Grid-enabled Workflows for Industrial Product Design

This paper presents a generic approach for developing and using Grid-based workflow technology for enabling cross-organizational engineering applications. Using industrial product design examples from the automotive and aerospace industries we highlight the main requirements and challenges addressed by our approach and describe how it can be used for enabling interoperability between heterogeneous workflow engines

Predictors of programme adherence and weight loss in women in an obesity programme using meal replacements

Objective: To explore predictors of programme adherence and weight loss in patients participating in a weight management programme using meal replacements (MR).Design: One hundred and fifty healthy obese women, age 48.5 years (s.d. = 8.3); weight, 97.6 kg (13.4); body mass index (BMI) 36.5 (3.7), participated in a longitudinal study with a 16-week acute weight loss phase (Phase 1) followed by 1 year of a trial of weight-loss maintenance (Phase 2). Energy intake during Phase 1 totaled 900 kcal (3.7 MJ) a day from a diet including two MR. Energy intake during Phase 2 consisted of either MR or a low-fat diet with a calculated energy deficit of 600 kcal/day (2.5 MJ).Methods: Weight, height and waist circumference were measured and body composition assessed by air plethysmography (Bodpod). Glucose and insulin were measured by standard immunoassays and insulin sensitivity assessed by homeostatic model assessment.Results: At the end of 16 weeks, 114 subjects (76%) completed Phase 1 and achieved a mean weight loss of 8.95 kg (3.38). Adherence to Phase 1 was predicted by weight loss over the first 2 weeks (p < 0.001). Weight loss during Phase 1 was predicted by initial weight and initial systolic blood pressure. Adherence to Phase 2 was not predicted by physiological measures. Weight loss maintenance in Phase 2 (not gaining more than 3% of the weight at start of phase 2) was predicted by cholesterol and triglyceride measured at the start of Phase 2 but otherwise was not predicted by the physiological measures. Initial insulin sensitivity did not predict weight loss in either phase.Conclusion: Participants whose weight loss over the first 2 weeks falls in the bottom third may need additional intervention if they are to continue in this type of programme. A battery of physiological measures at entry to a MR weight loss and maintenance programme explains only a very small proportion of the variation in weight loss

Urban-Rural Disparities in Achievement at the Basic Education Level: The Plight of the Rural Child in a Developing Country

This paper is just a sample template for the prospective authors of IISTE Over the decades, the concepts of Academic achievement provides a generally accepted indicator for measuring the performance or efficiency of any education system. To this effect, most developing nations including Nigeria conduct national assessment of learning achievement at the basic education level periodically to monitor the efficiency of their educational systems. Evidence from such assessments from five South –Eastern states of Nigeria indicates glaring urban-rural disparities which tilt against the rural child in all the areas of learning achievement. This paper therefore examined these disparities in the context of the underlying factors to portray the plight of the rural child in a developing nation who is educationally disadvantaged. The paper argued that this phenomenon which is a reflection of the neglect or marginalization of our rural communities and schools will, if unmitigated, have adverse effects on the development of rural communities in these nations. It thus underscored the necessity for an urgent and well-articulated pro-rural development strategy that will include a well-funded Rural Education Programme in developing nations. Keywords: urban-rural disparity, environment, field theory, rural area, monitoring of learning achievement, social exclusion, economic exclusion, disparity analysi

A Theoretical Foundation Introducing an Innovative Service Delivery Model for Families Impacted by Intimate Partner Violence

Trauma confers risk for many psychological difficulties among adults and children. Families who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) may have unique mental health needs because multiple family members have experienced risk due to trauma exposure (either directly or indirectly) and this experience may impact the protective factor of positive parent and child relationships. Currently available therapeutic services target either adult PTS symptoms or child PTS symptoms and the parent-child relationship. This narrow focus provides suboptimal care for families impacted by IPV. A three-pronged treatment approach targeting adult PTS symptoms, child PTS symptoms, and the parent-child relationship may improve psychological functioning for adults and children by reducing PTS and enhancing the parent-child relationship, which can serve as a protective factor. Drawing from existing evidence-based models, this presentation introduces the Two Generation Approach for Trauma (2G4T), a hybrid service modality by which adults and children can access comprehensive care together

Transcriptome Analysis and Expression of Selected Cationic Amino Acid Transporters in the Liver of Broiler Chicken Fed Diets with Varying Concentrations of Lysine

Amino acids are known to play a key role in gene expression regulation. Amino acid signaling is mediated via two pathways: the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and the amino acid responsive (AAR) pathways. Cationic amino acid transporters (CATs) are crucial in these pathways due to their sensing, signaling and transport functions. The availability of certain amino acids plays a key role in the intake of other amino acids, hence affecting growth in young birds. However, the specific mechanism for regulating lysine transport for growth is not clear. In this study, we analyze the transcriptome profiles and mRNA expression of selected cationic amino acid transporters in the livers of broilers fed low and high lysine diets. Birds consumed high-lysine (1.42% lysine) or low-lysine (0.85% lysine) diets while the control group consumed 1.14% lysine diet. These concentrations of lysine represent 125% (high lysine), 75% (low lysine) and 100% (control), respectively, of the National Research Council’s (NRC) recommendation for broiler chickens. After comparing the two groups, 210 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (fold change \u3e1 and false discovery rate (FDR) \u3c0.05). When comparing the high lysine and the low lysine treatments, there were 67 upregulated genes and 143 downregulated genes among these DEGs. Analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis show that cellular growth, lipid metabolism and lysine metabolism pathways were among the significantly enriched pathways. This study contributes to a better understanding of the potential molecular mechanisms underlying the correlation between lysine intake, body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) in broiler chickens. Moreover, the DEGs obtained in this study may be used as potential candidate genes for further investigation of broiler growth customized responses to individualized nutrients such as amino acids

Influence of Principals’ Perception of Computers on Their Use in Administration of Public Secondary Schools in Kiambu County, Kenya

This paper is a report of a study carried out to establish the relationship that existed between principals’ Perception towards computer application and the actual computer use by principals in public secondary schools in Kiambu County. Computer use in schools administration is a contemporary issue in the improvement of quality leadership in schools. The study was triggered by the need for effective leadership in schools which would lead to improved academic performance in Kiambu County, a county surrounding the Kenyan capital city of Nairobi.. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The target population for this study was 307 principals of public secondary schools in Kiambu County. The study sample comprised of 205 principals which translated to 67% of the target population. Simple randomand purposive sampling techniques were used in the selection of the respondents. A questionnaire was used for data collection. Relationship between the two variables under study was established by use of spearman rho. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi- square test of independence through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) were used to test the null hypotheses. The study found out that principal’s attitude towards use of computers influenced the use of computers among school principals. The study recommended that the MOE in collaboration TSC to mount regular ICT workshops to sensitize school principals on the need to use computers in school administration with a view of changing their attitudes towards computer use

Initiating dialogue between stakeholders and establishing a common language for community severance through cross disciplinary workshops

The concept of community severance has slowly been making its way into concrete transport plans and policies but it still lacks a consensual definition. This is because the issue has been approached by researchers from a range of disciplines, which have specific and diverse ways of constructing scientific knowledge. The objective of this paper, the first in a series of working papers to be generated by the Street Mobility and Network Accessibility research project is to build bridges between these different approaches and provide a base for the integration of community severance into public policy. The paper is the outcome of a series of workshops attended by a cross-disciplinary team of researchers and stakeholders, including policy-makers and local practitioners. On the basis of these discussions, a framework for cross-disciplinary research on community severance is developed, taking into consideration the chain of direct and indirect effects of transport infrastructure and motorised traffic and the range and complexity in the methodologies used for analysing and formulating solutions to the problem. In a second stage, we examine the consistency between this framework and the opinions and experiences of stakeholders

Urban transport and community severance: linking research and policy to link people and places

Urban transport infrastructure and motorised road traffic contribute to the physical or psychological separation of neighbourhoods, with possible effects on the health and wellbeing of local residents. This issue, known as "community severance", has been approached by researchers from a range of disciplines, which have different ways of constructing scientific knowledge. The objective of this paper is to build bridges between these different approaches and provide a basis for the integration of the issue into public policy. A framework for cross-disciplinary research on community severance is developed, built on the results of two workshops attended by researchers from different disciplines. This framework takes into consideration the chain of direct and indirect effects of transport infrastructure and motorised traffic on local communities and the complexity in the methods used for analysing and formulating solutions to the problem. The framework is then compared with the views of practitioners, based on discussions held in a third and final workshop. It was concluded that to better understand community severance, researchers should frame their work in relation to that of other disciplines and develop tools that reflect the diversity of local contexts and stakeholders, balancing complexity with applicability

Expression of lysine-mediated neuropeptide hormones controlling satiety and appetite in broiler chickens

Lysine is the second most limiting amino acid after methionine and is considered the most limiting amino acid for growth in poultry. Lysine requirement for broiler chickens has changed over the years. Leptin and adiponectin represent 2 adipokines that mediate metabolism by eliciting satiety effects whereas ghrelin peptide hormone influences appetite. We hypothesize that this affects growth performance of chicks. This study evaluates the effect of varying dietary lysine homeostasis on performance of broiler chickens through satiety- and appetite-mediating hormones. In 3 replications, 270 one-day-old chicks were reared for 8 wk feeding on diets comprising 0.85, 1.14, and 1.42% lysine during the starter period and 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25% lysine during the grower period. These concentrations of lysine represent 75% (low lysine), 100% (control), and 125% (high lysine) of National Research Council recommendation for broiler chickens. Feed and water were provided for ad libitum consumption. At 8 wk of age, liver, pancreas, brain, and hypothalamus tissues were collected from 18 birds randomly selected from each treatment, snap frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at −80°C until use. Total RNA was extracted, and cDNA was synthesized for quantitative real-time PCR assays. Low lysine concentration caused slow growth and high mortality. There was significant upregulation of ghrelin in the hypothalamus and pancreas, and leptin and adiponectin in the hypothalamus and liver, and downregulation of ghrelin in the intestines. At low lysine concentrations, adiponectin was not expressed in both pancreas and intestines. High lysine concentration exhibited increased growth, upregulation of ghrelin in the liver, and downregulation of ghrelin in the intestines, and both adiponectin and leptin in the liver. The expression of ghrelin was negatively correlated with the expression of adiponectin and leptin (P \u3c 0.05) in the liver, hypothalamus, and pancreas. Expression of leptin was positively correlated with adiponectin in the hypothalamus and liver (P \u3c 0.05), exhibiting satiety effects when the concentrations of lysine were low