An Exploratory Study of Forces and Frictions affecting Large-Scale Model-Driven Development

In this paper, we investigate model-driven engineering, reporting on an exploratory case-study conducted at a large automotive company. The study consisted of interviews with 20 engineers and managers working in different roles. We found that, in the context of a large organization, contextual forces dominate the cognitive issues of using model-driven technology. The four forces we identified that are likely independent of the particular abstractions chosen as the basis of software development are the need for diffing in software product lines, the needs for problem-specific languages and types, the need for live modeling in exploratory activities, and the need for point-to-point traceability between artifacts. We also identified triggers of accidental complexity, which we refer to as points of friction introduced by languages and tools. Examples of the friction points identified are insufficient support for model diffing, point-to-point traceability, and model changes at runtime.Comment: To appear in proceedings of MODELS 2012, LNCS Springe

Perception of Better Nasal Patency Correlates with Increased Mucosal Cooling after Surgery for Nasal Obstruction

1. Quantify mucosal cooling (i.e., heat loss) spatially in the nasal passages of nasal airway obstruction (NAO) patients before and after surgery using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). 2. Correlate mucosal cooling with patient-reported symptoms, as measured by the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) and a visual analog scale (VAS) for sensation of nasal airflow

‘Swallow your pride and fear’: the educational strategies of high-achieving non-traditional university students

With more graduates, degree outcomes have a renewed significance for high-achieving students to stand out in a graduate crowd. In the UK, over a quarter of undergraduates now leave university with the highest grade – a ‘first-class’ degree – although students from non-traditional and underprivileged backgrounds are the least likely. This paper explores the experiences of high-achieving non-traditional (HANT) university students. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 30 final-year students who are on course to achieve a first-class degree from working-class, minority ethnic and/or mature backgrounds, we examine their pathways to academic success through identity works and negotiations. We argue that early successes are crucial for students to re-evaluate their self-expectations as students who can achieve in higher education, while self-esteem, pride or fear can prevent students from maximising their available resources and opportunities. Implications for practice and policy are discussed, including the reflective advice from HANT students toward academic success

Associations of Dietary Intake with the Intestinal Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Among Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes and Overweight or Obesity

Background: Diet, a key component of type 1 diabetes (T1D) management, modulates the intestinal microbiota and its metabolically active byproducts—including SCFA—through fermentation of dietary carbohydrates such as fiber. However, the diet–microbiome relationship remains largely unexplored in longstanding T1D. Objectives: We evaluated whether increased carbohydrate intake, including fiber, is associated with increased SCFA-producing gut microbes, SCFA, and intestinal microbial diversity among young adults with longstanding T1D and overweight or obesity. Methods: Young adult men and women with T1D for ≥1 y, aged 19–30 y, and BMI of 27.0–39.9 kg/m2 at baseline provided stool samples at baseline and 3, 6, and 9 mo of a randomized dietary weight loss trial. Diet was assessed by 1–2 24-h recalls. The abundance of SCFA-producing microbes was measured using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. GC-MS measured fecal SCFA (acetate, butyrate, propionate, and total) concentrations. Adjusted and Bonferroni-corrected generalized estimating equations modeled associations of dietary fiber (total, soluble, and pectins) and carbohydrate (available carbohydrate, and fructose) with microbiome-related outcomes. Primary analyses were restricted to data collected before COVID-19 interruptions. Results: Fiber (total and soluble) and carbohydrates (available and fructose) were positively associated with total SCFA and acetate concentrations (n = 40 participants, 52 visits). Each 10 g/d of total and soluble fiber intake was associated with an additional 8.8 μmol/g (95% CI: 4.5, 12.8 μmol/g; P = 0.006) and 24.0 μmol/g (95% CI: 12.9, 35.1 μmol/g; P = 0.003) of fecal acetate, respectively. Available carbohydrate intake was positively associated with SCFA producers Roseburia and Ruminococcus gnavus. All diet variables except pectin were inversely associated with normalized abundance of Bacteroides and Alistipes. Fructose was inversely associated with Akkermansia abundance. Conclusions: In young adults with longstanding T1D, fiber and carbohydrate intake were associated positively with fecal SCFA but had variable associations with SCFA-producing gut microbes. Controlled feeding studies should determine whether gut microbes and SCFA can be directly manipulated in T1D

Associations of disordered eating with the intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids among young adults with type 1 diabetes

Background and aims: Disordered eating (DE) in type 1 diabetes (T1D) includes insulin restriction for weight loss with serious complications. Gut microbiota-derived short chain fatty acids (SCFA) may benefit host metabolism but are reduced in T1D. We evaluated the hypothesis that DE and insulin restriction were associated with reduced SCFA-producing gut microbes, SCFA, and intestinal microbial diversity in adults with T1D. Methods and results: We collected stool samples at four timepoints in a hypothesis-generating gut microbiome pilot study ancillary to a weight management pilot in young adults with T1D. 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing measured the normalized abundance of SCFA-producing intestinal microbes. Gas-chromatography mass-spectrometry measured SCFA (total, acetate, butyrate, and propionate). The Diabetes Eating Problem Survey—Revised (DEPS-R) assessed DE and insulin restriction. Covariate-adjusted and Bonferroni-corrected generalized estimating equations modeled the associations. COVID-19 interrupted data collection, so models were repeated restricted to pre-COVID-19 data. Data were available for 45 participants at 109 visits, which included 42 participants at 65 visits pre-COVID-19. Participants reported restricting insulin “At least sometimes” at 53.3% of visits. Pre-COVID-19, each 5-point DEPS-R increase was associated with a −0.34 (95% CI -0.56, −0.13, p = 0.07) lower normalized abundance of genus Anaerostipes; and the normalized abundance of Lachnospira genus was −0.94 (95% CI -1.5, −0.42), p = 0.02 lower when insulin restriction was reported “At least sometimes” compared to “Rarely or Never”. Conclusion: DE and insulin restriction were associated with a reduced abundance of SCFA-producing gut microbes pre-COVID-19. Additional studies are needed to confirm these associations to inform microbiota-based therapies in T1D

Navigating institutional pressure in state-socialist and democratic regimes: The case of movement brontosaurus

Using the case of Movement Brontosaurus, a Czech organization founded in state socialist times, this article investigates how civic associations and nongovernmental organizations seeking to promote alternatives to the status quo respond to institutional pressures in different political and social contexts. The case shows that under state socialism, Brontosaurus appeared to conform to state mandates and societal expectations. However, its formal structure was decoupled from many activities to obscure its oppositional intent.After the transition to democracy, the organization was only able to maintain its place in society after it aligned its structure and practices with each other and openly expressed its alternative agenda. The findings demonstrate how social change and alternative lifestyle organizations vary their responses to institutional pressure in ways that enable them to realize their values and pursue their missions while accounting for the political and social contexts in which they are embedded

Organizational and Leadership Implications for Transformational Development

Transformational development is a concept of change that originated in the Christian context but has now become generally used in the work of both secular and faith-based organizations. The growing use of the concept by organizations that are fundamentally different has naturally led to some confusion about what the concept means and what it takes to effectively implement it. In this article, we describe the key features of the concept and how they are important in determining the organizational requirements for its effective implementation. Drawing on a few cases, the paper highlights the centrality of faith in transformational development work