Should energy labels for washing machines be expanded to include a durability rating?

Washing machines are a key household appliance that can be found in the majority of UK homes. Over 2.5 million are sold in the UK every year and account for one of the highest material and production impacts of householder products in the UK (WRAP, 2011). Energy efficiency ratings are provided as a method for consumers to make an informed purchasing decision and were brought in by EU legislation to reduce energy use and enable users to reduce running costs, as it is known that the greater environmental impact of a washing machine is during use. From 2014, all washing machines sold must be at a minimum A rated, with ratings increasing to A+++. However, under this current labelling system the embodied impacts and durability of the machines are ignored. Through semi-structured interviews with consumers, manufacturers and distributors, this paper explores different perceptions of longevity and expectations of performance and durability. The paper explores whether energy labels should be expanded to include durability information, as this could enable consumers to make a decision based not only on cost and energy efficiency but also on expected lifespan. Existing manufacturer’s guarantees may give an indication of the expected durability of the product and this is investigated to explore if there is a positive correlation. The findings will further discuss the potential impacts of providing durability information and how this could enable manufacturers and consumers to shift towards a low material and energy future

Characterisation of novel protein ‘WDR98/RMC1’ and its role in lysosome biology

Following the results from a pilot study indicating the interaction of endosomal maturation proteins MON1B and CCZ1 with the uncharacterised protein ‘WDR98/RMC1’, this potentially new protein complex was investigated further. Literature research and bioinformatics revealed the highly evolutionarily conserved nature of WDR98 and also its unique C-terminal ‘MIC’ domain (the N-terminal containing the common protein binding platform domain WD40). Immunoprecipitation methods were used to confirm the, then novel, interaction of WDR98 with MON1B and CCZ1 individually. Furthermore, it was discovered that the WD40 domain is alone capable of eliciting binding between these proteins. Though reported elsewhere that WDR98 was able to bind to RAB5 and RAB7 in a whole-lysate context, we are confident that WDR98 is unable to bind to either RAB in isolation in vitro. Immunofluorescence was utilised to localise WDR98 to endosomes both early (RAB5) and late (RAB7) and lysosomes (LGP120), specifically those most active around the nuclear periphery. WDR98 was not seen to localise to autophagosomes (LC3). Both the WD40 and MIC domains also localised to lysosomes individually. This, along with recent literature, indicates an important role for WDR98 in protein trafficking, specifically endosomal maturation and lysosome biology. In addition, its potential role in disease and the emerging disease-contribution of the lysosome, particularly concerning cancer, renders this protein an exciting discovery, with potential as a target for future investigations

Master of Science

thesisLarge lifestyle interventions have been effective in preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D) in high-risk individuals. However, the effects of translational studies at the community level are less consistent. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) to reduce the risk for T2D via improvements in body weight, body composition, glucose management, and quality of life (QOL) in members of the University of Utah community who are at elevated risk for developing T2D. Forty-seven prediabetic University staff and faculty were enrolled in a year-long group-based translation of the NDPP. The intervention employed two goals: achieving > 7% weight loss, and obtaining > 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity physical activity. After the 12-month intervention, improvements were observed in body weight (-4.82%, p 0.05) on waist-to-hip ratio, diastolic blood pressure, or fasting blood glucose. A small but significant increase in HbA1c was detected. At study completion, only 28% of participants had achieved the weight loss goal, but 52% of participants had achieved the physical activity goal. There was a significant positive correlation between the number of goals met and improvements in body weight (rS = 0.61, p < 0.001), BMI (rS = 0.56, p < 0.001), waist circumference (rS = 0.39, p = 0.007), and hip circumference (rS = 0.33, p = 0.024), but no association between goals met and change in glucose management variables. Despite limited effect on markers of glucose management, these results confirm the feasibility of the NDPP’s lifestyle intervention to improve risk factors associated with T2D in members of the University of Utah community

Impacts of harmonic distortion from charging electric vehicles on low voltage networks

Paper focusing on the impacts of harmonic distortion from charging electric vehicles on low voltage networks

No two gangs are alike: The digital divide in street gangs’ differential adaptations to social media

© 2020 The Authors Social media provide novel opportunities for street gangs to operate beyond their traditional borders to sell drugs, recruit members and control their territory, virtually and physically. Although social media have contributed to the means available to street gangs today, it does not mean that every gang agrees on their use. Drawing on different perspectives (ex-gang members, law enforcement) on gangs using a multi-method design in a London borough, the current study shows that social media have polarized gangs, resulting in two distinct types of digital adaptation. The proposed division of ‘digitalist’ and ‘traditionalist’ gangs is rooted in Thrasher's (1927) dictum that no two gangs are alike and explains how some gangs prefer to keep a low profile, thus, avoiding social media use. ‘Digitalists’, by contrast, prefer to use social media as a way to gain reputation and territorial expansion. They use it to brand themselves and to appear attractive for recruits and customers alike. These differences can be theoretically explained firstly as a generational gap, meaning that younger gang members prefer the use of social media; and secondly, by how well established a gang already is, as newer gangs need more attention to establish themselves

Master of Science

thesisThe Phoenix flight chair was developed as an adaptive sport chair primarily as a paragliding system to facilitate tandem and independent flight for people with lower extremity disabilities such as spinal cord injuries, amputations, and neuromuscular disease. The Phoenix allows individuals with a wide range of disabilities and mobility to learn to paraglide. The main purpose of the Phoenix is to safely introduce individuals to the sport of paragliding and let them experience the freedom that flight brings. The development of the Phoenix was initiated by the not for profit organization, ABLE Pilot. A program developed to help individuals with lower extremity disabilities paraglide. An early ABLE Pilot publication stated that the effort "is a research and instructional program designed to establish and support the overall goal of developing and testing a formal paragliding and hang gliding instructional protocol for student pilots with various disabilities (e.g., spinal cord injuries, neurological and neuromuscular disabilities, amputations, etc.)." Since the start of the project in early 2010 many milestones have been reached including two functional prototypes (Phoenix 1.0 and the Phoenix 1.5). Over 275 combined flights have been completed, including solo and tandem flights, with both ablebodied and disabled individuals. A training program and protocol is currently being developed by world class paragliding instructors. Five individuals have reached P-1 certifications, two of whom will have P-2 certifications in September 2012, and worldwide interest in the Phoenix has been a positive side effect. One of the most important lessons learned through the Phoenix program is the difficult task of designing safety into the Phoenix. Even with the many safety features and precautions added to the chairs, unexpected events can happen. Although paragliding is a high risk sport, at no time should users be exposed to any avoidable risks. Existing chairs along with future chairs will continue to progress and safety modifications will be added to help reduce expected and unexpected dangers. For continued growth and regulation, the Phoenix is being adopted by the United States Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association (USHPA). The training program being developed by Mr. Rob Sporrer and Mr. Nick Greece will become the first official training protocol using the Phoenix system. This will provide individuals and instructors with the knowledge and experience they need to train and fly with the Phoenix. The Phoenix program represents an enormous collection of thoughts and ideas. It would not have been successful without the volunteer students and pilots, ABLE Pilot, and University of Utah students and faculty. Continued improvements, more flights and additional design improvements are planned in the future

Identity

In this digitally-obsessed world, it seems everything has become digitized into strings composed of 0\u27s and 1\u27s

Street Gangs and Coercive Control: The Gendered Exploitation of Young Women and Girls in County Lines

This paper explores young women and girls’ participation in gangs and ‘county lines’ drug sales. Qualitative interviews and focus groups with criminal justice and social service professionals found that women and girls in gangs often are judged according to androcentric, stereotypical norms that deny gender-specific risks of exploitation. Gangs capitalise on the relative ‘invisibility’ of young women to advance their economic interests in county lines and stay below police radar. The research shows gangs maintain control over women and girls in both physical and digital spaces via a combination of threatened and actual (sexual) violence and a form of economic abuse known as debt bondage; tactics readily documented in the field of domestic abuse. This paper argues that coercive control offers a new way of understanding and responding to these gendered experiences of gang life, with important implications for policy and practic

Cyber violence: What do we know and where do we go from here?

This paper reviews the existing literature on the relationship between social media and violence, including prevalence rates, typologies, and the overlap between cyber and in-person violence. This review explores the individual-level correlates and risk factors associated with cyber violence, the group processes involved in cyber violence, and the macro-level context of online aggression. The paper concludes with a framework for reconciling conflicting levels of explanation and presents an agenda for future research that adopts a selection, facilitation, or enhancement framework for thinking about the causal or contingent role of social media in violent offending. Remaining empirical questions and new directions for future research are discussed