Constructed wetlands: Prediction of performance with case-based reasoning (part B)

The aim of this research was to assess the treatment efficiencies for gully pot liquor of experimental vertical- flow constructed wetland filters containing Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (common reed) and filter media of different adsorption capacities. Six out of 12 filters received inflow water spiked with metals. For 2 years, hydrated nickel and copper nitrate were added to sieved gully pot liquor to simulate contaminated primary treated storm runoff. The findings were analyzed and discussed in a previous paper (Part A). Case-based reasoning (CBR) methods were applied to predict 5 days at 20°C N-Allylthiourea biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS), and to demonstrate an alternative method of analyzing water quality performance indicators. The CBR method was successful in predicting if outflow concentrations were either above or below the thresholds set for water-quality variables. Relatively small case bases of approximately 60 entries are sufficient to yield relatively high predictions of compliance of at least 90% for BOD. Biochemical oxygen demand and SS are expensive to estimate, and can be cost-effectively controlled by applying CBR with the input variables turbidity and conductivity

Culture in rural water and sanitation projects: a case study

A case study of a water and sanitation project under construction in Emem, Ghana is used as a basis for consideration of how culture impacts on the engineering design and implementation of projects in rural communities in less developed countries. The hypothesis is that local culture is an important consideration if long term sustainability is to be achieved. It was found that, contrary to expectations, cultural issues such as religious belief had no direct bearing on the design parameters of the project. However, an understanding of local culture was vital in establishing lines of communication during the construction phase. Different attitudes to problem solving between foreign engineers and local people created some problems, but in other cases were complementary. It is concluded that engineers working on such projects need a clear understanding of their own world view in order to relate properly to their clients

Meeting the design challenges of nano-CMOS electronics: an introduction to an upcoming EPSRC pilot project

The years of ‘happy scaling’ are over and the fundamental challenges that the semiconductor industry faces, at both technology and device level, will impinge deeply upon the design of future integrated circuits and systems. This paper provides an introduction to these challenges and gives an overview of the Grid infrastructure that will be developed as part of a recently funded EPSRC pilot project to address them, and we hope, which will revolutionise the electronics design industry

Live Demonstration: Multiplexing AER Asynchronous Channels over LVDS Links with Flow-Control and Clock- Correction for Scalable Neuromorphic Systems

In this live demonstration we exploit the use of a serial link for fast asynchronous communication in massively parallel processing platforms connected to a DVS for realtime implementation of bio-inspired vision processing on spiking neural networks

Flexible access to conformationally-locked bicyclic morpholines

A preparatively accessible route to a series of conformationally-locked bicyclic morpholines has been developed. This flexible approach allows for diversification in order for a small array of lead-like scaffolds to be synthesised from readily available key building blocks

Innovative learning at The University of Edinburgh

The activities available to civil engineering students during the University of Edinburgh's innovative learning week in 2012 were examined. The academic staff proposed a wide range of possible activities and student participation was optional. Popular activities were those with a ‘hands-on’ element: making or doing something. The practical activities offered included designing and building trebuchets, relaying railway permanent way on a heritage railway, practical workshops on engineering in international development and learning to juggle. These activities suggested that heuristic learning by trial and error was likely to enhance the visualisation skills that contribute to good engineering design. Further, the linking of achievement to purposeful practice rather than innate talent could inform teaching methods in the future. They also showed that in some cases safety culture messages were still not fully assimilated by students

Effects of Cycling Intensity on Acute Signaling Adaptations to 8-weeks Concurrent Training in Trained Cyclists

© 2022 Jones, Eddens, Kupusarevic, Simoes, Furber, Van Someren and Howatson. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/This study examined whether the intensity of endurance stimuli modifies the adaptation in strength and endurance following concurrent training and whether the acute molecular response to concurrent exercise is affected by training status. Using a parallel group design, trained cyclists were randomized to either resistance exercise followed by moderate intensity continuous training (RES + MICT, n = 6), or resistance exercise followed by work matched high intensity interval training (RES + HIIT, n = 7), across an 8 weeks training programme. A single RES + MICT or RES + HIIT exercise stimulus was completed 1 week before and within 5 days of completing the training programme, to assess phosphorylation of protein kinases of the mTOR and AMPK signaling pathways. There were no main effects of time or group on the phosphorylation of protein kinases in response to concurrent exercise stimulus pre- and post-training intervention (p > 0.05). Main effects of time were observed for all maximal strength exercises; back-squat, split-squat, and calf-raise (p 0.05). Whilst preliminary data due to limited sample size the intensity of endurance activity had no effect on performance outcomes, following concurrent training. Further, the acute molecular response to a concurrent exercise stimulus was comparable before and after the training intervention, suggesting that training status had no effect on the molecular responses assessed.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Aerobic exercise intensity does not affect the anabolic signaling following resistance exercise in endurance athletes

Abstract: This study examined whether intensity of endurance stimulus within a concurrent training paradigm influenced the phosphorylation of signaling proteins associated with the mTOR and AMPK networks. Eight male cyclists completed (1) resistance exercise (RES), 6 × 8 squats at 80% 1-RM; (2) resistance exercise and moderate intensity cycling of 40 min at 65% V̇O2peak, (RES + MIC); (3) resistance exercise and high intensity interval cycling of 40 min with 6 alternating 3 min intervals of 85 and 45% V̇O2peak (RES + HIIC), in a cross-over design. Muscle biopsies were collected at rest and 3 h post-RES. There was a main effect of condition for mTORS2448 (p = 0.043), with a greater response in the RES + MIC relative to RES condition (p = 0.033). There was a main effect of condition for AMPKα2T172 (p = 0.041), with a greater response in RES + MIC, relative to both RES + HIIC (p = 0.026) and RES (p = 0.046). There were no other condition effects for the remaining protein kinases assessed (p > 0.05). These data do not support a molecular interference effect in cyclists under controlled conditions. There was no intensity-dependent regulation of AMPK, nor differential activation of anabolism with the manipulation of endurance exercise intensity.Peer reviewe