8 research outputs found
Designing the Human-Powered Helicopter: A New Perspective
No full textThe concept of human-powered vertical flight was studied in great depth. Through the manipulation of preexisting theory and analytical methods, a collection of design tools was created to expediently conceptualize and then analyze virtually any rotor. The tools were then arranged as part of a complete helicopter rotor design process. The lessons learned as a result of studying this process—and the tools of which it consists—are presented in the following discussion. It is the belief of the author that by utilizing these tools, as well as the suggestions that accompany them, future engineers may someday build a human-powered helicopter capable of winning the Sikorsky Prize
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Adolescent gambling and gambling-type games on social networking sites: issues, concerns, and recommendations
No full textResearch indicates that compared to the general population, teenagers and students make the most use of social networking sites (SNSs). Although SNSs were originally developed to foster online communication between individuals, they now have the capability for other types of behaviour to be engaged in such as gambling and gaming. The present paper focuses on gambling and the playing of gambling-type games via SNSs and comprises a selective narrative overview of some of the main concerns and issues that have been voiced concerning gambling and gambling-type games played via social network sites. Overall, there is little empirical evidence relating to the psychosocial impact of adolescents engaging in gambling and gambling-type activities on SNSs, and the evidence that does exist does not allow definitive conclusions to be made. However, it is recommended that stricter age verification measures should be adopted for social games via SNSs particularly where children and adolescents are permitted to engage in gambling-related content, even where real money is not involved
Fundamentos da produção e consumo de frutos em populações naturais de Euterpe edulis Martius
No full textTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Recursos Genéticos Vegetais, Florianópolis, 2011Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a produção de frutos de Euterpe edulis e o consumo dos mesmos pela fauna em populações naturais da espécie, visando a manutenção da dinâmica da regeneração natural e das interações com a fauna. Ficou evidenciada a importância de E. edulis como fonte de alimento, pois seus frutos podem estar disponíveis em 10 meses do ano. O número médio de inflorescências produzidos por matriz foi de 2,21, destas: 1,55 chegaram a fase de flor feminina; 1,30 chegaram a fase de fruto imaturo e somente 0,98 amadureceram. Neste contexto, 55,7% das inflorescências "abortaram" até a fase de fruto maduro. À medida que as matrizes crescem em diâmetro, aumentam o número de inflorescências e infrutescências emitidas/planta, bem como, com o número de frutos maduros formados por infrutescência. Os estudos sobre a regeneração foram conduzidos em diferentes estádios sucessionais, tendo como foco: os efeitos da densidade de plântulas e a distância da matriz mais próxima e a relação entre a evolução do número de plântulas e matrizes. Os resultados obtidos, confirmam a hipótese de Janzen, indicando que, com o aumento da densidade e da proximidade das matrizes, ocorrem reduções das taxas de desenvolvimento e aumento das taxas de mortalidade. Tanto no estádio secundário inicial (SI), como no estádio secundário avançado (SA), os efeitos ocasionados pela densidade seguem o mesmo modelo. Porém, no estádio mais inicial as taxas de crescimento e mortalidade são maiores e menores, respectivamente. A estabilização no número de plântulas e matrizes ao longo do tempo é sugerida pelos diferentes modelos matemáticos empregados. Em média, estádios secundários avançados tendem a apresentar proporções de plântulas nas classes I, II e III, próximas a 82, 14 e 4%, respectivamente. O incremento de E. edulis segue o modelo de uma curva polinomial de quinto grau, variável quanto à intensidade entre diferentes populações. Durante o amadurecimento das infrutescências, foi observada uma redução média de 52% na quantidade de frutos. Dos frutos que chegaram à fase madura, 70% mantiveram sementes em condições de germinar. A dispersão, descontando-se os propágulos destruídos, totalizou 41% (30% tiveram como origem ações da fauna sobre as infrutescências e 11% ocorreram no solo). A fauna que se alimenta nas infrutescências, utilizou 76,5% dos frutos; dos restantes: 3,7% racharam ou secaram e 19,8% chegaram ao solo intactos. Os estudos da fauna que se alimenta no solo, revelaram que os frutos maduros são os mais procurados, pois somente 8% não foram utilizados, ou seja, apenas 1,81% do total de frutos produzidos; além disso, são a origem de 98% do despolpamento e de 86% da dispersão que ocorre no solo da floresta. De todos os aspectos estudados, o mais crítico para o manejo, envolve as interações com a fauna, pois existem dentro da floresta mecanismos complexos de competição e equilíbrio entre as espécies, além de fatores ambientais decisivos nos processos de reprodução e controle populacional, os quais ainda são pouco conhecidos. E. edulis está sujeito a estes processos e a dinâmica ecológica que envolve a produção, consumo e predação de seus frutos, sementes e plântulas são uma evidência clara de sua conectividade com o restante da comunidade florestal. Neste sentido, a regulamentação da coleta de frutos, deve preocupar-se com a quantidade de frutos a ser extraída, com o número de matrizes e sobretudo, com a época em que a espécie manejada frutifica. Sugere-se também, que o número de matrizes a serem mantidas por hectare, em planos de manejo sustentado visando a produção de palmito, seja revisto, pois a manutenção de 50 matrizes, como definem as legislações, apresenta fortes evidências de ser insuficiente para a manutenção da fauna. A construção de políticas públicas que definam melhor áreas de manejo e preservação tornam-se necessárias
Public duty and private interest: report of the Committee of Inquiry established by the Prime Minister on 15 February 1978
No full textThis was the first report to set out the principles that underpin public servants\u27 and politicians\u27 obligations to disclose and manage conflicts of interest.
Tabled in 1979, this is the first time a digitised version of this report, known as the \u27Bowen report\u27, has been made publically available.
The intention to establish this inquiry was announced in a press statement issued by the then Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser on 16 December 1977. The statement mentioned the difficult position in which a Prime Minister finds himself when he is called upon to pass judgment on colleagues with whom he has worked closely, particularly as the Prime Minister must act as a judge and jury when allegations of impropriety are raised.
Fraser expressed his disatisfaction with a previous inquiry on the topic, conducted by a Parliamentary committee. He stated that he would instead he would appoint a judge or Queen\u27s Counsel, to be assisted by a businessman and an accountant, to carry out a new inquiry.
On 15 February 1978 Fraser stated that the new inquiry would be conducted by the Chief Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, the Hon. Sir Nigel Bowen, K.B.E., as well as Sir Cecil Looker, and Sir Edward Cain, C.B.E.
The terms of reference were:
1. To recommend whether a statement of principles can be drawn up on the nature of private interests, pecuniary or otherwise, which could conflict with the public duty of any or all persons holding positions of public trust in relation to the Commonwealth.
2. To recommend whether principles can be defined which would promote the avoidance and if necessary the resolution of any conflicts of interest which the Inquiry may, under paragraph (1) above, find to be possible.
3. In the event of a finding under paragraph (2) above that principles can be defined, to recommend what those principles should be.
4. Without limiting the scope of paragraph (3) above, to recommend whether or not a register under judicial or other supervision should be maintained so that, in the event of allegations of impropriety, the allegation may be open to judicial investigation and report.
5. For the purposes of paragraph(1) above, \u27persons holding positions of public trust in relation to the Commonwealth\u27 to include the following:
(a) Ministers;
(b) Senators and Members of the House of Representatives;
(c) Staff of (a) and (b);
(d) Members of the Australian Public Service; and
(e) Such other persons or classes of persons which in the opinion of the Committee ought to be included.
This is the final report of the inquiry, which has helped shaped the conduct of the public service to this day.
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Part of the Policy History Collection. Digitisation of this report has been supported by the National Library of Australia.
Reproduced with permission of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Efficacy and safety of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine during 18 months after vaccination : a phase 3 randomized, controlled trial in children and young infants at 11 African sites
No full textA malaria vaccine could be an important addition to current control strategies. We report the safety and vaccine efficacy (VE) of the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine during 18 mo following vaccination at 11 African sites with varying malaria transmission.; 6,537 infants aged 6-12 wk and 8,923 children aged 5-17 mo were randomized to receive three doses of RTS,S/AS01 or comparator vaccine. VE against clinical malaria in children during the 18 mo after vaccine dose 3 (per protocol) was 46% (95% CI 42% to 50%) (range 40% to 77%; VE, p>0.01 across all sites). VE during the 20 mo after vaccine dose 1 (intention to treat [ITT]) was 45% (95% CI 41% to 49%). VE against severe malaria, malaria hospitalization, and all-cause hospitalization was 34% (95% CI 15% to 48%), 41% (95% CI 30% to 50%), and 19% (95% CI 11% to 27%), respectively (ITT). VE against clinical malaria in infants was 27% (95% CI 20% to 32%, per protocol; 27% [95% CI 21% to 33%], ITT), with no significant protection against severe malaria, malaria hospitalization, or all-cause hospitalization. Post-vaccination anti-circumsporozoite antibody geometric mean titer varied from 348 to 787 EU/ml across sites in children and from 117 to 335 EU/ml in infants (per protocol). VE waned over time in both age categories (Schoenfeld residuals p>0.001). The number of clinical and severe malaria cases averted per 1,000 children vaccinated ranged across sites from 37 to 2,365 and from -1 to 49, respectively; corresponding ranges among infants were -10 to 1,402 and -13 to 37, respectively (ITT). Meningitis was reported as a serious adverse event in 16/5,949 and 1/2,974 children and in 9/4,358 and 3/2,179 infants in the RTS,S/AS01 and control groups, respectively.; RTS,S/AS01 prevented many cases of clinical and severe malaria over the 18 mo after vaccine dose 3, with the highest impact in areas with the greatest malaria incidence. VE was higher in children than in infants, but even at modest levels of VE, the number of malaria cases averted was substantial. RTS,S/AS01 could be an important addition to current malaria control in Africa
Inflamação das vias aéreas e envolvimento pulmonar intersticial na esclerose sistêmica: associação com alterações esofágicas e microaspiração
No full textTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Florianópolis, 2012INTRODUCAO: O envolvimento pulmonar na Esclerose Sistemica (ES) tem sido associado com refluxo gastroesofagico (RGE) causado por dismotilidade esofagica e microaspiracao. Entretanto, a microaspiracao ainda nao foi objetivamente demonstrada. Nos objetivamos demonstrar, em pacientes com ES, a ocorrencia de microaspiracao e investigar sua associacao com o envolvimento intersticial pulmonar e das vias aereas e as anormalidades esofagicas. METODOS: Quarenta e sete pacientes com ES e 38 controles pareados por idade foram incluidos no estudo. Todos foram submetidos a inducao do escarro, espirometria e teste de broncoprovocacao com metacolina. Os pacientes tambem realizaram pletismografia e tomografia de torax de alta resolucao (TCAR), a qual foi analisada de acordo com um escore tomografico (Indice Tomografico, IT), monitoramento do pH esofagico de 24 horas e esofagomanometria. O indice lipidico de macrofagos (ILM) no escarro induzido foi usado como metodo para aferir a microaspiracao. RESULTADOS: O grupo dos pacientes constituiu-se de 91,5% de mulheres, com idade media (DP) de 49,3 (11,8) anos e media (DP) de duracao de doenca de 8,1(7,4) anos, 68,1% deles com a forma limitada da doenca. Anormalidades manometricas esofagicas foram encontradas em 78,7% dos pacientes e 70,2% deles tinha RGE patologico. Cinquenta e um por cento dos casos apresentava envolvimento pulmonar intersticial (IT . 3) e alteracoes a espirometria ocorreram em 48,9% deles (23,4% com defeito restritivo e 21,3% com defeito obstrutivo leve). Os niveis de DLCO (corrigidos pelo volume alveolar, DLCO/VA) estavam reduzidos em 44,6% dos casos. Microaspiracao (ILM . 7) foi encontrada em 93,6% dos pacientes, sendo que 42,6% deles tinham microaspiracao considerada significativa (ILM . 50). Os pacientes apresentaram contagem celular total (CT) (p=0,007), contagem de neutrofilos (pAbstract : INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary involvement has been associated with gastroesophageal reflux (GER) caused by esophageal dysmotility and probably microaspiration in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). However, microaspiration was not objectively demonstrated. We aimed to demonstrate the occurrence of microaspiration and to investigate its association with airways and pulmonary interstitial involvement and with esophageal abnormalities in SSc patients. METHODS: We enrolled 47 SSc patients and 38 controls matched by age. They performed sputum induction, spirometry and methacholine bronchial provocation test. Patients also performed plethysmography, chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT), scored according to a tomographic index (TIx), esophageal 24 hour pH monitoring and esophageal manometry. Lipid laden alveolar macrophage index (LLAM) in induced sputum was used to measure microaspiration. RESULTS: Patients were 91,5% women, with mean (SD) age of 49,3 (11,8) years and mean disease duration of 8,1(7,4) years, 61,8% of them with limited disease subset. Esophageal manometry abnormalities were found in 78,7% of the patients and 70,2% of them had pathological GER. Fifty one percent of the cases presented with interstitial lesions on HRCT (TIx . 3) and 44,6% of them had spirometric abnormalities (23,4% with restrictive defect and 21,3% with mild obstructive defect). DLCO (corrected by alveolar volume, DLCO/VA) levels were reduced in 48,9 % of the patients. Microaspiration (LLAM . 7) was found in 93,6% of the patients and in 42,6% % of them it was considered severe (LLAM . 50). Patients had higher sputum total cell (TCC) (p=0,007), neutrophil (p< 0,001) and eosinophil counts (p=0,008) than controls. There was a positive correlation between LLAM and neutrophil count (r=0,30, p=0,04) and between LLAM and TCC (r=0,37, p=0,006). Mean DLCO/VA was was negatively correlated with LLAM (r=0,33, p=0,02) and tended to be lower in patients with manometry abnormalities and/or moderate to severe GER (severe esophageal involvement, p=0,05). Those patients with severe esophageal involvement had higher TIx (p=0,03). Neutrophils were higher in patients with HRCT lesions (p=0,04), but no association was found between LLAM and TIx. About one third (27,7%)of the patients had airway hyperresponsiveness, compared with none of the controls (p<0,0001), which was not associated with any other clinical or functional characteristics. CONCLUSION: In SSc patients, microaspiration and airways inflammation were both frequent and were associated with each other. Microaspiration was also associated with esophageal abnormalities and abnormal pulmonary function. Patients with HRCT lesions had more frequently an airways inflammatory pattern. These results demonstrate an association between microaspiration and lung involvement in SSc
Communism in the professions : the organisation of the British Communist Party among professional workers, 1933-1956
No full textThis thesis is a historical study of middle-class members of the Communist
Party of Great Britain. Although it is principally concerned with the
period from 1933 to 1956 some attention is given to the Party's first
decade and the years immediately after the great upheaval of 1956. The
thesis examines the reasons why middle-class people were attracted to the
Communist Party; the various cultural and political initiatives they were
involved in and their changing role in the CP. The work describes the way
middle-class Communists drew upon their professional and technical skills
to contribute to the life of the Party and its political campaigns.
Attention is also given to the relationship of middle-class Communists
both to their working-class fellow members and to the Party leadership and
how these relationships developed and changed over time. The thesis
revises various previously accepted characterisations of middle-class
Communists which have emphasised the superficial nature of their
commitment to the CP in the late 1930s or concentrated attention on those
who became entangled in the world of spying. The most important aspect of
the study, however, is the examination of the way in which Communists in
the professions related their Communism to their work and how in turn
their professional concerns and attitudes influenced their politics. To
this end detailed studies have been made of the political and occupational
activities of Communists in three professional groups - architects,
psychologists and school teachers
Adjunctive rifampicin to reduce early mortality from Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (ARREST): a multi-centre, randomised, blinded, placebo controlled trial
No full textBackground: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia is a common cause of severe community-acquired and hospital-acquired infection worldwide. We tested the hypothesis that adjunctive rifampicin would reduce bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death, by enhancing early S aureus killing, sterilising infected foci and blood faster, and reducing risks of dissemination and metastatic infection. / Methods: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults (≥18 years) with S aureus bacteraemia who had received ≤96 h of active antibiotic therapy were recruited from 29 UK hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a computer-generated sequential randomisation list to receive 2 weeks of adjunctive rifampicin (600 mg or 900 mg per day according to weight, oral or intravenous) versus identical placebo, together with standard antibiotic therapy. Randomisation was stratified by centre. Patients, investigators, and those caring for the patients were masked to group allocation. The primary outcome was time to bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death (all-cause), from randomisation to 12 weeks, adjudicated by an independent review committee masked to the treatment. Analysis was intention to treat. This trial was registered, number ISRCTN37666216, and is closed to new participants. / Findings: Between Dec 10, 2012, and Oct 25, 2016, 758 eligible participants were randomly assigned: 370 to rifampicin and 388 to placebo. 485 (64%) participants had community-acquired S aureus infections, and 132 (17%) had nosocomial S aureus infections. 47 (6%) had meticillin-resistant infections. 301 (40%) participants had an initial deep infection focus. Standard antibiotics were given for 29 (IQR 18–45) days; 619 (82%) participants received flucloxacillin. By week 12, 62 (17%) of participants who received rifampicin versus 71 (18%) who received placebo experienced treatment failure or disease recurrence, or died (absolute risk difference −1·4%, 95% CI −7·0 to 4·3; hazard ratio 0·96, 0·68–1·35, p=0·81). From randomisation to 12 weeks, no evidence of differences in serious (p=0·17) or grade 3–4 (p=0·36) adverse events were observed; however, 63 (17%) participants in the rifampicin group versus 39 (10%) in the placebo group had antibiotic or trial drug-modifying adverse events (p=0·004), and 24 (6%) versus six (2%) had drug interactions (p=0·0005). / Interpretation: Adjunctive rifampicin provided no overall benefit over standard antibiotic therapy in adults with S aureus bacteraemia. / Funding: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment
