Simulation of Heritage Buildings: The Duke of Bedford’s Cottages in West Devon

Building performance simulation (BPS) is used to select and justify an energy-saving retrofit for the Duke of Bedford's cottages, aiming to improve performance sufficiently within the cottages' constraints, which include conservation concerns plus wider practical and economic constraints. Building data is passed from a building information model (BIM). Building energy simulation (BES) and hygrothermal modelling obtain results in the performance attributes of energy efficiency, thermal comfort and damp risk. Parametric analysis assesses performance ranges and sensitivity to long-term climate uncertainties. Moderate fabric upgrades, including window replacement and an insulating plaster, perform best within their constraints. Long-term, a heat pump is recommended to increase efficiency though is currently financially constrained. Ultimately, this sufficiently balances performance and heritage needs

Educational interventions for children with ASD: A systematic literature review 2008–2013

Systematic literature reviews can play a key role in underpinning evidence-based practice. To date, large-scale reviews of interventions for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have focused primarily on research quality. To assist practitioners, the current review adopted a broader framework which allowed for greater consideration of educational utility. Between July and August 2013, 20 databases were searched, alongside web searches and hand searches, to identify ASD intervention studies published between 2008 and 2013. This search yielded 6,232 articles and the subsequent screening and evaluation process identified 85 best evidence studies. Studies were grouped into categories and individual interventions were assessed and classified as providing most; moderate; some; or a small amount of evidence. Interventions with most evidence tended to focus on younger children and core difficulties associated with ASD. Emerging trends, such as increasing evidence for technology-based interventions and peer-mediated interventions, were identified. An encouraging finding for practitioners is that in 59% of the studies, interventions were undertaken with or by school staff. Implications for school psychology practice as well as factors to consider when selecting educational interventions are discussed

The Effect of Thawing Protocols on Follicle Conservation in Human Ovarian Tissue Cryopreservation

BACKGROUND: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation has the potential to improve fertility preservation for a growing number of patients undergoing sterilising therapy, particularly where oocyte or embryo cryopreservation is not suitable. However, its success is limited by significant follicular apoptosis upon thawing, and there is wide variation in thawing protocols used with little evidence of efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To determine the best warming rates to maintain tissue viability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ovarian tissue biopsies from 11 patients were taken with informed consent and divided into four pieces, which were allocated to either fresh assessment or to one of several freeze-thaw protocols. Cryopreservation was undertaken using a Stirling cycle cryo-cooler and cryopreserved samples were exposed to different warming protocols. Tissue conservation was then assessed using a marker, neutral red, to identify viable follicles. RESULTS: The results showed greatest follicle conservation rates in fresh samples, followed by those thawed using a rapid thawing protocol (Protocol 1). Tissue thawed using an ultra fast protocol (Protocol 2) and slow warming (Protocol 3) resulted in greater follicle loss. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results indicate thawing conditions significantly affect follicle conservation in cryopreserved human ovarian tissue

Bullying of children and adolescents with autism spectrum conditions: a 'state of the field' review

A ‘state of the field’ review of what is currently known about bullying of children and adolescents with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) is presented. We highlight compelling evidence that they are considerably more likely to be bullied than those with other or no special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Although prevalence estimates vary from study to study, they are always worryingly high, with the highest rate reported as 94%. Those most at risk include (but are not limited to) individuals with Asperger syndrome and/or with milder deficits in social understanding, early adolescents, those attending mainstream school, and those with concurrent behavioural difficulties. Research on anti-bullying interventions for ASC is in its relative infancy. Currently available evidence suggests that a multi-level, comprehensive approach to intervention that offers parallel foci on children and young people with ASC, their peers, teaching and support staff, and the broader school ethos and climate is warranted. A crucial component of the above is the acknowledgement of the elevated risk experienced by those with ASC and the requirement to tailor interventions to their specific needs

Developing mainstream resource provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder: staff perceptions and satisfaction

Supporting pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools is a challenging task. This paper proposes a professional development framework for EPs to consider when supporting the development of specialist ASD staff. The framework focuses on training content, educator characteristics and organisational elements. Nine mainstream schools developing additional provision to support children with ASD and Specific Language Impairment (SLI) participated in the research. Specialist staff were provided with training and took part in follow up interviews about their developing practice. A pre-post questionnaire of participants (N = 30) attending the specialist training is supplemented with longitudinal interview data from specialist staff (N = 20). A paired sample t-test of questionnaire data showed that staff self-efficacy significantly increased pre to post training with a large effect size(0.61) and thematic analysis of interviews provided evidence of sustained professional development over time underpinned by supportive organisational factors

Practitioners' perspectives and experiences of supporting bilingual pupils on the autism spectrum in two linguistically different educational settings

Funder: University of Cambridge; Id: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000735With greater linguistic diversity in educational settings around the world as a result of international migration, and a rise in autism diagnoses, educators are more frequently teaching children who are both neurodiverse and linguistically different to their peers. The aim of the present study was to uncover the perspectives and experiences of educational practitioners who provide support for bilingual learners on the autism spectrum in two linguistically different educational settings: England and Wales. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 practitioners (5 teachers, 4 teaching assistants, 3 special educational needs coordinators and 1 speech and language therapist) working in mainstream schools. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), which seeks to illuminate participants' lived experience. Three superordinate themes were extracted from the data: (1) perspectives on bilingualism in autism; (2) comparisons across two linguistically different settings; (3) creating inclusive learning environments. The results demonstrate that practitioners had concerns about the feasibility of bilingualism for some autistic pupils, and argued that exposure to two languages may have a negative impact on their development. Future research should focus on finding effective ways to identify and support learning needs among bilingual pupils to ensure that children who are ‘doubly different’ from their peers not only have access to educational provision, but also have opportunities to harness and celebrate their differences

Site-selective generation of lanthanoid binding sites on proteins using 4-fluoro-2,6-dicyanopyridine

The paramagnetism of a lanthanoid tag site-specifically installed on a protein provides a rich source of structural information accessible by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Here we report a lanthanoid tag for selective reaction with cysteine or selenocysteine with formation of a (seleno)thioether bond and a short tether between the lanthanoid ion and the protein backbone. The tag is assembled on the protein in three steps, comprising (i) reaction with 4-fluoro-2,6-dicyanopyridine (FDCP); (ii) reaction of the cyano groups with α-cysteine, penicillamine or β-cysteine to complete the lanthanoid chelating moiety; and (iii) titration with a lanthanoid ion. FDCP reacts much faster with selenocysteine than cysteine, opening a route for selective tagging in the presence of solvent-exposed cysteine residues. Loaded with Tb3+ and Tm3+ ions, pseudocontact shifts were observed in protein NMR spectra, confirming that the tag delivers good immobilisation of the lanthanoid ion relative to the protein, which was also manifested in residual dipolar couplings. Completion of the tag with different 1,2-aminothiol compounds resulted in different magnetic susceptibility tensors. In addition, the tag proved suitable for measuring distance distributions in double electron–electron resonance experiments after titration with Gd3+ ions.This research has been supported by the Australian Research Council (grant no. FL170100019 and DP210100088), the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science (grant no. CE200100012) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF; PostDoc grant no. 1.1.1.2/VIAA/2/18/381)

Professional learning among specialist staff in resourced mainstream schools for pupils with ASD and SLI

Supporting pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools is a challenging task. This paper proposes a professional development framework for EPs to consider when supporting the development of specialist ASD staff. The framework focuses on training content, educator characteristics and organisational elements. Nine mainstream schools developing additional provision to support children with ASD and Specific Language Impairment (SLI) participated in the research. Specialist staff were provided with training and took part in follow up interviews about their developing practice. A pre-post questionnaire of participants (N = 30) attending the specialist training is supplemented with longitudinal interview data from specialist staff (N = 20). A paired sample t-test of questionnaire data showed that staff self-efficacy significantly increased pre to post training with a large effect size(0.61) and thematic analysis of interviews provided evidence of sustained professional development over time underpinned by supportive organisational factors

Controls on early‐rift geometry: new perspectives from the Bilila‐Mtakataka fault, Malawi

We use the ~110 km long Bilila‐Mtakataka fault in the amagmatic southern East African Rift, Malawi, to investigate the controls on early‐rift geometry at the scale of a major border fault. Morphological variations along the 14±8 m high scarp define six 10‐40 km long segments, which are either foliation parallel, or oblique to both foliation and the current regional extension direction. As the scarp is neither consistently parallel to foliation, nor well oriented for the current regional extension direction, we suggest the segmented surface expression is related to the local reactivation of well oriented weak shallow fabrics above a broadly continuous structure at depth. Using a geometrical model, the geometry of the best‐fitting subsurface structure is consistent with the local strain field from recent seismicity. In conclusion, within this early‐rift, pre‐existing weaknesses only locally control border fault geometry at subsurface