two rail ends at the insulated rail joint. The equivalent plastic strain plot is utilised to capture the progressive railhead damage adequately. Associated field and laboratory testing results of damage to the railhead material suggest that the simulation results are reasonable.

The molecular structure of the vanadate mineral mottramite [PbCu(VO4)(OH)] from Tsumeb, Namibia – a vibrational spectroscopic study

We have studied a mineral sample of mottramite PbCu(VO4)(OH) from Tsumeb, Namibia using a combination of scanning electron microscopy with EDX, Raman and infrared spectroscopy. Chemical analysis shows principally the elements V, Pb and Cu. Ca occurs as partial substitution of Pb as well as P and As in substitution to V. Minor amounts of Si and Cr were also observed. The Raman band of mottramite at 829 cm-1, is assigned to the ν1 symmetric (VO-4) ) stretching mode. The complexity of the spectra is attributed to the chemical composition of the Tsumeb mottramite. The ν3 antisymmetric vibrational mode of mottramite is observed as very low intensity bands at 716 and 747 cm-1. The series of Raman bands at 411, 439, 451 cm-1 and probably also the band at 500 cm-1 are assigned to the (VO-4) ν2 bending mode. The series of Raman bands at 293, 333 and 366 cm-1 are attributed to the (VO-4) ) ν4 bending modes. The ν3, ν3 and ν4 regions are complex for both minerals and this is attributed to symmetry reduction of the vanadate unit from Td to Cs.