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This paper aims to present the influences of several production variables on the mechanical properties of specimens manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM) with polylactic acid (PLA) as a media and relate the practical and experimental implications of these as related to stiffness, strength, ductility and generalized loading.

A two-factor-level Taguchi test matrix was defined to allow streamlined mechanical testing of several different fabrication settings using a reduced array of experiments. Specimens were manufactured and tested according to ASTM E8/D638 and E399/D5045 standards for tensile and fracture testing. After initial analysis of mechanical properties derived from mechanical tests, analysis of variance was used to infer optimized production variables for general use and for application/load-specific instances.

Production variables are determined to yield optimized mechanical properties under tensile and fracture-type loading as related to orientation of loading and fabrication.

The relation of production variables and their interactions and the manner in which they influence mechanical properties provide insight to the feasibility of using FDM for rapid manufacturing of components for experimental, commercial or consumer-level use.

This paper is the first report of research on the characterization of the mechanical properties of PLA coupons manufactured using FDM by the Taguchi method. The investigation is relevant both in commercial and consumer-level aspects, given both the currently increasing utilization of 3D printers for component production and the viability of PLA as a renewable, biocompatible material for use in structural applications.

The paper aims to investigate performance benefits associated with adopting a mobile wireless sensor network (WSN). Sensor nodes are generally energy constrained due to the latter being acquired from onboard battery cells. If one or more sensor nodes fail, possible coverage holes may be created which could invariantly lead to a reduced network lifetime. The paper proposes that instead of rendering the entire WSN inoperative, sensor nodes should physically change position within the region of interest thus adaptively altering the WSN topology with a view of recovering from failures. This type of motion will be referred to as “self healing”.

This paper presents a mobility scheme based on Bayesian networks for predictive reasoning (BayesMob) which is essentially a distributed self healing algorithm for coordinating physical relocation of sensor nodes. Using the algorithm, sensor nodes can predict the performance of the WSN in terms of coverage given that the node moves in a given direction. The evidence for this hypothesis is acquired from local neighborhood information.

The paper compares BayesMob with an alternative algorithm – Coverage Fidelity Algorithm – and shows that BayesMob maintains a higher level WSN coverage for a greater percentage of failures, thus increasing the useful lifetime of the WSN.

The physical relocation of sensor nodes will incur energy overhead, therefore the tradeoffs between all application criteria should be investigated before implementation.

This paper presents a Bayesian network based motion coordination algorithm for WSN which repairs coverage holes caused by energy exhaustion and/or abrupt node failures.

In the UK, advertising of infant formula products direct to consumers is not permitted. These products must be used on the recommendation of suitably qualified health or medical professionals. The aim of this study is to examine formula manufacturers’ web sites to ascertain whether these are used as alternative forms of advertising that fall outside current regulations.

The web sites of five leading formula product manufacturers were surveyed in 2009 and again in 2012 as part of a wider assessment of infant and follow‐on formula advertising and presentation. These sites were assessed for the presence of text and images they contained relating to infant formula products that may not be directly advertised to consumers under current regulations.

Although not technically classified as “advertisements” all these web sites were found to contain formula product information that could be construed as promotional in nature in 2009. By 2012, this was true of just two of these sites. Infant formula product promotions occurred adjacent to ones for follow‐on formula products. The recommendations and warnings concerning use of infant formula that are statutorily required for advertising in the UK were present on these web sites.

Formula manufacturers use their web sites to promote infant formula products and do so alongside follow‐on formula products. These sites provide a promotional opportunity through which to gain access to consumers that is legally denied to infant formula manufacturers through advertising. The findings have significance in the context of other research showing that consumers have been found to mis‐recall follow‐on formula advertising messages as applying to infant formula products.

This analysis formed part of the most extensive study of formula product advertising and presentation undertaken so far. It represented the first attempt to provide a comprehensive audit of the ways formula manufacturers promote their products in the UK.

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the dominance of an ascetic discourse of veg*anism in social research literature, and to relate it to a dominant hierarchical ordering of Western diets (to refer collectively to veganism and vegetarianism).

A review of the extant social research literature on veg*anism was undertaken in order to discern whether a consistent type of descriptive language existed. This facilitated an understanding of the way in which that language is constitutive of research generated understandings of veg*anism.

An ascetic discourse of veg*anism is dominant in social research. This is reflected in the phraseology used by authors. Typical descriptive terms of a veg*an diet include “strict”, “restrictive”, or “avoidance”. This ascetic discourse reproduces the hierarchical ordering of Western diets such that veg*anism is denigrated and made to seem “difficult” and abnormal.

Veg*anism arguably promises multiple benefits for human, environmental, and nonhuman animal well‐being. The potential to realize those benefits is hampered by the perpetuation of an understanding of veg*anism as an ascetic practice.

This paper provides the first comprehensive examination of the language used to describe veg*anism within social research. It can enhance reflexivity on the part of social researchers interested in veg*anism, and help inform research design. In providing an alternative hedonic discourse of veg*anism, this paper also makes a contribution towards realizing the potential benefits of veg*anism through making it a more attractive dietary practice.

The case of food poisoning which affected some 150 persons at Derby appears to be undoubtedly a genuine case of ptomaine poisoning. During the last few years many isolated deaths have occurred, after the consumption of some particular kind of food, which have been attributed to ptomaine poisoning, but the evidence put forward in support of this view has not unfrequently been open to grave doubt. At Derby, however, the nature of the outbreak and the symptoms presented by the patients were characteristic, and if further proof were needed it would be contributed by the interim report of Dr. SHERIDAN DELEPINE, of Manchester, who made an examination of the suspected pies and their ingredients. Most people are fully acquainted with the history of this out break, which was not confined to Derby but extended to various parts of the country, in every case the persons attacked having consumed portions of the infected pork pies. Dr. DELEPINE has issued an interim report in which he states that he has isolated a bacillus belonging to the colon group which is, in his opinion, undoubtedly responsible for the pathogenic properties of the pies. The evidence as to the relation of the bacillus to the epidemic is, says Dr. DELEPINE, absolutely clear. The bacillus in question has been isolated from a pork pie, from a pork bone pie, from the blood, spleen and intestines of one of the persons who died, and from the blood, spleen, bile and intestines of several animals which have died in two or three days from the effects of feeding on a pork pie. The bacilli obtained from all these sources were identical in appearance. Animals inoculated with this bacillus have died, and in their blood the same bacillus has been again found; and four specimens of blood obtained from patients who had been ill after eating a portion of a pork pie have given, on examination, a clear serum reaction, but the blood of normal persons and also of patients affected with typhoid fever has given no similar clear serum reaction. Dr. DELEPINE has also been able to ascertain the presence of the same bacillus in a pork pie which Dr. ROBERTSON, of Sheffield, had sent him. This statement appears to leave no room for doubt as to the dangerous nature of the pies, and Dr. DELEPINE's complete report will be awaited with considerable interest.

This paper tests the pollution haven hypothesis by examining the relationship between environmental regulation and foreign investment with consideration of the role of corporate social responsibility, which has so far been neglected. Using multinationals’ investment data from China, our results in general support the pollution haven hypothesis that less stringent environmental regulation is more attractive for multinationals to invest in China, but high social responsibility can counteract attractiveness of weak environmental regulation.