Policy Briefing: Implementing empirical ethics and rights - IDEAS for ensuring disability equity in research

Research collaboration between University of York, De Montfort University and Lancaster UniversityIn this policy briefing, we illustrate the development and potential of tools developed from commissioned public health research project where empirical ethics was combined with human rights to elucidate a critical framework for conducting and evaluating Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) in public health and disabilit

A consolidated method for predicting laminar boundary layers on rotating axi-symmetric bodies

The boundary layer equations for axi-symmetric laminar flow are transformed in a manner which can be applied to rotating bodies in both still and axial flow. Terms pertaining specifically to quiescent or axial flow are clearly identified by the approach. The transformed equations are shown to deliver the same velocity profiles as a number of case-specific formulations presented in the literature, albeit with one or two exceptions, while being substantially simpler in formulation

Certainty as a Provocation: The Design and Analysis of 2 Quant-Qual Tool Dyads for a Qualified Self Technology Project

This paper takes its starting point in recognising that the Quantified Self Movement can go beyond its existing purely quantitative nature and develop a second degree of meaning, so that the individual achieves self knowledge through human insights. We designed a research methodology to explore an individuals current and past relationship with ‘Activity Levels’ and ‘Balance Health’ using two Quant-Qual dyads. For the first Dyad, quantitative data was gathered about the number of steps taken by participants, and compared to the Qual Tool of Energy Diaries. For the second Dyad, quantitative data about postural sway was gathered through an application and qualitative data about the perceptions of balance was gathered through a personal diary. Quantitative data provided grounds for sensitising the participants to the idea of ‘Balance Health’ and ‘Activity Levels’ and the Qual tools revealed the lack of an actionable vocabulary on the one hand for Balance Health and rich narratives for activity levels on the other. Therefore, there exists an opportunity for research through design, to understand an individuals perception of their activity and to compare this existing self knowledge (or the lack of) to factual quantitative data in-order to design Qualified Self technology devices

Aspartame in conjunction with carbohydrate reduces insulin levels during endurance exercise

Gold OAAs most sport drinks contain some form of non-nutritive sweetener (e.g. aspartame), and with the variation in blood glucose regulation and insulin secretion reportedly associated with aspartame, a further understanding of the effects on insulin and blood glucose regulation during exercise is warranted. Therefore, the aim of this preliminary study was to profile the insulin and blood glucose responses in healthy individuals after aspartame and carbohydrate ingestion during rest and exercise. Each participant completed four trials under the same conditions (45 min rest + 60 min self-paced intense exercise) differing only in their fluid intake: 1) carbohydrate (2% maltodextrin and 5% sucrose (C)); 2) 0.04% aspartame with 2% maltodextrin and 5% sucrose (CA)); 3) water (W); and 4) aspartame (0.04% aspartame with 2% maltodextrin (A)). Insulin levels dropped significantly for CA versus C alone (43%) between pre-exercise and 30 min, while W and A insulin levels did not differ between these time points. Aspartame with carbohydrate significantly lowered insulin levels during exercise versus carbohydrate alone.Peer Reviewe

Evaluation of advanced receiver autonomous integrity monitoring performance on predicted aircraft trajectories

The development of new GNSS constellations, and the modernization of existing ones, has increased the availability and the number of satellites-in-view, paving the way for new navigation algorithms and techniques. These offer the opportunity to improve the navigation performance while at the same time potentially reducing the support which has to be provided by Ground and Satellite Based Augmented Systems (GBAS and SBAS). These enhanced future capabilities can enable GNSS receivers to serve as a primary means of navigation, worldwide, and have provided the motivation for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to form the GNSS Evolution Architecture Study (GEAS). This panel, formed in 2008, investigates the new GNSS-based architectures, with a focus on precision approach down to LPV-200 operations. GEAS identified ARAIM as the most promising system. The literature, produced through a series of studies, has analysed the performance of this new technique and has clearly shown that the potential of ARAIM architectures to provide the Required Navigation Performance for LPV 200. Almost all of the analysis was performed by simply studying a constellation’s configuration with respect to fixed points on a grid on the Earth’s surface, with full view of the sky, evaluating ARAIM performance from a geometrical point of view and using nominal performance in simulated scenarios lasting several days In this paper, we will evaluate the ARAIM performance in simulated operational configurations. Aircraft flights can last for hours and on-board receivers don’t always have a full view of the sky. Attitude changes from manoeuvers, obscuration by the aircraft body and shadowing from the surrounding environment could all affect the incoming signal from the GNSS constellations, leading to configurations that could adversely affect the real performance. For this reason, the main objective of the algorithm developed in this research project is to analyse these shadowing effects and compute the performance of the ARAIM technique when integrated with a predicted flight path using different combinations of three constellations (GPS, GLONASS and Galileo), considered as fully operational