1,111 research outputs found
A Putative Mg Chelatase Subunit from Arabidopsis thaliana cv C24 (Sequence and Transcript Analysis of the Gene, Import of the Protein into Chloroplasts, and in Situ Localization of the Transcript and Protein
The significance of 'the visit' in an English category-B prison: Views from prisoners, prisoners' families and prison staff
A number of claims have been made regarding the importance of prisoners staying in touch with their family through prison visits, firstly from a humanitarian perspective of enabling family members to see each other, but also regarding the impact of maintaining family ties for successful rehabilitation, reintegration into society and reduced re-offending. This growing evidence base has resulted in increased support by the Prison Service for encouraging the family unit to remain intact during a prisonerâs incarceration. Despite its importance however, there has been a distinct lack of research examining the dynamics of families visiting relatives in prison. This paper explores perceptions of the same event â the visit â from the familiesâ, prisonersâ and prison staffs' viewpoints in a category-B local prison in England. Qualitative data was collected with 30 prisonersâ families, 16 prisoners and 14 prison staff, as part of a broader evaluation of the visitorsâ centre. The findings suggest that the three parties frame their perspective of visiting very differently. Prisonersâ families often see visits as an emotional minefield fraught with practical difficulties. Prisoners can view the visit as the highlight of their time in prison and often have many complaints about how visits are handled. Finally, prison staff see visits as potential security breaches and a major organisational operation. The paper addresses the current gap in our understanding of the prison visit and has implications for the Prison Service and wider social policy
Axial Vector Coupling Constant in Chiral Colour Dielectric Model
The axial vector coupling constants of the decay processes of neutron
and hyperon are calculated in SU(3) chiral colour dielectric model (CCDM).
Using these axial coupling constants of neutron and hyperon, in CCDM we
calculate the integrals of the spin dependent structure functions for proton
and neutron. Our result is similar to the results obtained by MIT bag and
Cloudy bag models.Comment: 9 pages, Latex file, no figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Tissue-specific modulation of gene expression in response to lowered insulin signalling in Drosophila
Reduced activity of the insulin/IGF signalling network increases health during ageing in multiple species. Diverse and tissue-specific mechanisms drive the health improvement. Here, we performed tissue-specific transcriptional and proteomic profiling of long-lived Drosophila dilp2-3,5 mutants, and identified tissue-specific regulation of >3600 transcripts and >3700 proteins. Most expression changes were regulated post-transcriptionally in the fat body, and only in mutants infected with the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia pipientis, which increases their lifespan. Bioinformatic analysis identified reduced co-translational ER targeting of secreted and membrane-associated proteins and increased DNA damage/repair response proteins. Accordingly, age-related DNA damage and genome instability were lower in fat body of the mutant, and overexpression of a minichromosome maintenance protein subunit extended lifespan. Proteins involved in carbohydrate metabolism showed altered expression in the mutant intestine, and gut-specific overexpression of a lysosomal mannosidase increased autophagy, gut homeostasis, and lifespan. These processes are candidates for combatting ageing-related decline in other organisms
A laboratory study on cold-mix, cold-lay emulsion mixtures
This paper describes laboratory experiments and presents
results for the performances of cold-mix, cold-lay
emulsion mixtures. The main objective of the experiments
was to evaluate and improve the properties of the cold
mixtures. The mixture properties evaluated were:
volumetric properties, indirect tensile stiffness modulus
(ITSM), repeated load axial creep and fatigue. These
properties were compared with conventional hot asphalt
mixtures not containing any waste/recycled materials. To
optimise the performances of the mixtures, a target of
ITSM value of 2000 MPa was selected. At full curing
conditions, the stiffness of the cold mixes was found to be
very similar to that of hot mixtures of the same
penetration grade base bitumen (100 pen). Test results
also show that the addition of 1â2% cement significantly
improved the mechanical performance of the mixes and
significantly accelerated their strength gain. The fatigue
behaviour of the cold mixes that incorporated cement was
comparable with that of the hot mixtures
Prisoners' perspectives on the transition from the prison to the community: Implications for settings-based health promotion
Incidence and survival of remnant disks around main-sequence stars
We present photometric ISO 60 and 170um measurements, complemented by some
IRAS data at 60um, of a sample of 84 nearby main-sequence stars of spectral
class A, F, G and K in order to determine the incidence of dust disks around
such main-sequence stars. Of the stars younger than 400 Myr one in two has a
disk; for the older stars this is true for only one in ten. We conclude that
most stars arrive on the main sequence surrounded by a disk; this disk then
decays in about 400 Myr. Because (i) the dust particles disappear and must be
replenished on a much shorter time scale and (ii) the collision of
planetesimals is a good source of new dust, we suggest that the rapid decay of
the disks is caused by the destruction and escape of planetesimals. We suggest
that the dissipation of the disk is related to the heavy bombardment phase in
our Solar System. Whether all stars arrive on the main sequence surrounded by a
disk cannot be established: some very young stars do not have a disk. And not
all stars destroy their disk in a similar way: some stars as old as the Sun
still have significant disks.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, Astron & Astrophys. in pres
The Benefits and the Costs of Using Auditory Warning Messages in Dynamic Decision Making Settings
The failure to notice critical changes in both visual and auditory scenes may have important consequences for performance in complex dynamic environments, especially those related to security such as aviation, surveillance during major events, and command and control of emergency response. Previous work has shown that a significant number of situation changes remain undetected by operators in such environments. In the current study, we examined the impact of using auditory warning messages to support the detection of critical situation changes and to a broader extent the decision making required by the environment. Twenty-two participants performed a radar operator task involving multiple subtasks while detecting critical task-related events that were cued by a specific type of audio message. Results showed that about 22% of the critical changes remained undetected by participants, a percentage similar to that found in previous work using visual cues to support change detection. However, we found that audio messages tended to bias threat evaluation towards perceiving objects as more threatening than they were in reality. Such findings revealed both benefits and costs associated with using audio messages to support change detection in complex dynamic environments
Teaching word recognition to children with severe learning difficulties: an exploratory comparison of teaching methods
Background: Some children with severe learning difficulties fail to begin word recognition. For these children there is a need for an effective and appropriate pedagogy. However, conflicting advice can be found regarding this derived from teaching approaches that are not based on a shared understanding of how reading develops or the skills that the non-reader needs to master.
Purpose: In this research, three techniques for teaching word recognition in this context are described and compared: (1) the handle technique, (2) morphing method and (3) word alone. It also discusses whether it is appropriate for such small-scale research to influence pedagogy.
Programme description: The handle technique uses an abstract mnemonic cue used to teach word recognition, and previous research indicates it is more successful than the presentation of words alone. The morphing method transforms a word into a photographic picture and a previous study suggested that it might also be more effective that presenting words alone.
Sample: Six children between 11 and 13 years of age were selected. The criterion for selection was being unable to recognise any words from the British Ability Scales Reading Test. All the children attended a school for children with severe learning difficulties.
Design and methods: A three-condition related design was used. The order in which the conditions were presented was counterbalanced and each child was taught 12 words, four words in each experimental condition. The children encountered each of the three methods and overall each word was taught via each method. Within conditions (teaching methods), the presentation of words was randomised. The number of words that the children could read (without cues) before each session was recorded, following the presentation of the uncued words in a random order. The difference in the number of words recognised between the three conditions was considered using a non-parametric statistical analysis.
Results: The results suggest that the handle approach might be a more effective method of teaching word recognition.
Conclusion: Research in this area is necessarily small in scale. However, it is ongoing and cumulative, and can give insights into potentially beneficial changes in classroom practice
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