7,669 research outputs found
Bruno D\u27aston v. Dorothy D\u27aston, Lisa Aston, Eryck C. Aston : Reply Brief
No full textREPLY BRIEF OF APPELLANT ERYCK C. ASTON Appeal by Eryck C. Aston from a Decree and Order Entered by Ray M. Harding, Fourth District Court, Utah Count
Bruno D\u27aston v. Dorothy D\u27aston, Lisa Aston, Eryck C. Aston : Brief of Appellant
No full textBRIEF OF APPELLANT ERYCK C. ASTON
Appeal by Eryck C. Aston from a Decree and Order Entered by Ray M. Harding, Fourth District Court, Utah Count
Cangshanaltica sprynari Damaška & Aston 2019, sp. nov.
No full textCangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov. (Figs 2 A–I, 7A–E) Ivalia sp. n.: ASTON (2009): 11 (note). Type locality. China, Hong Kong, Lantau Island, Wang Tong. Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♁, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Wang Tong 8. viii. 2010 Paul Aston lgt. (NMPC). PARATYPES: 1 ♁♁ 2 ♀, same locality label as the holotype and additional label ‘Genus Ivalia det. Döberl 2010’ (1 ♁ USNM, 1 ♀ SYSU, 1 ♀ NMPC); 1 ♀, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Sunset Peak floating in river below waterfall, 27. ix. 2009 Paul Aston lgt.’ (PCPA); 1♁, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Wang Tong, on moss; 9.iii.2009.Paul Aston lgt.’ (AFCD); 1♁, ‘ China: Hong Kong – Lantau isl., Wang Tong, on moss; 15. xi. 2008 Paul Aston lgt.’ (ADPC). Differential diagnosis. This new species belongs to the genus Cangshanaltica based on following characters: (1) pronotal anterolateral setiferous pore placed in the middle of the pronotal side margin; and (2) antennomere VII with a distal protrusion. Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov. differs from all other species of Cangshanaltica by following characters: (1) round anterior pronotal margins (other species have anterior pronotal margins somewhat sharp), (2) short, broad and strongly diverging vaginal palpi (other species have long, slender and parallel vaginal palpi), and (3) nearly undivided frontal calli (C. nigra Konstantinov et al., 2013 has poorly developed frontal calli, C. siamensis Damaška & Konstantinov, 2016 has distinctly divided triangular frontal calli). The species differs from C. nigra in brown coloration (C. nigra is black), in the shape of the aedeagus (C. nigra has the apex of the aedeagus gradually narrowing, C. sprynari has a narrow apex of the aedeagus, distinctly divided by a visible, abruptly narrowing step), in the shape of vaginal palpi (C. nigra has parallel and long vaginal palpi, vaginal palpi of C. sprynari are short, broad and strongly diverging), development of frontal calli (in C. nigra, frontal calli are nearly invisible) and metatarsomere III long (in C. nigra, the metatarsomere III is very short). The species also differs from C. siamensis in the shape of the aedeagus (C. siamensis has a distinctly pointed apex) and in having a bulbose spermathecal receptacle (C. siamensis has a slender receptacle). Description. Habitus (Figs 1 A–C). Body 1.7 mm long, 1.3 mm wide in maximum, oval-rounded in dorsal view, convex in lateral view, 1 mm high in maximum. Color of both ventral and dorsal body surface dark brown, legs light brown, eyes black. Head nearly hypognathous. Frontal calli present, flat, feebly visible, indistinctly divided, distinctly surrounded ventrally and dorsally by longitudinal impressions. Interantennal space wide. Antennae with 11 antennomeres, antennomeres I–V and XI light brown, antennomeres VI–X darker. Antennomere VII bearing distal protrusion anteriorly.Antennomere I triangular, antennomere II oval, antennomeres III–XI regularly elongate. Maxillary palpi light brown. Frontal ridge broad, flat. Clypeus bearing two groups of three setae each, situated symmetrically on each side. Labrum bilobed, with incision reaching ¼ of labrum length, bearing six large setae in posterior parts and some scattered smaller setae on anterior margin. Thorax. Pronotum convex, twice as wide as long, sparsely covered with shallow punctures, anterior pronotal margins strongly rounded, posterior pronotal edges sharp. Elytra strongly convex with irregular punctation, punctures larger and deeper than those on pronotum. Metathoracic wings and humeral calli absent. Metatibiae curved in dorsal view, pilose, with exterior row of teeth reaching from proximal ¼ of length of metatibia to apex. Metatibial teeth gradually elongate apically. Metatarsus attached on metatibia in deep apical impression surrounded externally by long external teeth and internally by short apical row of long teeth. Metatarsomere I 2–3× longer than II, metatibial apical tooth as long as metatarsomere II. Abdomen with five distinct ventrites. Ventrite I as long as II and III combined, with II slightly longer than III. Longitudinal ridge on ventrite I long, reaching 2/3 of its length. Genitalia. Aedeagus (Figs 2 H–I) long, curved and broad in lateral view, parallel-sided in ventral view, apex abruptly narrowed in step-like fashion in apical eighth of aedeagus. Spermathecal pump long, receptacle bulbose, duct simple, short, directed parallel with the receptacle, reaching ½ of receptacle length (Fig. 2D). Vaginal palpi short, broad, strongly diverging, bearing group of long setae (Fig. 2E). Tignum long, slender, simple (Fig. 2F). Etymology. The species is named in honor of Pavel Špryňar, a Czech botanist and entomologist, who has contributed to Czech entomology by hosting an entomological club for children in Prague. Biology. The specimens were collected at night, walking on the surface of a thin layer of moss covering stones in secondary forest growth and orchard, near Wang Tong village, Lantau, Hong Kong (Figs 7 A–B). Cangshanaltica sprynari sp. nov. appears to be active only at night, they usually begin to occur two hours after dusk (P. Aston frequently visits the locality during the day and early evening, finding no specimens) and only in periods of humidity or rainfall, never found when the moss is totally dry. One specimen was collected, with many other terrestrial beetles, in a stream after being washed away in heavy rainfall. Host plant. One of us (PA) found the beetles feeding on moss Fissidens sp., Fissidentaceae (Figs 7 C–D). Also the gut contained the residua of moss (Fig. 7E).Published as part of Damaška, Albert F. & Aston, Paul, 2019, Leaf litter and moss-inhabiting flea beetles of Hong Kong (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Alticini), pp. 151-161 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) (Acta. Ent. Mus. Natl. Pragae) 59 (1) on pages 153-154, DOI: 10.2478/aemnp-2019-0013, http://zenodo.org/record/450517
The Access Model: Managing the transformation at aston university
No full textAston University Library and Information Services has followed an “access” strategy since 1985‐86, adopting the model of a specialized industrial information service. Its style of provision is characterized by services tailored to customer needs, innovation through IT and devolved financial management. Information resource provision has moved significantly from print to electronic sources, featuring distributed self‐service access via a campuswide network and promotion of information management skills among the whole community. Service level agreements for “standard” and “tailored” services are being developed with academic departments in the context of a trading company model. The role of information specialists has shifted from intermediary to adviser and facilitator, and now involves acting as local operations manager for a range of electronic products and services. Critical success factors include strategic and operational plans and priorities, staff of the right calibre, a supportive organization culture, an effective IT infrastructure and comprehensive management information systems
Insular volume abnormalities associated with different transition probabilities to psychosis
No full textBackground Although individuals vulnerable to psychosis show brain volumetric abnormalities, structural alterations underlying different probabilities for later transition are unknown. The present study addresses this issue by means of voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
Method We investigated grey matter volume (GMV) abnormalities by comparing four neuroleptic-free groups: individuals with first episode of psychosis (FEP) and with at-risk mental state (ARMS), with either long-term (ARMS-LT) or short-term ARMS (ARMS-ST), compared to the healthy control (HC) group. Using three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we examined 16 FEP, 31 ARMS, clinically followed up for on average 3 months (ARMS-ST, n=18) and 4.5 years (ARMS-LT, n=13), and 19 HC.
Results The ARMS-ST group showed less GMV in the right and left insula compared to the ARMS-LT (Cohen's d 1.67) and FEP groups (Cohen's d 1.81) respectively. These GMV differences were correlated positively with global functioning in the whole ARMS group. Insular alterations were associated with negative symptomatology in the whole ARMS group, and also with hallucinations in the ARMS-ST and ARMS-LT subgroups. We found a significant effect of previous antipsychotic medication use on GMV abnormalities in the FEP group.
Conclusions GMV abnormalities in subjects at high clinical risk for psychosis are associated with negative and positive psychotic symptoms, and global functioning. Alterations in the right insula are associated with a higher risk for transition to psychosis, and thus may be related to different transition probabilities
Chaetarthria saundersi d' Orchymont 1923
No full textChaetarthria saundersi d’ Orchymont, 1923 (Figures 1a–e and 6a–b) Chaetarthria saundersi d’ Orchymont, 1923: 420. Specimens Hebauer (1995) recorded in ISNB and NHMW were checked. Additional material examined HONGKONG: 1 female (PCPA): ‘ Lam Tsuen valley, Sheung Tin Liu Ha’ (= Shangtianliaoxia), ‘circa 50 m altitude in moss in watery mud, 2.i.2012, Paul Aston leg’; 1 male, 2 unsexed spec. (SYSU): ‘Lantau, Tai O (= Da Ao), 40m altitude, thick moss on edge of narrow ditch with shallow stagnant water, 21.i.2013, Paul Aston leg’; 1 female (PCPA): ‘ Lantau, Tai O’ (= Da Ao), ‘ 40m altitude, wet moss at edge of narrow ditch with shallow stagnant water, 10.i.2012, Paul Aston leg’; 1 male (PCPA), 2 spec. (SYSU): ‘ Lam Tsuen valley, Ng Tung Chai Village’ (= Wutong Village), ‘ 70 m altitude in moss at the edge of trickling stream’ (present with C. indica), ‘ 19.i.2013, Paul Aston leg’; 1 male (PCPA): ‘ Lantau, Tai O’ (= Da Ao), ‘ 40m altitude, thick wet moss at edge of narrow ditch with shallow stagnant water, 25.iii.2012, Paul Aston leg’; 2 male (PCPA): ‘ Lantau, Tai O’ (= Da Ao), ‘ 40m altitude, thick wet moss at edge of narrow ditch with shallow stagnant water, 26.xii.2012, Paul Aston leg’. HAINAN: 1 male (SYSU): ‘ Wenchang, Tongguling Nature Reserve, 317m, light trap, 18.iii.2008, Yang Yuxia leg’. (translated from Chinese). 1 female (SYSU): ‘ Yinggeling Mt. light trap, 5.iv.2008, Yuxia Yang leg.’ (trancribed from Chinese). MACAU: 1 male (SYSU): ‘ Cotai Ecological Reserve, 9.x.2013, Fenglong Jia leg.’ (trancribed from Chinese). JIANGXI: 1 spec. (SYSU): ‘ Jing’ an County, Guanyinyan Scenic Area, 29.03N 115.25E, 20.vii.2014, light trap, Ren-Chao Lin leg’. (with both Chinese and English data). YUNNAN: 1 male (SYSU): ‘ Tropical Forest, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, 21.92°N, 101.27°E, 606m, 22.xi.2017, light trap, Chen Kai et Liu Qingming leg’. Differential diagnosis This species can be distinguished from other known Oriental species by dorsum entirely black, labrum uniformly black. Pronotum with distinct anterior angles, posterior angles not acute (Figure 1a), lateral stria continued along anterior margin and distinctly curved behind eyes (Figure 1e). Elytra with almost regular series of punctures, intervals with coarser and more irregular punctures (Figure 1d), clearly deflected lateromedially, sutural striae reaching two-thirds anteriorly (Figure 1d), only narrowly yellow apically and posterolaterally (Figure 1b,d). Median lobe of aedeagus broad and round apically, parameres rounded apically (Figure 6a,b). Distribution Widely distributed from south-eastern Asia through Vietnam to Nepal (Hansen 1999) and China (Hong Kong, Hainan, Macau, Jiangxi, Yunnan). First record for China (Figure 7).Published as part of Jia, Fenglong, Wang, Shi-shuai & Aston, Paul, 2018, Revision of Chaetarthria Stephens (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) in China, with a key to the species in the Oriental Region, pp. 2369-2384 in Journal of Natural History 52 (37 - 38) on pages 2370-2372, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2018.1532023, http://zenodo.org/record/517750
A comparative evaluation of the impact of UK Trade & Investment's R&D programme and other UKTI support that impacts R&D
No full textThe evaluation study used econometric techniques and evidence on both users and non-users of UKTI trade services to investigate the impact of UKTI support on business investment in Research and Development (R&D). It found evidence that trade support generates additional R&D of around £65k per firm, with key UKTI services such as the Tradeshow Access Programme, Export Marketing Research Scheme, Website business opportunities alerts, and Passport to Export scheme tending to generate the strongest R&D impact. The research also confirmed that innovative and growing firms were most likely to show positive R&D impact and there was clear evidence of UKTI service complementarity, with the R&D impact stronger for multiple service use
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