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The current study aims to determine the viability of the tool developed by Abbas and Sarfraz (2018) to translate English speech and text to Pakistan Sign Language (PSL) with bilingual subtitles.

Focus group interviews of 30 teachers of a Pakistani private university were conducted; who used the PSL translation tool in their classrooms for lecture delivery and communication with the deaf students.

The findings of the study determined the viability of the developed tool and showed that it is helpful in teaching deaf students efficiently. With the availability of this tool, teachers are not dependent on human sign language (SL) interpreters in their classrooms.

Overall, this tool is an effective addition to educational technology for special education. Due to the lack of Sign Language (SL) understanding, learning resources and availability of human SL interpreters in Pakistan, institutions feel dependency and scarcity to educate deaf students in a classroom. Unimpaired people and especially teachers face problems communicating with deaf people to arrange one interpreter for a student(s) in multiple classes at the same time which creates a communication gap between a teacher and a deaf student.

A magnetorheological knee prosthesis is presented that automatically adapts knee damping to the gait of the amputee using only local sensing of knee force, torque, and position. To assess the clinical effects of the user‐adaptive knee prosthesis, kinematic gait data were collected on four unilateral trans‐femoral amputees. Using the user‐adaptive knee and a conventional, non‐adaptive knee, gait kinematics were evaluated on both affected and unaffected sides. Results were compared to the kinematics of 12 age, weight and height matched normals. We find that the user‐adaptive knee successfully controls early stance damping, enabling amputee to undergo biologically‐realistic, early stance knee flexion. These results indicate that a user‐adaptive control scheme and local mechanical sensing are all that is required for amputees to walk with an increased level of biological realism compared to mechanically passive prosthetic systems.

Sir Kingsley Wood, the Minister of Health, speaking at Plymouth on September 15th, said the problem of nutrition was one to which increased attention must be given in the light of modern scientific knowledge. In all our consideration of it we should not forget the necessity of pure, wholesome food. The consumption of food of all kinds in the United Kingdom had grown considerably. To‐day it was probably over 25 million tons a year. The consumption of dairy products and of eggs, fruit and vegetables, so important to good nutrition, had greatly increased. It was vital to our good health that our food supply should not only be unimpaired by the addition of harmful substances, but that there should be no abstraction from articles of food of their proper qualities. It was only fair that the public should get what they asked and paid for. There had undoubtedly been a considerable improvement in the food standards in this country. It had been achieved largely by the Health Authorities and their professional advisers, as well as producers and manufacturers themselves. Some 60 years ago some 15,000 samples only were submitted to Public Analysts, and over 19 per cent. were found to be adulterated or not up to standard. Last year over 143,000 samples were submitted—the highest on record—and the percentage adulterated or not up to standard was a little over 5 per cent. For a variety of reasons the true percentage of adulterated food was probably less than was indicated in this figure. It could be fairly said that nowadays there was very little gross adulteration or deliberate substitution of one article of food for another. But we still had to be vigilant to see to it that the public had some sort of guarantee that they were getting what they asked for, and that food did not contain ingredients which would render it injurious to health. The consumer's interest must always come first both from the point of view of fair trading and good health. There was also no doubt about the high nutritional value of milk, and we must do all we can to increase the consumption of clean and safe milk.

This paper seeks to reduce the lack of quantitative research by addressing diminution in value to non‐residential property resulting from environmental contamination.

This meta‐analysis extracts data from approximately a dozen peer‐reviewed articles and 100 case studies from real estate appraisers in the USA. A dataset containing 106 contaminated non‐residential observations is examined using Regression (OLS). Forward (stepwise) and backward selection was performed. The dependent variable included percentage loss and dollar amount. The independent variables were contamination type, US region, land use type, distance from the source (mostly contaminated subjects), passage of time, year, urban or rural, market conditions, litigation, and indemnification.

The model adjusted R squares range from 37 percent to 66 percent. Approximately a third of cases had no loss. This research used petroleum case studies as the reference category for comparison with other types of contamination. The following variables were statistically significant in all four models: Creosote/PCB and Other contamination. The following were significant in two models: Other land use, 30‐year mortgage rate, Rural location, TPH, Multiple contamination, TCE, Under‐remediation, and Mineral extraction region. Finally, the following variables were significant in one model at least at a 90 percent level of confidence: Heavy metals, Industrial Midwest region, and pre‐1995 sale.

Properties in the remediation phase show less of a loss in value. Selective case studies within the same period of the clean‐up cycle make the best comparables. The US regional location was less important.

This is the first empirical research using a meta‐analysis to study damage effects for non‐residential property affected by contamination.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study which aims to improve the compatibility of the long afterglow phosphors SrMgAl₄O₈:Eu²⁺, Dy³⁺with organic matrix, including its water resistance.

The phosphors were modified by the lauric acid‐based Al‐Zr coupling agent (CA). Then, they were characterised by attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR), pH and electric conductivity in water, scanning electron microscope (SEM), contact angle and fluorescence decay curves before and after modification.

The pH and electric conductivity displayed the improved water resistance, as the Al‐Zr CA addition increased, and the minimum contact angle with resin decreased from 68.3 to 40.3°C, which showed that the compatibility with organic matrix was enhanced significantly. The afterglow luminous properties were unimpaired.

The researchers are encouraged to test the proposed method and enhance the compatibility further.

This method will extend the applications of phosphors in the paint, coatings, ink and plastics industry.

This paper introduces the lauric acid‐based Al‐Zr CA to modify the luminescent pigments of long afterglow phosphors; it can be also applied to other inorganic powders.

In the June issue of THE BRITISH FOOD JOURNAL reference was made to a recently issued Report by the Ministry of Health upon the subject of bovine tuberculosis. In that Report the pasteurisation of cow's milk is referred to as a means of reducing the resulting human infection, and it is stated that “milk so treated appears to retain its valuable food properties practically unimpaired.”

There are many accepted ways in which the economist may look at the business enterprise, each of which involves a different blend of theory and empirical evidence. Unfortunately, one gets the impression that many microeconomists have had no direct contact with firms: their experience of the very object on which some lavish such intricate mathematical analysis is entirely second‐hand. Happily, such isolation from the proper object of analysis, the firm, is by no means typical of the history of economic analysis. Adam Smith, the founder of modern economics, was well acquainted with the business community of Glasgow. He was on good terms with the leading merchants of the day including, most notably, Provost Andrew Cochrane who assisted Smith in the acquisition of statistical and institutional information later to be used the The Wealth of Nations. Alfred Marshall too had a serious concern for the realities of business activity. In 1885 he made an extended visit to the United States which took him into many factories and provided the basis for his paper “Some Features of American Industry”. Even ten years later “his zeal for field work remained unimpaired”, and the months of August and September saw Marshall undertaking extensive tours of English mines and factories. One hundred years later, one notices scarcely any enthusiasm on the part of economists for fieldwork of the sort that would take them into the business enterprise. A welcome sign of the possibility that this parlous state may yet be modified is contained in an article by Lawson, where it is argued that “more resources should be allocated, and attention paid, to the results of forms of case‐study, to personal histories, and to the study of primary sources. At the very least a re‐evaluation of research priorities and methods may be in order”. Such an attitude is in sympathy with the line of argument pursued in this article.

Albert Smith, ace salesman of the Oilier Oil Company, has been hanging around Manlidale like a bad smell, for years. Incredible though it may seem he has peddled the firm's repulsive wares in mill and machine shop with undoubted success and with the passing of time, his rough mannered but good hearted northern customers have accepted him as a gormless but harmless chap, whose regular visits enliven the working day. Time has somewhat tempered his initial, boyish exuberance but has left his pathetic trust in the OOCo lubes unimpaired; and, we fear added little to his initial ignorance of the strange machines with which the many and myterious Manlidalian products are manufactured. Mercifully our benign editor only inflicts Albert on subscribers once a year; at Xmas time when, imbition being at a maximum, his ridiculous and lubricious adventures may appear tolerable.

A new autopilot designed for supersonic aircraft has been announced by Lear Incorporated. Designated the L‐10, this flight control system meets latest military requirements with such features as automatic Mach number control, automatic g control, all‐attitude manoeuvrability, automatic course selection, command manoeuvring by control stick as well as conventional controller, continuous sideslip control, and continuous automatic trim control for all control surfaces. One of the first L‐10s produced has been flown in several aircraft, including a jet fighter.

States that the issue of contamination can have a substantial impact on land and property values. Reviews contaminated land valuation theory from the USA and the UK. Describes methods employed to determine “best practice” valuation approaches for the valuation of contaminated land and property. Focuses on reversionary freehold investment properties and discusses issues which need to be considered and addressed in the process of valuing or appraising contaminated land or property. Notes that the most suitable valuation and appraisal framework is found to be a “cost‐to‐correct” approach. Presents a worked example, detailing factors to be considered and methods employed. Suggests improvements to professional guidance and the establishment of a “contaminated comparables” database.