A framework for design engineering education in a global context

This paper presents a framework for teaching design engineering in a global context using innovative technologies to enable distributed teams to work together effectively across international and cultural boundaries. The DIDET Framework represents the findings of a 5-year project conducted by the University of Strathclyde, Stanford University and Olin College which enhanced student learning opportunities by enabling them to partake in global, team based design engineering projects, directly experiencing different cultural contexts and accessing a variety of digital information sources via a range of innovative technology. The use of innovative technology enabled the formalization of design knowledge within international student teams as did the methods that were developed for students to store, share and reuse information. Coaching methods were used by teaching staff to support distributed teams and evaluation work on relevant classes was carried out regularly to allow ongoing improvement of learning and teaching and show improvements in student learning. Major findings of the 5 year project include the requirement to overcome technological, pedagogical and cultural issues for successful eLearning implementations. The DIDET Framework encapsulates all the conclusions relating to design engineering in a global context. Each of the principles for effective distributed design learning is shown along with relevant findings and suggested metrics. The findings detailed in the paper were reached through a series of interventions in design engineering education at the collaborating institutions. Evaluation was carried out on an ongoing basis and fed back into project development, both on the pedagogical and the technological approaches

Basic studies on dispersion hardening

Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction observations of substructure and elastic strains in cold worked and annealed dispersion strengthened alloy

Double Public Key Signing Function Oracle Attack on EdDSA Software Implementations

EdDSA is a standardised elliptic curve digital signature scheme introduced to overcome some of the issues prevalent in the more established ECDSA standard. Due to the EdDSA standard specifying that the EdDSA signature be deterministic, if the signing function were to be used as a public key signing oracle for the attacker, the unforgeability notion of security of the scheme can be broken. This paper describes an attack against some of the most popular EdDSA implementations, which results in an adversary recovering the private key used during signing. With this recovered secret key, an adversary can sign arbitrary messages that would be seen as valid by the EdDSA verification function. A list of libraries with vulnerable APIs at the time of publication is provided. Furthermore, this paper provides two suggestions for securing EdDSA signing APIs against this vulnerability while it additionally discusses failed attempts to solve the issue

A Theoretical Model for ROP Localisation by Auxin in Arabidopsis Root Hair Cells

Local activation of Rho GTPases is important for many functions including cell polarity, morphology, movement, and growth. Although a number of molecules affecting Rho-of-Plants small GTPase (ROP) signalling are known, it remains unclear how ROP activity becomes spatially organised. Arabidopsis root hair cells produce patches of ROP at consistent and predictable subcellular locations, where root hair growth subsequently occurs.We present a mathematical model to show how interaction of the plant hormone auxin with ROPs could spontaneously lead to localised patches of active ROP via a Turing or Turing-like mechanism. Our results suggest that correct positioning of the ROP patch depends on the cell length, low diffusion of active ROP, a gradient in auxin concentration, and ROP levels. Our theory provides a unique explanation linking the molecular biology to the root hair phenotypes of multiple mutants and transgenic lines, including OX-ROP, CA-rop, aux1, axr3, tip1, eto1, etr1, and the triple mutant aux1 ein2 gnom(eb).We show how interactions between Rho GTPases (in this case ROPs) and regulatory molecules (in this case auxin) could produce characteristic subcellular patterning that subsequently affects cell shape. This has important implications for research on the morphogenesis of plants and other eukaryotes. Our results also illustrate how gradient-regulated Turing systems provide a particularly robust and flexible mechanism for pattern formation

Using engineering design tools in multidisciplinary distributed student teams

Collaborative design practice in distributed student teams is becoming more popular as technology makes it easier to communicate ideas with others that are geographically distant. However, a challenge for students is to use design tools which they are not familiar with. These design tools usually differ from each other and engineers may find it much more difficult to share their ideas. This could make the whole design process longer and less successful. Each year the University of Malta, City University London and University of Strathclyde organise a joint collaborative design project, involving engineering students with different disciplines and cultural backgrounds. In this paper, the patterns of use of design tools by students to collaborate with each other are investigated. Based on survey results of students, this paper proposes an approach which can be utilised by engineering students to enhance collaboration in multidisciplinary distributed design teams

A Case of Cholangitis Glandularis Proliferans and Cholangiocarcinoma of the Common Bile Duct

A case of Cholangitis Glandularis Proliferans (CAGP) in association with a cholangiocarcinoma of the common bile duct as described. This is the eighth case of CAGP described and the second association with cholangiocarcinoma

Phosphorus sorption characteristics and interactions with leaf litter‑derived dissolved organic matter leachate in iron‑rich sediments of a sub‑tropical ephemeral stream

This study investigated the infuence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) additions on phosphate sorption kinetics of iron-rich sediments (39–50% hematite and goethite) from an ephemeral stream in the arid Pilbara region of sub-tropical northwest Australia. While phosphate sorption in stream sediments is known to be strongly infuenced by sediment mineralogy as well as interactions with DOM, the mechanisms and signifcance of DOM on P-release from sediments with high sorption capacities, are largely undescribed. We assessed phosphorus (P) sorption behaviours by adding a range of solutions of known inorganic P concentrations that were amended with variable loadings of DOM derived from leachates of leaf litter to sediments from stream pools during the non-fowing phase. We compared the sorption capacity of the sediments and concurrent changes in DOM composition measured using fuorescence spectroscopy. We show that the low-dose DOM addition (~ 4 mg L−1 DOC) had the efect of reducing sediment P adsorption capacity, while for the high-dose DOM addition (~ 45 mg L−1 DOC), it was increased. The high-dose DOM was similar to pore water DOC and likely saturated sediment surface adsorption sites and produced P–OM–Fe complexes. This resulted in increased removal of P from solution. Sediment P sorption characteristics were well ftted to both Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models regardless of DOC concentration. Langmuir P sorption maxima ranged from 0.106 to 0.152 mg g−1. General P sorption characteristics of these iron-rich sediments did not difer among pools of contrasting hydrological connectivity. Our results show how humic-rich DOM can modulate the sediment P availability in dryland streams. Unravelling the complexities of P availability is of particular significance to further our understanding of biogeochemical processes in aquatic ecosystems where P often acts as a limiting nutrient

Circadian rhythmicity in emerging mood disorders: state or trait marker?

Background: Circadian rhythm disturbances overlap with the symptoms of mood episodes and may trigger or prolong mood symptoms. There is limited research on the role of circadian disturbances in mood disorders in young people and/or first episode cases of unipolar and bipolar disorders. Methods: Actigraphy was undertaken for about 14 days in 63 post-pubertal individuals aged 13–25 years with a recent onset of a mood disorder meeting recognised diagnostic criteria. We examined associations between three easily interpretable markers of circadian rhythm activity (amplitude, acrophase and rhythmicity index) and demography and clinical characteristics. Then, circadian markers were compared between diagnostic groups, controlling for potential confounders. Results: Longer duration of illness was correlated with reduced circadian rhythmicity and lower levels of activity over 24 h. A delay in the timing of maximum activity was associated with the level of manic but not depressive symptoms. The circadian rhythmicity index differentiated unipolar from bipolar cases, and in bipolar but not unipolar disorder, the rhythmicity was less robust in those with more severe manic or depressive symptoms. Conclusions: Less robust circadian rhythmicity, especially associated with increasing symptom severity, may represent a more specific or a trait marker of young people with mood disorders who are at higher risk of a bipolar course of illness

Methodological standards, quality of reporting, and regulatory compliance in animal research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review

Objectives The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research community was one of the first to adopt methodology guidelines to improve preclinical research reproducibility. We here present the results of a systematic review to investigate how the standards in this field changed over the 10-year period during which the guidelines were first published (2007) and updated (2010). Methods We searched for papers reporting ALS research on SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1) mice published between 2005 and 2015 on the ISI Web of Science database, resulting in a sample of 569 papers to review, after triage. Two scores—one for methodological quality, one for regulatory compliance—were built from weighted sums of separate sets of items, and subjected to multivariable regression analysis, to assess how these related to publication year, type of study, country of origin and journal. Results Reporting standards improved over time. Of papers published after the first ALS guidelines were made public, fewer than 9% referred specifically to these. Of key research parameters, only three (genetic background, number of transgenes and group size) were reported in >50% of the papers. Information on housing conditions, randomisation and blinding was absent in over two-thirds of the papers. Group size was among the best reported parameters, but the majority reported using fewer than the recommended sample size and only two studies clearly justified group size. Conclusions General methodological standards improved gradually over a period of 8–10 years, but remained generally comparable with related fields with no specific guidelines, except with regard to severity. Only 11% of ALS studies were classified in the highest severity level (animals allowed to reach death or moribund stages), substantially below the proportion in studies of comparable neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s. The existence of field-specific guidelines, although a welcome indication of concern, seems insufficient to ensure adherence to high methodological standards. Other mechanisms may be required to improve methodological and welfare standards