Developing a sustainability KM strategy for HA planned works

Effective management of sustainability-related knowledge is central to the development of sustainable construction practices. Despite progress In other contexts, existing knowledge management efforts have been of limited value to contexts such as housing association planned works (cyclical replacement of housing components) due to an inability to reflect the specificities of these projects. This paper presents the development of a structured strategy to improve the capture, storage, retrieval and exchange of sustainability-related knowledge within housing association planned works. Knowledge mapping exercises based on semi-structured interviews were carried out within four different sized Scottish housing associations. Sustainability-related knowledge maps were developed for each activity focusing on managerial, economic, social, environmental aspects and overall flow of knowledge providing the basis for recommendations to improve the management of sustainability-related knowledge during planned works. The strategy promotes a structured approach providing housing associations with the opportunity to tailor the strategy to reflect their context and requirements. Practitioners from the case studies confirmed its usefulness especially for housing associations committed to sustainability but struggling to engage with high-level policy and strategies. One case study association has implemented the high-level principles to support its wider sustainability policy and is piloting a strategy for its planned works. </jats:p

Retaining International College Students: Promoting Proactive Institutional Support Services For Successful Adjustment

This study investigates whether institutions with centralized international student support offices have higher retention rates and higher overall grade point averages for undergraduate F1 visa status non-native English speaking international students. Modeled on Astin’s (1984) Student Involvement Theory, the research study proposes and tests a model of undergraduate F1 visa status non-native English speaking international student frequency of involvement and whether an international student office (ISO) moderates this relationship by increasing undergraduate F1 visa status non-native English speaking international student frequency of involvement leading to positive academic outcomes, specifically focusing on overall grade point average (GPA) and retention. If this central study provides evidence of institutions with ISOs positively relating student outcomes, then in ethical terms and as a matter of good business, institutions of higher learning should consider creating or sustaining ISOs to promote international student academic success and personal development

Analytical Formulation of the Jacobian Matrix for Non-linear Calculation of the Forced Response of Turbine Blade Assemblies with Wedge Friction Dampers

A fundamental issue in turbomachinery design is the dynamical stress assessment of turbine blades. In order to reduce stress peaks in the turbine blades at engine orders corresponding to blade natural frequencies, friction dampers are employed. Blade response calculation requires the solution of a set of non-linear equations originated by the introduction of friction damping. Such a set of non-linear equations is solved using the iterative numerical Newton-Raphson method. However, calculation of the Jacobian matrix of the system using classical numerical finite difference schemes makes frequency domain solver prohibitively expensive for structures with many contact points. Large computation time results from the evaluation of partial derivatives of the non-linear equations with respect to the displacements. In this work a methodology to compute efficiently the Jacobian matrix of a dynamic system having wedge dampers is presented. It is exact and completely analytical. The proposed methods have been successfully applied to a real intermediate pressure turbine (IPT) blade under cyclic symmetry boundary conditions with underplatform wedge dampers. Its implementation showed to be very effective, and allowed to achieve relevant time savings without loss of precision

Biochemical and genetic analysis of the role of the viral polymerase in enterovirus recombination

Funding: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council [BB/M009343/1] and PhD. studentship funding for AW (to D.J.E.); NIH [R01 AI045818 from NIAID to C.E.C.). Funding for open access charge: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and University of St. Andrews.Genetic recombination in single-strand, positive-sense RNA viruses is a poorly understand mechanism responsible for generating extensive genetic change and novel phenotypes. By moving a critical cis-acting replication element (CRE) from the polyprotein coding region to the 3’ non-coding region we have further developed a cell-based assay (the 3’CRE-REP assay) to yield recombinants throughout the non-structural coding region of poliovirus from dually transfected cells. We have additionally developed a defined biochemical assay in which the only protein present is the poliovirus RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which recapitulates the strand transfer events of the recombination process. We have used both assays to investigate the role of the polymerase fidelity and nucleotide turnover rates in recombination. Our results, of both poliovirus intertypic and intratypic recombination in the CRE-REP assay and using a range of polymerase variants in the biochemical assay, demonstrate that RdRp fidelity is a fundamental determinant of recombination frequency. High fidelity polymerases exhibit reduced recombination and low fidelity polymerases exhibit increased recombination in both assays. These studies provide the basis for the analysis of poliovirus recombination throughout the non-structural region of the virus genome and provide a defined biochemical assay to further dissect this important evolutionary process.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Natural and artificial fluorescence on 3-dimensional bioorganic nanostructures

A challenge exists for understanding the origin of color for structurally colored, 3-dimensional bioorganic nanostructures, such as the scales of butterflies, beetles, and moths. Complex, hierarchical structures found within such scales create the overall scale appearance. The controlled alteration of color through material deposition and the addition of new optical functionalities to such structures are other areas of scientific interest. This dissertation addresses these challenges with a first-of-its-kind, systematic isolation (deconstruction) of scale component nanostructures, followed by evaluation of optical property/structure correlations. The additive deposition (constructive alteration) of emissive materials to structurally-colored templates complements this deconstructive approach towards understanding the origin of color in butterfly scales. Discoveries made through this work may help advance the bioinspired design of synthetic optical structures and subsequent color control through the addition of multilayered, emissive optical components.Ph.D

Squalicum lofts: a LEED ND project

The Squalicum Lofts development is currently under construction in the 900 block of Squalicum Parkway, in the Columbia neighborhood of Bellingham, Washington. The property is located within the Bellingham city limits and is zoned Industrial. The Squalicum Lofts project is being constructed on an approximately 7-acre parcel of land and adjacent properties include single family residential homes to the west of the site and Squalicum Creek Park to the north. The homes adjacent to the site are located approximately 40-feet above the site on a bluff and lie within the Columbia Neighborhood. The park is on the same building elevation and is planned to include three playing fields. The project manager, Mike Allsop, originally designed a live/play/work development for this site that would have met the prerequisites and credits within LEED ND. In order for that project to be realized the site would have needed to be rezoned as mix-use to accommodate the residential component. However, there was opposition from the surrounding neighbors who preferred that the lot remain zoned for industrial use only, thus the project was redesigned to be purely retail, warehouse, and office space. The City of Bellingham purchased a parcel of land that surrounds the site to the north and east for the development of Squalicum Creek Park, which is currently under construction. Squalicum Creek is located adjacent to Squalicum Parkway, and crosses under Squalicum Parkway at the front of the site. Currently two of the four proposed buildings are under construction. Building A is 13,200 square feet while the larger Building B is 45,000 square feet. The two additional structures, Building C and Building D, will be located behind Buildings A and B at a future date. Building C will be 45,000 square feet and Building D will be 22,000 square feet. The primary use for these buildings will be retail, storage and warehouse space. Building B will house the offices of Allsop Incorporated

Prevention of the development of psychological distress following a motor vehicle crash: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

© 2016 Guest et al. Background: It is estimated that up to 50 % of motor vehicle crash survivors develop significant psychological distress, such as depressive mood and anxiety, within 6 months of the crash. Associated impacts include loss of employment, delayed return to work, financial and familial stress, and increased medical and compensation costs. The major aim of this research is to investigate the efficacy of interventions for preventing the development of psychological distress following a motor vehicle crash. The efficacy of two brief interventions will be examined: a cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) programme, targeting mood and anxiety, and a lifestyle programme, targeting sleep, diet and physical activity. Methods/design: This is a randomized, controlled multisite study. Participants include at least 180 adults injured in a motor vehicle crash who have entered a compensation process. Research will compare outcomes in three groups randomly assigned to: one group of 60 adults, who receive a brief email-delivered CBT programme, with one session every 2 weeks for 10 weeks and telephone contact every 2 weeks; a second group of 60 adults, who receive a brief email-delivered lifestyle intervention involving one session every 2 weeks for 10 weeks with telephone contact; and an active waiting-list control group of 60 adults who are provided claims processing-related reading material along with telephone contact every 2 weeks for 10 weeks. Participants will be recruited within 12 weeks of the motor vehicle crash, and will be comprehensively assessed before and after treatment, and 6 and 12 months post-injury. Assuming an α probability level of 0.05 and a power of 80 %, at least 180 participants will be recruited. The primary outcome measure is the presence and severity of psychological distress or disorder. Secondary outcome measures include assessment of self-efficacy, resilience employment status, social activity and support, lifestyle and physical health factors, along with process outcome measures of treatment acceptability, feasibility and generalizability. Discussion: This study will determine whether brief email-delivered interventions distributed soon after the injury and entry into the claims process can be effective in preventing the development of psychological distress. Trial registration: ANZCTR, ACTRN12615000326594. Registered on 9 April 2015

Poliovirus Infection Transiently Increases CopII Vesicle Budding

Poliovirus (PV) requires membranes of the host cell\u27s secretory pathway to generate replication complexes (RCs) for viral RNA synthesis. Recent work identified the intermediate compartment and the Golgi apparatus as the precursors of the replication organelles of PV (N. Y. Hsu et al., Cell 141:799-811, 2010). In this study, we examined the effect of PV on COPII vesicles, the secretory cargo carriers that bud from the endoplasmic reticulum and homotypically fuse to form the intermediate compartment that matures into the Golgi apparatus. We found that infection by PV results in a biphasic change in functional COPII vesicle biogenesis in cells, with an early enhancement and subsequent inhibition. Concomitant with the early increase in COPII vesicle formation, we found an increase in the membrane fraction of Sec16A, a key regulator of COPII vesicle formation. We suggest that the early burst in COPII vesicle formation detected benefits PV by increasing the precursor pool required for the formation of its RCs