Implementing a Neurodiversity Program

This is a pdf version of a PowerPoint presentation regarding the Dandelion Program creating employment opportunities for people with autism

Numerical modelling of localised thinning processes for packaging steels.

With the European Union putting pressure on companies within the packaging chain to recycle, cheap and readily available packaging materials are highly in demand. Steel is the most recycled packaging material and to keep it there research continues in this area. More recently research has switch from developing and altering tooling to fit certain materials, to developing improved materials for a given manufacturing process, steel can production for example. This has lead to the desire to understand how materials behave under different forming conditions. The solution which would best suit packaging manufacturing companies would be, knowing the material properties, to develop a numerical model which would be able to predict how the material would perform under different forming conditions. This model could be used as an aid to see which new materials should be further developed. To measure these different forming conditions a forming limit diagram is used. A forming limit diagram shows how a material can perform under altering forming conditions, from uniaxial through plane to biaxial strain. Before a model can be produced though, experimental results are needed to validate the model. The current International Standard 12004-2, which is used to produce a forming limit diagram, does not allow materials under a certain thickness. Almost all packaging steel grades are thinner and have proven difficult to obtain reliable results. This thesis outlines the development of a simplified experimental test which is used to measure strain path dependant failure limits of several packaging steels. These results are then used then to generate a computer model in which the different strain conditions can be closely matched to the experiment test method

Neurodiverse Knowledge, Skills and Ability Assessment for Cyber Security

Cyber attacks have become commonplace and cause harm to IT systems operated by governments, businesses and citizens. As a result, there has been substantial job growth within the cyber security industry to try and meet the need for network defence. However, due to fierce competition for with the relevant skills there is a shortfall in skilled workers able to fill these roles. The goal of this project is to develop, validate and verify a novel solution for the recruitment of highly competent cyber security staff who can defend our nation against capable and well-funded adversaries. The proposed solution involves the development of a training scheme to train neurodiverse individuals for these roles. There is evidence for their interest and aptitude within the sector, but no research has been undertaken to establish how best to train them in the context of their individual differences

The tuberculosis necrotizing toxin kills macrophages by hydrolyzing NAD.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) induces necrosis of infected cells to evade immune responses. Recently, we found that Mtb uses the protein CpnT to kill human macrophages by secreting its C-terminal domain, named tuberculosis necrotizing toxin (TNT), which induces necrosis by an unknown mechanism. Here we show that TNT gains access to the cytosol of Mtb-infected macrophages, where it hydrolyzes the essential coenzyme NAD(+). Expression or injection of a noncatalytic TNT mutant showed no cytotoxicity in macrophages or in zebrafish zygotes, respectively, thus demonstrating that the NAD(+) glycohydrolase activity is required for TNT-induced cell death. To prevent self-poisoning, Mtb produces an immunity factor for TNT (IFT) that binds TNT and inhibits its activity. The crystal structure of the TNT-IFT complex revealed a new NAD(+) glycohydrolase fold of TNT, the founding member of a toxin family widespread in pathogenic microorganisms

Comprehensive Molecular Portraits of Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most prevalent histologic subtype of invasive breast cancer. Here, we comprehensively profiled 817 breast tumors, including 127 ILC, 490 ductal (IDC), and 88 mixed IDC/ILC. Besides E-cadherin loss, the best known ILC genetic hallmark, we identified mutations targeting PTEN, TBX3 and FOXA1 as ILC enriched features. PTEN loss associated with increased AKT phosphorylation, which was highest in ILC among all breast cancer subtypes. Spatially clustered FOXA1 mutations correlated with increased FOXA1 expression and activity. Conversely, GATA3 mutations and high expression characterized Luminal A IDC, suggesting differential modulation of ER activity in ILC and IDC. Proliferation and immune-related signatures determined three ILC transcriptional subtypes associated with survival differences. Mixed IDC/ILC cases were molecularly classified as ILC-like and IDC-like revealing no true hybrid features. This multidimensional molecular atlas sheds new light on the genetic bases of ILC and provides potential clinical options

A História da Alimentação: balizas historiográficas

Os M. pretenderam traçar um quadro da História da Alimentação, não como um novo ramo epistemológico da disciplina, mas como um campo em desenvolvimento de práticas e atividades especializadas, incluindo pesquisa, formação, publicações, associações, encontros acadêmicos, etc. Um breve relato das condições em que tal campo se assentou faz-se preceder de um panorama dos estudos de alimentação e temas correia tos, em geral, segundo cinco abardagens Ia biológica, a econômica, a social, a cultural e a filosófica!, assim como da identificação das contribuições mais relevantes da Antropologia, Arqueologia, Sociologia e Geografia. A fim de comentar a multiforme e volumosa bibliografia histórica, foi ela organizada segundo critérios morfológicos. A seguir, alguns tópicos importantes mereceram tratamento à parte: a fome, o alimento e o domínio religioso, as descobertas européias e a difusão mundial de alimentos, gosto e gastronomia. O artigo se encerra com um rápido balanço crítico da historiografia brasileira sobre o tema