155 research outputs found

    Learning teamwork in architectural education

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    University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.This work explores the learning of teamwork in the education of professional architects within the context of co-operative education or work-based learning. Using Grounded Theory, three experiences of Teamwork are studied: Taught Teamwork, which was taught at University of Technology, Sydney over a specific period of time; Learned Teamwork, based on experiential learning; and Accidental Teamwork, teamwork that is derived from experiences both inside and outside the University. This study utilises results from earlier research in teamwork and in the management of teams, especially the research by Meredith Belbin and others, and a model of teamwork developed by Meredith Belbin. Evidence is presented from the published literature in the field including reviews of current and past theories, and empirical studies. Initially students in the study regarded learning about professional teamwork as secondary during their architectural studies but this research revealed that they later reassessed teamwork as a critical skill in their professional careers. The basic propositions underpinning this research are that learning teamwork involves both reflection and integrating new knowledge with past experiences, and that teamwork is an appropriate topic to be taught within the university setting. The analysis is conducted from a perspective of both learning teamwork and the governance of teams. The data and analysis offers support for an argument that teamwork is an important skill for professional architects and can be taught in an academic setting. Recommendations for further research are outlined

    Complex Crude Oil Fouling Layers: Use of Model Predictions to Detect Inorganics Breakthrough

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    Crude oil fouling models have greatly improved in the past two decades. However, most models focus on the deposition of organic species at high temperatures (i.e. greater than 200 °C). In this paper, a deposit model, capable of capturing simultaneously the deposition of both organic and inorganic species, is used to track deposition history in a shell-and-tube heat exchanger at the hot end of a refinery pre-heat train. The model was previously fitted to plant data and the results compared to the experimental characterization of deposits. It is shown that such a model, together with plant data, can be used i) to describe the development of complex deposit layers; ii) to detect and diagnose changes in composition of the deposit. From a practical perspective, it is then possible to alert plant operators of unexpected events such as breakthrough of inorganics at an early stage and help in planning corrective actions

    Nutrition Strategies for Triathlon

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    Contemporary sports nutrition guidelines recommend that each athlete develop a personalised, periodised and practical approach to eating that allows him or her to train hard, recover and adapt optimally, stay free of illness and injury and compete at their best at peak races. Competitive triathletes undertake a heavy training programme to prepare for three different sports while undertaking races varying in duration from 20 min to 10 h. The everyday diet should be adequate in energy availability, provide CHO in varying amounts and timing around workouts according to the benefits of training with low or high CHO availability and spread high-quality protein over the day to maximise the adaptive response to each session. Race nutrition requires a targeted and well-practised plan that maintains fuel and hydration goals over the duration of the specific event, according to the opportunities provided by the race and other challenges, such as a hot environment. Supplements and sports foods can make a small contribution to a sports nutrition plan, when medical supplements are used under supervision to prevent/treat nutrient deficiencies (e.g. iron or vitamin D) or when sports foods provide a convenient source of nutrients when it is impractical to eat whole foods. Finally, a few evidence-based performance supplements may contribute to optimal race performance when used according to best practice protocols to suit the triathlete’s goals and individual responsiveness

    Drawn out of the shadows: Surveying secretive forest species with camera trap distance sampling

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    With animal species disappearing at unprecedented rates, we need an efficient monitoring method providing reliable estimates of population density and abundance, critical for the assessment of population status and trend. We deployed 160 camera traps (CTs) systematically over 743 locations covering 17,127 km2 of evergreen lowland rainforest of Salonga National Park, block South, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We evaluated the applicability of CT distance sampling (CTDS) to species different in size and behaviour. To improve precision of estimates, we evaluated two methods estimating species' availability (‘A’) for detection by CTs. We recorded 16,700 video clips, revealing 43 different animal taxa. We estimated densities of 14 species differing in physical, behavioural and ecological traits, and extracted species-specific availability from available video footage using two methods (a) ‘ACa’ (Cappelle et al. [2019] Am. J. Primatol., 81, e22962) and (b) ‘ARo’ (Rowcliffe et al. [2014] Methods Ecol. Evol. 5, 1170). With sample sizes being large enough, we found minor differences between ACa and ARo in estimated densities. In contrast, low detectability and reactivity to the camera were main sources of bias. CTDS proved efficient for estimating density of homogenously rather than patchily distributed species. Synthesis and applications. Our application of camera trap distance sampling (CTDS) to a diverse vertebrate community demonstrates the enormous potential of this methodology for surveys of terrestrial wildlife, allowing rapid assessments of species' status and trends that can translate into effective conservation strategies. By providing the first estimates of understudied species such as the Congo peafowl, the giant ground pangolin and the cusimanses, CTDS may be used as a tool to revise these species' conservation status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Based on the constraints we encountered, we identify improvements to the current application, enhancing the general applicability of this method. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Applied Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Societ

    Study of cosolvent-induced α-chymotrypsin fibrillogenesis: Does protein surface hydrophobicity trigger early stages of aggregation reaction?

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    The misfolding of specific proteins is often associated with their assembly into fibrillar aggregates, commonly termed amyloid fibrils. Despite the many efforts expended to characterize amyloid formation in vitro, there is no deep knowledge about the environment (in which aggregation occurs) as well as mechanism of this type of protein aggregation. Alpha-chymotrypsin was recently driven toward amyloid aggregation by the addition of intermediate concentrations of trifluoroethanol. In the present study, approaches such as turbidimetric, thermodynamic, intrinsic fluorescence and quenching studies as well as chemical modification have been successfully used to elucidate the underlying role of hydrophobic interactions (involved in early stages of amyloid formation) in α-chymotrypsin-based experimental system. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

    Refolding by High Pressure of a Toxin Containing Seven Disulfide Bonds: Bothropstoxin-1 from Bothrops jararacussu

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    Aggregation is a serious obstacle for recovery of biologically active heterologous proteins from inclusion bodies (IBs) produced by recombinant bacteria. E. coli transformed with a vector containing the cDNA for Bothropstoxin-1 (BthTx-1) expressed the recombinant product as IBs. In order to obtain the native toxin, insoluble and aggregated protein was refolded using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP). IBs were dissolved and refolded (2 kbar, 16 h), and the effects of protein concentration, as well as changes in ratio and concentration of oxido-shuffling reagents, guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl), and pH in the refolding buffer, were assayed. A 32% yield (7.6 mg per liter of bacterial culture) in refolding of the native BthTx-1 was obtained using optimal conditions of the refolding buffer (Tris–HCl buffer, pH 7.5, containing 3 mM of a 2:3 ratio of GSH/GSSG, and 1 M GdnHCl). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that that disaggregation of part of IBs particles occurred upon compression and that the morphology of the remaining IBs, spherical particles, was not substantially altered. Dose-dependent cytotoxic activity of high-pressure refolded BthTx-1 was shown in C2C12 muscle cells
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