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Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being increasingly implemented within road transport systems worldwide. Next generation of AI, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is imminent, and is anticipated to be more powerful than current AI. AGI systems will have a broad range of abilities and be able to perform multiple cognitive tasks akin to humans that will likely produce many expected benefits, but also potential risks. This study applied the EAST Broken Links approach to forecast the functioning of an AGI system tasked with managing a road transport system and identify potential risks. In total, 363 risks were identified that could have adverse impacts on the stated goals of safety, efficiency, environmental sustainability, and economic performance of the road system. Further, risks beyond the stated goals were identified; removal from human control, mismanaging public relations, and self-preservation. A diverse set of systemic controls will be required when designing, implementing, and operating future advanced technologies. Practitioner summary: This study demonstrated the utility of HFE methods for formally considering risks associated with the design, implementation, and operation of future technologies. This study has implications for AGI research, design, and development to ensure safe and ethical AGI implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A significant number of lambs born each yr in Australia die within 72 h of birth. Periods of high wind, combined with rain and low temperatures, can lead to marked increases in the level of mortality. Under these weather conditions mortality levels may be reduced with the provision of shelter, provided it is utilized by lambs. This study used GPS collars to determine the use of shelter by ewes and lambs, to compare the movement of ewes with twin lambs across 2 types of shelter (hedgerows and shrubs), while also comparing ewes with single and twin lambs in a single shelter type (hedgerows). Additionally, the birth sites of 364 lambs and death sites of 252 lambs were recorded across the 3 shelter type and litter size combinations (Twins in shrubs, Twins in hedgerows, Singles in hedgerows) plus an unsheltered group (Singles in unsheltered). A higher (P < 0.001) than randomly expected percentage of ewes lambed in the areas closest to both shelter types; in the shrub shelter 42% of ewes lambed within 2.5 m of shrub rows compared to an expected 11% based on the proportion of the paddock this area constituted. Despite the higher than expected percentage of ewes lambing close to the shelter rows, ewes in both twin lamb shelter types avoided the areas close to the shelter before and after lambing (Hedgerows-2.5 m; Shrubs- 6.25 m) and single bearing ewes showed no preference for or against these areas. With a high proportion of twin bearing ewes lambing close to the shelter, a design that reduces the potential for ewe and offspring separation while providing good shelter will offer the greatest potential reduction in newborn twin lamb mortality arising from exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Intraprostatic injection of ethanol has been previously tested in clinical trials as a potential treatment of BPH, with variable outcomes. As evident from animal studies, the inconsistency was owing to various degrees of ethanol backflow along the needle tract. In acute canine experiments, we previously documented that using convection enhanced delivery (CED) eliminates backflow and improves ethanol distribution. The goal of this study was to compare the diffusion pattern between a microporous hollow fiber catheter (MiHFC) and a standard needle in human prostates from organ donors.Methods:Prostates were harvested from cadaveric organ donors immediately after removal of organs for transplant. After trimming off excess fat and weighing, prostates were injected with absolute ethanol. The total injected volume was 25% of the calculated prostate volume. One lateral lobe was injected using a single lumen 21-gauge control needle. The contralateral lobe was injected with the same volume but using a MiHFC. Immediately after injection, prostates were fixed en bloc in 10% neutral-buffered formalin, and then sectioned. Three-dimensional reconstruction was performed to determine lesion volume based on hematoxylin- and eosin-stained cross-sections.Results:Three fresh human prostates were harvested and injected. The time from harvest to intraprostatic injection was 15-35 min. The lesion created by the MiHFC was 1.14±0.52 cm3, whereas that from the control needle was 0.28±0.10 cm3 (P=0.038). No backflow was observed along the needle tract of the MiHFC.Conclusions:This study shows that freshly harvested human prostates can be used to evaluate new treatments using intraprostatic injection. Similar to in vivo canine experiments, the ethanol lesion sizes were significantly bigger with the use of a MiHFC when compared with a standard single lumen needle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of increasing the number of lambs born per ewe that avoid the use of pharmaceutical methods of oestrus synchronisation but which require a short period of increased nutrition are desirable. Four separate experiments evaluated whether peri-conceptual grazing of lucerne, compared with senescent herbage or other live herbage, increased fetal numbers in unsynchronised ewes. Merino ewes that grazed lucerne pasture for 7 days before joining and for the first 7 days of a 5-6-week joining produced up to 21 extra (P < 0.05) fetuses per 100 ewes joined, compared with ewes grazing cereal stubble with minimal live herbage (Experiment 2). In Experiments 1, 3 and 4, Merino or First Cross ewes grazing either cereal stubbles or phalaris pasture with as little as 200 kg DM/ha of live herbage produced a similar (P > 0.05) number of fetuses per ewe joined as those grazing on lucerne, either because this quantity of live feed was sufficient to increase fetal numbers, or because, for Experiment 3, First Cross ewes may not have responded at the commencement of the breeding season. It is concluded that grazing live pasture for 7 days before joining and for the first 7 days of joining during the breeding season can substantially increase fetal numbers in unsynchronised ewes compared with ewes grazing stubbles containing no live herbage. The response appears to occur on a range of plant species, and a small quantity of live herbage can elicit a response. Grazing lucerne in the peri-conceptual period did not increase (P > 0.05) the proportion of non-pregnant ewes. Further studies are required to determine how early in the breeding season ewes with a distinct breeding season will respond to nutritional manipulation. Short-term elevated nutrition around mating is a potential means of increasing the number of lambs born to ewes. This study showed that ewes grazing live pasture for 7 days before and during the first 7 days of mating in autumn can produce more lambs than those grazing dead herbage. This method provides a simple, natural means of increasing lamb production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptosporidium are ubiquitous and significant enteropathogens of all classes of vertebrates and a major cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Of the 24 recognized species, the zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum and the host-specific Cryptosporidium hominis cause the majority of cases of human cryptosporidiosis. Here, we report on structural and transcriptional variability between C. parvum and C. hominis at the MIC1 locus, which encodes a microneme localized thrombospondin-like domain containing protein previously demonstrated to be critical for host cell infection by C. parvum. We demonstrate, using reverse transcription quantitative PCR with the aid of genomic data from the Eu Path DB site, that the transcribed product in C. hominis is both truncated and significantly down-regulated in the sporozoite. We hypothesize that Cp MIC1 may be a genetic factor involved in facilitating the wider host range of C. parvum in comparison with the specific host range of C. hominis. Furthermore, we show that the presence of a microsatellite ( ML-2) within the C. parvum MIC-1 locus enables the development of a PCR marker that can rapidly distinguish the zoonotic C. parvum from C. hominis and other significant human infectious Cryptosporidium species due to reproducible PCR slippage across the ML-2 microsatellite. Additionally, we demonstrate that this locus is tightly linked to the GP60 locus, a locus commonly used in the genetic characterization of C. parvum and C. hominis isolates. This marker should provide a robust and additional tool to aid in the rapid identification of C. parvum from other Cryptosporidium species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diets high in omega-6 (n-6) fatty acids in mice have been associated with a higher proportion of female offspring, however, the specific effects of dietary fatty acids on the sex ratio of sheep has not previously been reported. The aim of the present study was to determine whether feeding ewes a diet differing in n-6 for 6 weeks before and 3 weeks following conception would increase the proportion of female lambs born. Merino x Border Leicester ewes (n = 296) were allocated to receive either a diet high in n-6 (70% oat grain, 8% cottonseed meal, High n-6 diet) or, a control diet low in n-6 (88% legume silage, Low n-6 diet), for 42 or 53 days before and 17 days after conception, using a stratified block randomisation procedure based on body condition score and liveweight. Following synchronisation, oestrus was detected daily during natural mating with rams. After mating, all ewes grazed improved pastures as one group until lambing. Plasma n-6 concentrations were greater (P < 0.001), the time to parturition was shorter (P < 0.001) and the proportion of female offspring was higher (58.2 vs 43.5%, P = 0.010) when ewes were fed the High n-6 diet compared with the Low n-6 diet. Further research is required to determine whether the observed differences in sex ratio were due to specific alterations in n-6 fatty acids, or other differences in the diets not specifically related to n-6 such as saturated fat or energy density. Sheep producers would benefit from being able to skew the sex ratio of lambs towards their preferred gender, for example, first-cross ewe enterprises prefer breeding females. The proportion of female lambs was significantly higher when ewes were fed a diet based on oats and cottonseed meal high in omega-6 fatty acids compared with a control diet based on silage low in omega-6. Feeding ewes a diet based on oats and cottonseed meal at joining may provide a practical means by which producers are able to alter the sex ratio of lambs in order to meet specific production targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The death of newborn lambs is a major factor influencing the reproductive efficiency of sheep enterprises. Adverse weather conditions (wind, precipitation and low temperature), either alone or in combination (chill index), can increase the level of newborn lamb mortality to over 50% of births for short periods through increased heat loss. The provision of shelter to reduce wind speed and therefore chill index (heat loss) has been shown to reduce lamb mortality; however, the reduction in mortality has been variable. This study used the decision support tool GrassGro to determine the likelihood of adverse weather conditions occurring at six locations across south-eastern Australia which varied widely in climate. Data were extracted for 24 consecutive weekly periods between May and October over 39 years (1968-2006) to evaluate daily precipitation, temperature, radiation, wind speed and chill index. The minimum, maximum and median values were calculated for all climatic factors for every week and year combination. The effectiveness of reducing wind speed to reduce the occurrence of a high chill index was also evaluated. The severity of these weather events varied between locations with the median weekly chill index rarely exceeding 1000 kJ/m².h at Temora, but at both Hamilton and Orange this occurred in over two-thirds of the weeks examined. Reducing wind speed by 50% reduced the number of weeks with a median chill index exceeding 1000 kJ/m².h in twice as many weeks at Hamilton and Yass compared with Orange. These results show that the potential for shelter to reduce chill index will vary according to the location and time of year. In locations where another climatic factor, such as low temperature or rainfall, has a greater influence on the chill index, shelter which only reduces wind speed, will be less effective than at locations where wind speed is the driver of chill index. Shelter can reduce newborn lamb mortality although experimental results have been variable. The likelihood of adverse weather over the autumn to spring months and the influence that reductions in wind speed had on chill index was modelled for six locations in south-eastern Australia. Reducing wind speed was more effective in reducing chill index to below critical levels at certain locations and weeks of the year, which should be taken into account when deciding on whether to invest in shelter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment evaluated the effect of stocking intensity at lambing on lamb survival. A randomised block design with three replicates compared stocking rates of 16 and 30 ewes/ha. Twin-bearing Merino ewes (n = 69) that had been mated with Poll Dorset x White Suffolk rams were placed in paddocks sheltered with rows of hessian, with 8 or 15 ewes per 0.5-ha plot for the low and high stocking rates, respectively. The survival of lambs born alive at the high stocking rate (63%) was 24% less (P = 0.002) than for those at the low stocking rate (83%), and was associated with a higher (P < 0.05) proportion of lambs dying from starvation, mismothering or exposure. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in lamb birthweight, marking weight, ewe liveweight or condition, suggesting nutritional conditions between the stocking rates were similar. The results suggest caution in using lambing strategies which require high stocking rates. The stocking rate of ewes at lambing has the potential to influence the survival rates of their lambs, thereby changing profitability. This study showed that the survival of twin lambs was 24% lower (63% compared with 83%) when ewes were stocked at 30 rather than 16 ewes/ha in small paddocks sheltered with hessian rows. These results suggest caution in using high densities or flock size of ewes during lambing, at least in this shelter type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contributes to the study of decision-making processes both at a farm systems level and at the level of agricultural research in partnership with commercial farms. It also highlights the way in which adoption and adaptation of innovation occurs in a socially rich context with information, group formation and connectivity converging to create a complex learning environment. Design/methodology/approach. The methodology used in this research centres on the Communities of Practice (CoP) theoretical framework augmented by Gramsci's notion of Intellectual Communities and discursive analysis. A dairy farming systems project operating in Australia (3030 Project) provided the context for our study. Findings. The group structures within the 3030 Project constitute CoP in which innovation is evolved, adopted and adapted. This process involves socially negotiated learning which is both processual and highly contextual. Discursive dialects are formed and interact within these CoP at the level of decision-making and can be analysed in context to further our understanding of the way in which farmers participate in learning opportunities and negotiate innovation. Practical implications. This theoretical framework can be used to enhance the learning capabilities of these groups by developing a better understanding of how discourse is used to successfully transfer knowledge effectively and with authority. Originality/value. The 3030 Project provided a unique opportunity for a comparative analysis of on-farm and research-based decision-making processes in a 'real time' situation from a multi-scale perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract YLM, a codominant polymerase chain reaction (PCR) marker linked to Yd2 , could substantially improve the precision and efficiency of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) resistance breeding. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of YLM in a marker-assisted introgression programme and to quantify associations between the presence of Yd2 and other agronomic and quality traits. The Yd2 gene was introgressed into a BYDV-susceptible background through two cycles of marker-assisted backcrossing. BC2 F2 -derived lines, either carrying or not carrying the YLM allele associated with resistance, were compared in the presence and absence of BYDV. The YLM marker was shown to be effective in the introgression of Yd2 . Lines carrying the YLM allele associated with resistance produced significantly fewer leaf symptoms and showed a reduction in yield loss when infected with BYDV. There were no deleterious effects associated with the introgression of Yd2 on grain yield, grain size or malting quality. The implications of marker-assisted selection for Yd2 on barley improvement are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acoustic radiation from two spheroids whose surface normal velocity distributions are specified is calculated using a Green's function approach. To simplify the analysis only axially symmetrical problems are considered. The necessary Green's function is expanded in spheroidal wave functions about both spheroids. The unknown expansion coefficients are determined from the boundary condition that the normal derivative vanishes over both surfaces. An addition theorem which expresses spheroidal wave functions in one coordinate system in terms of spheroidal wave functions in another coordinate system was developed to facilitate application of this boundary condition. Numerical results for several different two-spheroid configurations and velocity distributions are presented and discussed. The straightforward extension to nonaxisymmetrical problems and to more than two spheroids is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FORTRAN computer programs have been developed which accurately and rapidly evaluate for a wide range of parameters both prolate and oblate spheroidal radial wave functions of the first and second kind and their first derivatives, and both prolate and oblate spheroidal angle wave functions of the first kind and their first and second derivatives. This letter briefly discusses available documentation on these programs and describes some of the computational procedures necessary for their success. In addition, recently published tables of spheroidal radial wave functions calculated using these programs are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment used contact loggers and GPS collars to evaluate the effect of stocking rate during lambing on ewe movement and contact levels between animals. Twin-bearing Merino ewes were placed in 0.5-ha paddocks sheltered with rows of hessian at stocking rates of 16 and 30 ewes/ha for the low and high stocking rates, respectively. The ewes did not spend more time in more sheltered areas of the paddock, and use of shelter was not influenced by stocking rate. Ewes at the high stocking rate travelled 11% farther per day but crossed through the hessian rows 37% less than ewes at the low stocking rate. Stocking rate did not change the level of contact between ewes, but higher levels of contact were shown between ewes and their lambs at the high stocking rate. The results suggest that the interaction between ewes and their lambs is modified by stocking rate and/or flock size for small groups lambing in shelter rows. The ewe-lamb bond is considered to be important in the survival of the newborn lamb. Ewe movement and ewe-lamb contact was investigated at two stocking rates in an artificial shelter environment, with ewes at the higher stocking rate travelling further and having more contact with their lambs, but crossing through shelter rows less often. Lamb survival was lower at the higher stocking rate suggesting the nature of the contact rather than duration is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the changing pattern of community-acquired skin and soft-tissue infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The study shows that 72 percent of the Staphylococcus aureus infections found in community-acquired infections were due to MRSA. The causal factors for MRSA infection includes being black, being female, and having been hospitalized within the past year.

The mathematical model of the electroacoustic performance of a force-driven free-flooding magnetostrictive cylinder shell used as an underwater sound transducer, originally presented at the 86th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in 1973 [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 55, 471(A) (1974)] and later developed in NRL Report 7767 (Dec. 1974), has been coded into a computer program called EIGSHIP. This program is designed to predict electrical and mechanical impedances of the loaded shell, transmitting responses, electroacoustic efficiency, surface velocities, farfield beam patterns, and other relevant performance parameters. An experimental check on the predictive capabilities of EIGSHIP was undertaken using three specially constructed magnetostrictive shells which were tested under water load conditions in an indoor test facility. A discussion of the comparison of predicted and measured performance is presented. Also samples of typical computer runs are displayed and commented on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive magnetostrictive ring transducer designer's manual will be described. The manual consists of three main parts: (1) the highlights of the history of magnetostrictive ring transducer research and development, (2) parameter studies of a large-flow-frequency ring transducer and a discussion of related design considerations, and (3) an extensive bibliography from which information in the manual is derived. The manual is written in a style which is appropriate for use by technical administrators and systems analysts as well as transducer engineers. Design curves, tables, and formulas will be discussed which enable the manual user to estimate with 'state-of-the-art' accuracy the dimensions of ring transducers which achieve desired performance specifications. Limitations of the manual and the technology is included in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mathematical analysis with accompanying computer program of the electroacoustic performance of a single finite-length magnetostrictive circular cylinder submerged in an unbounded medium and radiating sound is presented. The cylinder is a thin hyperelastic orthotropic shell constructed of metal laminations and has unrestricted radius to length ratios. Wound toroidally with current carrying coils, it is magnetostrictively excited in axisymmetric modes over selected frequency ranges. In the analysis the vibration of the shell is developed in modes by means of dynamic equations with boundary conditions [Warburton, J. Mech. Eng. Sci. 7, 399 (1965)] and the magnetostriction transduction is described by a set of linearized constitutive relations, also modified to account for hysteresis and eddy currents. New definitions are constructed of modal electromechanical coupling coefficients and modal mass. For an input set of dimensions, electric drive, and selected frequency range, the computer program delivers in vacuo modal frequencies, modal shapes, surface velocities, and electrical and mechanical motional impedances. Typical examples of computer output are given together with a discussion of certain important 'barrel modes.' Comparison is made with selected experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of Part I, 'A Mathematical Analysis of a Free-Flooded Finite Length Radiating Magnetostrictive Shell,' is continued. Acoustic radiation from a finite-length free-flooded circular cylinder is analyzed by numerical integration of applicable Helmholtz-type integral equations. By matching acoustic boundary conditions, the modal vibration of the shell is integrated into the elastic and magnetostrictive response provided by Part I. For an input set of dimensions, electric drive, and required frequency range, the computer program delivers surface velocities, electrical and mechanical motional impedances, nearfield and farfield acoustic radiation, and acoustic power developed for a water-loaded shell. Typical examples of computer output are given together with discussions. Comparison is made with selected experimented results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self and mutual acoustic radiation impedances for two coplanar unbaffled disks are calculated using an eigenfunction expansion in terms of oblate spheroidal wave functions. Terms representing outgoing waves from both disks are included. One disk is assumed to be vibrating with a rotationally symmetrical normal velocity distribution, and the other disk is assumed to be stationary. The determination of the expansion coefficients from these boundary conditions is facilitated by the use of an addition theorem which expresses spheroidal wave functions with reference to one coordinate frame in terms of spheroidal wave functions with reference to a second coordinate frame. Numerical results for the special cases where the vibrating disk is either oscillating uniformly or vibrating uniformly on only one side are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acoustic radiation from two spheroids whose surface normal velocity distributions are specified is calculated using a Green's function approach. The necessary Green's function is expanded in spheroidal wavefunctions about both spheroids. The unknown expansion coefficients are determined from the boundary condition that the normal derivative vanishes over both surfaces. An addition theorem which expresses spheroidal wavefunctions in one system in terms of spheroidal wavefunctions in another system was developed to facilitate application of this boundary condition. The resulting Green's function is then used to obtain the acoustic fields for any desired velocity distribution over the two spheroidal surfaces. Numerical results for several different two-spheroid configurations and velocity distributions are presented and discussed. Extension to more than two spheroids is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Helmholtz or scaler wave equation (▿2 + k2) ψ = 0 is separable in both oblate and prolate spheroidal coordinates. Solutions to this equation constitute an essential element in the numerical calculation of the diffraction, radiation, and scattering of acoustic and electromagnetic waves by spheroids. They also find considerable application in other areas such as signal processing and nuclear models. FORTRAN computer programs have been developed to evaluate both efficiently and accurately the radial and angular parts of the solution in both oblate and prolate spheroidal coordinates. Extensive tables of oblate and prolate radial functions containing entries for values of h up to 40.0 and for values of the prolate radial coordinate as low as 1.00000001 are being published. (h = kd/2, where d is the interfocal distance.) These tables as well as the capabilities of the capabilities of the various computer programs are discussed. Examples illustrating the use of this coordinate system in acoustic radiation calculations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]