Workplace Alignment: An evaluation of office worker flexibility and workplace provision

Purpose – The paper aims to explore the relationship between office occupier work activity and workplace provision. It tests the proposition that location-fixed office workers are not as well-supported in the working environment as location-flexible office workers. The research also explores the perceptions of the workplace provision based upon the types of tasks completed at the desk-location, whether this was collaborative or focused. Design/methodology/approach – The research adopts a cross-sectional approach using an online questionnaire to collect data from several offices in the Middles East. The dataset consists of 405 responses. One-way ANOVA was conducted to understand the relationship between location flexibility and perception of productivity. In addition, a series of T-Test were used to evaluate the relationship between work activities and office environment. Findings – The results show that those workers who were location-fixed perceived the workplace provision to have a more negative impact on their productivity than those who had a greater level of location-flexibility, particularly with regards to noise levels and interruptions. In terms of types of activities, those that undertook more collaborative tasks valued the facilitation of creativity and interaction from the workplace provision. Research limitations/implications – The research has limitations as data collection was at one-point in time and therefore lacks the opportunity to undertake longitudinal analysis. However, the research gives greater insights into the alignment of office environments based on flexibility and work activity. Practical implications – The paper identifies implications for the design and development of office environments by identifying the need for office occupier activity profiles. These profiles can underpin data led design which should promote a tailored choice appropriate work setting that can maximise productivity. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the research area of workplace alignment. It establishes that optimal workplace alignment requires a better understanding of office occupier needs based on location-flexibility and work activity

Ab initio calculation of the neutron-proton mass difference

The existence and stability of atoms rely on the fact that neutrons are more massive than protons. The measured mass difference is only 0.14\% of the average of the two masses. A slightly smaller or larger value would have led to a dramatically different universe. Here, we show that this difference results from the competition between electromagnetic and mass isospin breaking effects. We performed lattice quantum-chromodynamics and quantum-electrodynamics computations with four nondegenerate Wilson fermion flavors and computed the neutron-proton mass-splitting with an accuracy of $300$ kilo-electron volts, which is greater than $0$ by $5$ standard deviations. We also determine the splittings in the $\Sigma$, $\Xi$, $D$ and $\Xi_{cc}$ isospin multiplets, exceeding in some cases the precision of experimental measurements.Comment: 57 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables, revised versio

Large-Eddy Simulations of Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in Heliophysics and Astrophysics

We live in an age in which high-performance computing is transforming the way we do science. Previously intractable problems are now becoming accessible by means of increasingly realistic numerical simulations. One of the most enduring and most challenging of these problems is turbulence. Yet, despite these advances, the extreme parameter regimes encountered in space physics and astrophysics (as in atmospheric and oceanic physics) still preclude direct numerical simulation. Numerical models must take a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach, explicitly computing only a fraction of the active dynamical scales. The success of such an approach hinges on how well the model can represent the subgrid-scales (SGS) that are not explicitly resolved. In addition to the parameter regime, heliophysical and astrophysical applications must also face an equally daunting challenge: magnetism. The presence of magnetic fields in a turbulent, electrically conducting fluid flow can dramatically alter the coupling between large and small scales, with potentially profound implications for LES/SGS modeling. In this review article, we summarize the state of the art in LES modeling of turbulent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) ows. After discussing the nature of MHD turbulence and the small-scale processes that give rise to energy dissipation, plasma heating, and magnetic reconnection, we consider how these processes may best be captured within an LES/SGS framework. We then consider several special applications in heliophysics and astrophysics, assessing triumphs, challenges,and future directions

Differences in expression of proliferation-associated genes and RANKL across the menstrual cycle in estrogen receptor-positive primary breast cancer

The purpose of this study is to determine if there are differences in the expression of estrogen-regulated genes (ERGs), proliferation-associated genes and the progesterone effector RANKL, in premenopausal ER+ breast cancer as a result of the major changes in hormone levels that occur through the menstrual cycle. Primary ER+ tumours from 174 patients were assigned to one of three menstrual cycle windows: W1 (days 27-35\ua0+\ua01-6), W2 (days 7-16) and W3 (days 17-26). RNA expression of 42 genes, including 24 putative genes associated with plasma E2 levels, seven proliferation genes and RANKL was measured. Expression of PGR, TFF1, GREB1 and PDZK1 followed the previously reported pattern: a higher level in W2 compared to W1 while W3 had an intermediate value, mirroring changes in plasma estradiol. Of the other 20 ERGs, four (RUNX1, AGR2, SERPINA3 and SERPINA5) showed significant differences (p\ua0=\ua00.009-0.049) in expression across the menstrual cycle. The expression of six of seven proliferation-associated genes varied across the cycle but differently from the ERGs, being 20-35\ua0% lower in W3 compared to W1 and W2 (p\ua0=\ua00.004-0.031). Expression of RANKL was 2.5 to 3-fold highest in W3 (p\ua0=\ua00.0001) and negatively correlated to the expression of the proliferation-associated genes (r\ua0=\ua0-0.37; p\ua0<\ua00.0001). Expression of proliferation-associated genes and RANKL in ER+ breast tumours varies across the menstrual cycle showing a different rhythm to that of ERGs. This may affect the interpretation of gene expression profiles but may be exploitable as an endogenous test of endocrine responsiveness

Expression of key oestrogen-regulated genes differs substantially across the menstrual cycle in oestrogen receptor-positive primary breast cancer

Plasma estradiol (E2) and progesterone vary markedly through the menstrual cycle. Data on whether these differences in hormone levels affect gene expression in oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) tumours are inconsistent. We wished to determine whether there are substantial changes in the expression of oestrogen-regulated genes (ERGs) in ER+ breast cancer through the menstrual cycle. One hundred and seventy five paraffin-embedded ER+ breast carcinomas from premenopausal patients were analysed. Timing of the ovarian cycle was confirmed using serum progesterone levels. Patients were ascribed to one of three pre-defined menstrual cycle windows: 1 (days 27-35 + 1-6), 2 (days 7-16) and 3 (days 17-26). The RNA expression of ESR1, four ERGs (PGR, GREB1, TFF1 and PDZK1), and three proliferation genes (MKI67, TOP2A and CDC20) were compared between the windows. Gene expression of the four ERGs was 53-129 % higher in window 2 than window 1 (p = 0.0013, 0.0006, 0.022 and 0.066 for PGR, GREB1, TFF1 and PDZK1, respectively) and lower (9-41 %) in window 3 compared to window 2 (p = 0.079, 0.31, 0.031 and 0.065 for PGR, GREB1, TFF1 and PDZK1, respectively). Their average expression (AvERG) was 64 % higher in window 2 than window 1 (p < 0.0001) and 21 % lower in window 3 than window 2 (p = 0.0043). There were no significant differences between the windows for ESR1 and proliferation genes. In agreement with the gene expression data, progesterone receptor protein levels measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) were 164 and 227 % higher in windows 2 and 3, respectively, compared to window 1 (30.7 and 37.9 % cells positive vs. 11.6 %; p = 0.0003 and 0.0004, respectively), while no difference in ER IHC score was observed. In conclusion, we observed significant differences in the expression of ERGs in ER+ breast tumours across the menstrual cycle. This variability may affect the interpretation of gene expression profiles incorporating ERGs and may be exploitable as an endogenous test of endocrine responsiveness

Measuring social and spatial relations in an office move

In this paper, we outline an investigation of the impact of an office move on the social relationships of staff and students in a university research department. Combining the techniques of Social Network Analysis to assess for changes in social relations and Space Syntax Analysis for measuring the spatial changes, we identify key changes in the social relations that can be defined by spatiality. A decline in the social connections taking place and a change in the structure of the social network, accompanied by significant changes in spatial connectivity suggests that the office locations are influencing the underlying complex social processes