Use of micro-ATR/FTIR imaging to study heterogeneous polymer oxidation by direct solvent casting onto the ATR IRE

A technique is described whereby micro-ATR/FTIR imaging can be used to follow polymer degradation reactions in situ in real time. The internal reflection element (IRE) assembly is removed from the ATR objective and polymer is solvent cast directly onto the IRE surface. The polymer is then subjected to degradation conditions and molecular structural changes monitored by periodically replacing the IRE assembly back in the ATR objective and collecting spectra which can be used to construct images. This approach has the benefit that the same part of the sample is always studied, and that contact by pressure which might damage the polymer surface is not required. The technique is demonstrated using the polymer Topas which was degraded by exposure to UVC light in air.

The carrying capacity imperative : assessing regional carrying capacity methodologies for sustainable land-use planning

The global impact of an ever-increasing population-base combined with dangerously depleted natural resources highlights the urgent need for changes in human lifestyles and land-use patterns. To achieve more equitable and sustainable land use, it is imperative that populations live within the carrying capacity of their natural assets in a manner more accountable to and ethically responsible for the land which sustains them. Our society’s very survival may well depend on worldwide acceptance of the carrying capacity imperative as a principle of personal, political, economic, educational and planning responsibility. This theoretically-focused research identifies, examines and compares a range of methodological approaches to carrying capacity assessment and considers their relevance to future spatial planning. It also addresses existing gaps in current methodologies and suggests avenues for improvement. A set of eleven key criteria are employed to compare various existing carrying capacity assessment models. These criteria include whole-systems analysis, dynamic responses, levels of impact and risk, systemic constraints, applicability to future planning and the consideration of regional and local boundary delineation. This research finds that while some existing methodologies offer significant insights into the assessment of population carrying capacities, a comprehensive model is yet to be developed. However, it is suggested that by combining successful components from various authors, and collecting a range of interconnected data, a practical and workable systems-based model may be achievable in the future.

The carrying capacity imperative : assessing regional carrying capacity methodologies for sustainable land-use planning

While some existing carrying capacity methodologies offer significant insights into the assessment of population carrying capacities, a comprehensive model is yet to be developed. This research identifies, examines and compares a range of methodological approaches to carrying capacity assessment and considers their relevance to future spatial planning. A range of key criteria are employed to compare various existing carrying capacity assessment models. These criteria include integrated systems analysis, dynamic responses, levels of risk, systemic constraints, applicability to future planning and the consideration of regional boundary delineation. It is suggested that by combining successful components from various authors, and collecting a range of interconnected data, a practical and workable system-based model may be achievable in the future.

Who is more susceptible to phishing emails? : a Saudi Arabian study

Phishing emails cause enormous losses to both users and organisations. The goal of this study is to determine which individuals are more vulnerable to phishing emails. To gain this information an experiment has been developed which involves sending phishing email to users and collecting information about users. The detection deception model has been applied to identify users’ detection behaviour. We find that users who have less email experience and high levels of submissiveness have increased susceptibility. Among those, users who have high susceptibility levels and high openness and extraversion are more likely to carry on the harmful action embedded in phishing emails.

Desalination by a solar thermal membrane distillation process

A solar thermal membrane distillation pilot plant was operated for over 70 days in field conditions. The pilot plant incorporated a single spiral wound permeate gap membrane distillation style of module. All energy used to operate the unit was supplied by solar hot water collectors and photovoltaic panels. The process was able to produce a distillate stream of product water with a conductivity less than 10 µS/cm. Feed water concentration varied from 2,400 µS/cm to 106,000 µS/cm. The process is expected to find application in the production of drinking water for remote island and arid regions without the consumption of electrical energy.

Australian Indigenous Art : Local Dreamings, Global Consumption (Autohtona Australijska Umetnost : Lokalno Sanjarenje, Globalna Potražnja)

Indigenous Australian visual art is an outstanding case of the dynamics of globalization and its intersection with the hyper-local wellsprings of cultural expression, and of the strengths and weaknesses of state, philanthropic and commercial backing for cultural production and dissemination. The chapter traces the development of the international profile of Indigenous ‘dot’ art – a traditional symbolic art form from the Western Desert – as ‘high-end’ visual art, and its positioning within elite markets and finance supported by key international brokers, collectors and philanthropists.

Conducting accelerometer-based activity assessments in field-based research

Purpose The purpose of this review is to address important methodological issues related to conducting accelerometer-based assessments of physical activity in free-living individuals. Methods We review the extant scientific literature for empirical information related to the following issues: product selection, number of accelerometers needed, placement of accelerometers, epoch length, and days of monitoring required to estimate habitual physical activity. We also discuss the various options related to distributing and collecting monitors and strategies to enhance compliance with the monitoring protocol. Results No definitive evidence exists currently to indicate that one make and model of accelerometer is more valid and reliable than another. Selection of accelerometer therefore remains primarily an issue of practicality, technical support, and comparability with other studies. Studies employing multiple accelerometers to estimate energy expenditure report only marginal improvements in explanatory power. Accelerometers are best placed on hip or the lower back. Although the issue of epoch length has not been studied in adults, the use of count cut points based on 1-min time intervals maybe inappropriate in children and may result in underestimation of physical activity. Among adults, 3–5 d of monitoring is required to reliably estimate habitual physical activity. Among children and adolescents, the number of monitoring days required ranges from 4 to 9 d, making it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion for this population. Face-to-face distribution and collection of accelerometers is probably the best option in field-based research, but delivery and return by express carrier or registered mail is a viable option. Conclusion Accelerometer-based activity assessments requires careful planning and the use of appropriate strategies to increase compliance.

Graphene-based supercapacitor with carbon nanotube film as highly efficient current collector

Flexible graphene-based thin film supercapacitors were made using carbon nanotube (CNT) films as current collectors and graphene films as electrodes. The graphene sheets were produced by simple electrochemical exfoliation, while the graphene films with controlled thickness were prepared by vacuum filtration. The solid-state supercapacitor was made by using two graphene/CNT films on plastic substrates to sandwich a thin layer of gelled electrolyte. We found that the thin graphene film with thickness <1 μm can greatly increase the capacitance. Using only CNT films as electrodes, the device exhibited a capacitance as low as ~0.4 mF cm−2, whereas by adding a 360 nm thick graphene film to the CNT electrodes led to a ~4.3 mF cm−2 capacitance. We experimentally demonstrated that the conductive CNT film is equivalent to gold as a current collector while it provides a stronger binding force to the graphene film. Combining the high capacitance of the thin graphene film and the high conductivity of the CNT film, our devices exhibited high energy density (8–14 Wh kg−1) and power density (250–450 kW kg−1).

Identifying mentors’ observations for providing feedback

Mentors’ feedback can assist preservice teachers’ development; yet feedback tends to be variable from one mentor to the next. What do mentors observe for providing feedback? In this study, 24 mentors observed a final-year preservice teacher through a professionally video-recorded lesson and provided written notes for feedback. They observed the lesson for a second time and focused their feedback on the preservice teacher’s questioning only. Findings showed that the mentors’ written feedback varied considerably when open-ended observations occurred. However, there were fewer items when they focused on one teaching practice (i.e., questioning), which also provided a deeper analysis of this specific practice. Research is required around the dimensions of observations (i.e., visual, auditory, and conceptual), observations of specific practices, and methodological approaches for observing and collecting data about a preservice teacher’s practice.

Losing the rural nursing workforce: Lessons learnt from resigning nurses

Background Australian workforce planning predicts a shortfall of nurses by 2025 with rural areas being most at risk. Rural areas have lower retention rates of nurses than metropolitan areas, with remote communities experiencing an even higher turnover of nursing staff. There have been few studies that examine the impact of nurse resignations on rural nursing workforces. Objective This paper is abstracted from a larger study into the reasons why nurses resign from rural hospitals and explores the resignation period. Design A qualitative study using grounded theory methods. Following in-depth interviewing and transcription, data analysis occurred with the assistance of NVivo software. Setting Rural NSW. Participants Twelve registered nurses who had resigned from rural NSW hospitals and not for reasons of retirement, maternity leave or relocation; two participants were re-interviewed. Results While the overall study identified a grounded theory which explained rural nurses resign from hospitals due to a conflict of values, three additional themes emerged about the resignation practices at rural hospitals. The first theme identified a ‘window period’ which was an opportunity for the nurse to be retained. The second theme identified that nurses who had resigned were not involved in formal exit processes such as exit interviews. The third theme captured the flow-on effect from rural nurse resignations resulting in nurses leaving the profession of nursing. Conclusion To facilitate nurse retention, it is important that rural hospitals manage nurse resignations more effectively. This includes re-examining resignation procedures, how nurses are treated and collecting meaningful data to inform retention strategies.

Luke, The Friend of Sinners

I examine the portrayal of Jesus as a friend of toll collectors and sinners in the Third Gospel. I aim at a comprehensive view on the Lukan sinner texts, combining questions of the origin and development of these texts with the questions of Luke s theological message, of how the text functions as literature, and of the social-historical setting(s) behind the texts. Within New Testament scholarship researchers on the historical Jesus mostly still hold that a special mission to toll collectors and sinners was central in Jesus public activity. Within Lukan studies, M. Goulder, J. Kiilunen and D. Neale have claimed that this picture is due to Luke s theological vision and the liberties he took as an author. Their view is disputed by other Lukan scholars. I discuss methods which scholars have used to isolate the typical language of Luke s alleged written sources, or to argue for the source-free creation by Luke himself. I claim that the analysis of Luke s language does not help us to the origin of the Lukan pericopes. I examine the possibility of free creativity on Luke s part in the light of the invention technique used in ancient historiography. Invention was an essential part of all ancient historical writing and therefore quite probably Luke used it, too. Possibly Luke had access to special traditions, but the nature of oral tradition does not allow reconstruction. I analyze Luke 5:1-11; 5:27-32; 7:36-50; 15:1-32; 18:9-14; 19:1-10; 23:39-43. In most of these some underlying special tradition is possible though far from certain. It becomes evident that Luke s reshaping was so thorough that the pericopes as they now stand are decidedly Lukan creations. This is indicated by the characteristic Lukan story-telling style as well as by the strongly unified Lukan theology of the pericopes. Luke s sinners and Pharisees do not fit in the social-historical context of Jesus day. The story-world is one of polarized right and wrong. That Jesus is the Christ, representative of God, is an intrinsic part of the story-world. Luke wrote a theological drama inspired by tradition. He persuaded his audience to identify as (repenting) sinners. Luke's motive was that he saw the sinners in Jesus' company as forerunners of Gentile Christianity.

Isotopic fractionation in sputtering

Isotopic fractionation due to sputtering has been investigated via a collector type experiment in which targets of known isotopic composition have been bombarded with several keV Ar⁺ and Xe⁺ ions with fluences down to 3.0x10¹⁴ ions/cm² , believed to be the lowest fluences for which such detailed measurements have ever been made. The isotopes were sputtered onto carbon collectors and analyzed with Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy (SIMS.) There is clear indication of preferential effects several times that predicted by the dominant analytical theory. Results also show a fairly strong angular variation in the fractionation. The maximum effect is usually seen in the near normal direction, measured from the target surface, falling continuously, by a few percent in some cases, to a minimum in the oblique direction. Measurements have been made using Mo isotopes: ¹⁰⁰Mo and ⁹²Mo and a liquid metal system of In:Ga eutectic. The light isotope of Mo is found to suffer a 53 ± 5‰ (note: 1.0‰ ≡ 0.1%) enrichment in the sputtered flux in the near normal direction, compared to the steady state near normal sputtered composition, under 5.0 keV Xe⁺ bombardment of 3.0 x 10¹⁴ ions/cm². In the liquid metal study only the angular dependence of the fractionation could be measured due to the lack of a well defined reference and the nature of the liquid surface, which is able to 'repair' itself during the course of a bombardment. The results show that ¹¹³In is preferentially sputtered over ¹¹⁵In in the near normal direction by about 8.7 ± 2.7‰ compared to the oblique direction. ⁶⁹Ga, on the other hand, is sputtered preferentially over ⁷¹Ga in the oblique direction by about 13 ± 4.4‰ with respect to the near normal direction.

Methods of feeding of some macrothricids (Cladocera, Macrothricidae). [Translation from: Informatsionnyi Byulleten Biologiya Vnutrennikh Vod 16, 29-34, 1973.]

The feeding methods of macrothricids was investigated in three species — Ophryoxus gracilis G.O. Sars, Ilyocryptus sordidus (Lievin) and Lathonura rectirostris O.F.Muller. The procuring of food in those species follows two methods: filtration of dispersed particles or scraping off and collecting food from the surface of the substrate. When collecting food by scraping off is the sole method of feeding (as in Lathonura rectirostris), movement along the substrate and feeding are combined so intimately that they appear as parts of one and the same mechanism.

Área de vida do lagarto saxícola Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) em área de Caatinga, Nordeste do Brasil

A área de vida pode ser definida como o espaço físico necessário para um animal desempenhar as atividades essenciais para sua sobrevivência, desenvolvimento e reprodução. O conhecimento sobre área de vida é essencial para a compreensão dos processos que regem o uso do espaço e a organização social em populações animais. Neste estudo, investigamos aspectos das áreas de vida do lagarto saxícola, endêmico da Caatinga, Tropidurus semitaeniatus, avaliando possíveis variações intersexuais, ontogenéticas e sazonais nos tamanhos das áreas de vida, bem como elementos da organização social da espécie. A área de estudo consistiu em uma área típica de Caatinga stricto sensu, localizada no município de Pentecoste - Ceará. Realizamos coletas em dois afloramentos rochosos, nos quais demarcamos pontos de referência a cada cinco metros. Coletamos os lagartos residentes nestes afloramentos, registrando, para cada indivíduo, o sexo e o tamanho rostro-cloacal (mm), e posteriormente, identificando-o com marcação única. Vistoriamos cada afloramento durante 20 dias em cada estação (chuvosa e seca), respectivamente em junho e dezembro de 2011, realizando recapturas visuais e coletando registros de posições espaciais de cada indivíduo. Estimamos as áreas de vida pelo método do Polígono Convexo Mínimo, para os indivíduos recapturados pelo menos seis vezes. Obtivemos 56 áreas de vida, das quais 10 foram de machos, 20 de fêmeas e 26 de jovens. Não existiu relação entre os tamanhos das áreas de vida e os comprimentos rostro-cloacais dos indivíduos. Não houve diferenças sexuais, ontogenéticas ou sazonais nos tamanhos das áreas de vida. Contudo, o espaçamento entre as áreas de vida foi menor durante a estação chuvosa e a maioria das sobreposições entre áreas de vida também ocorreu neste período. Ao todo, registramos 81 sobreposições de áreas de vida, sendo estas mais frequentes entre fêmeas e jovens e menos frequentes entre pares de machos. A proporção da área de vida total sobreposta com outro indivíduo foi maior entre pares de fêmeas e menor entre pares de machos. Os machos estiveram associados em média com 1,5 fêmeas, possuindo de zero a sete áreas de vida de fêmeas sobrepostas com suas áreas de vida. O número de áreas de vida de fêmeas sobrepostas às áreas de vida de machos esteve positivamente associado ao tamanho dos machos. Por outro lado, não houve associação entre o número de áreas de vida de fêmeas sobrepostas às áreas de vida de machos e os tamanhos das áreas de vida dos machos correspondentes. Em suma, à luz do conhecimento acumulado sobre a história natural do organismo de estudo, acreditamos que sua extrema especificidade por ambientes rochosos e a disponibilidade limitada de habitats adequados à ocupação constituem fatores preponderantes na determinação dos padrões singulares de uso do espaço e organização social em T. semitaeniatus.

Biographical Sketch of Spencer Fullerton Baird

Spencer Fullerton Baird was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, February 3, 1823. In 1834 he was sent to a Quaker boarding-school kept by Dr. McGraw, at Port Deposit, Maryland, and the year following to the Reading Grammar School. In 1836 he entered Dickinson College, and was graduated at the age of seventeen. After leaving college, his time for several years was devoted to studies in general natural history, to long pedestrian excursions for the purpose of observing animals and plants and collecting specimens, and to the organization of a private cabinet of natural history, which a few years later became the nucleus of the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. During this period he published a number of original papers on natural history. He also read medicine with Dr. Middleton Goldsmith, attending a winter course of lectures at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, in New York, in 1842. His medical course was never formally completed, although in 1848 he received the degree of M. D., honoris causa, from the Philadelphia Medical College. In 1845 he was chosen professor of natural history in Dickinson College, and in 1846 his duties and emoluments were increased by election to the chair of natural history and chemistry in the same institution. In 1848 he declined a call to the professorship of natural science in the University of Vermont. In 1849 he undertook his first extensive literary work, translating and editing the text for the "Iconographic Encyclopedia," an English version of Heck's Bilder Atlas, published in connection with Brockhaus's Conversations Lexikon.