An intensity-expansion method to treat non-stationary time series: an application to the distance between prime numbers

We study the fractal properties of the distances between consecutive primes. The distance sequence is found to be well described by a non-stationary exponential probability distribution. We propose an intensity-expansion method to treat this non-stationarity and we find that the statistics underlying the distance between consecutive primes is Gaussian and that, by transforming the distance sequence into a stationary one, the range of Gaussian randomness of the sequence increases.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, in press on 'Chaos, Solitons & Fractals

Evaluating a bystander intervention to disrupt interpersonal violence/abuse

It is recommended that universities implement bystander interventions to disrupt the interpersonal violence and abuse that students experience in this context. Yet, there are few evaluations of bystander interventions in the UK. Building on an existing evaluation carried out on a bystander intervention at a university in 2017/18, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the intervention.Using a one-way repeated measures design, ANOVA was used to analyse pre- and post-intervention data gathered from 121 students, during 2018/19.As the aims of the session were met, it can be inferred individuals who participate in the bystander intervention have the potential to disrupt interpersonal violence and abuse.The small sample size and design of the survey limited the research. Further evaluations of bystander interventions are needed in the UK that utilises large samples and a validated survey.This paper notes the importance of engaging many students in a cohort to participate on a bystander intervention.This study adds to the paucity of evaluations of bystander interventions in the UK. Knowing that the intervention has the potential to disrupt interpersonal violence and abuse builds the momentum for other similarly designed interventions to be implemented in universities in the UK

MILO: Models of innovation in learning online at Key Stage 3 and 14-19: Final report executive summary

This summary report presents and analyses the key findings from eight case studies, which reflect a wide range of models of online learning, each of which has been developed for specific reasons, largely in relation to visions of how technology can transform learning, but also to solve practical problems such as re-engaging disaffected learners and coping with rising pupil numbers

MILO: Models of innovation in learning online at Key Stage 3 and 14-19: Final report

The report presents and analyses eight case studies, which reflect a wide range of models of online learning, each of which has been developed for specific reasons, largely in relation to visions of how technology can transform learning, but also to solve practical problems such as re-engaging disaffected learners and coping with rising pupil numbers

MILO: Models of innovation in learning online at Key Stage 3 and 14-19: Final report appendices

This document contains the appendices to the main report, which presents case studies, which reflect a wide range of models of online learning, each of which has been developed for specific reasons, largely in relation to visions of how technology can transform learning, but also to solve practical problems such as re-engaging disaffected learners and coping with rising pupil numbers

Biocatalytic routes to the synthesis of chiral pharmaceutical intermediates in ionic liquids

The main objective of this thesis is to identify a generic approach for the application of ionic liquids to bioconversions. Key factors for the operation of bioconversions in ionic liquids have been identified and product recovery options investigated. Two bioconversions were examined. The first was the hydrolytic resolution of racemic 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-lH-l ,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid methyl ester (SB-235349) to (2S)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-lH-l,4- benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid (SB-240101) by immobilised Candida antarctica lipase B, CALB (Novozyme 435), performed industrially in t-butanol. Initial studies showed this reaction occurred in several ionic liquids with different physico-chemical properties. Simply replacing the organic solvent with an ionic liquid under otherwise identical conditions reduced the rate of conversion and overall yield. The key factors influencing the rate and yield of this bioconversion in ionic liquids were the type of ionic liquid and the substrate solubility, the reaction temperature and the water content. The final optimised reaction in ionic liquids shows an eighteen-fold enhancement in product formation compared to the optimised t-butanol system. In order for ionic liquids to be applied commercially there are still many issues which still need to be resolved these include: the extraction of substrates and products from the ionic liquid media for down stream processing, and the recycle of the media for subsequent reactions. The next step having optimised the CALB bioconversion of SB- 235349 in ionic liquid media was to extract the SB-240101 product and the un-reacted SB-235349 substrate in order to recycle the ionic liquid. The SB-240101 produced by the reaction was removed by liquid-liquid extraction with 50mM bicarbonate buffer (pH 10); overall 93% of the SB-240101 produced was removed from the ionic liquid into the aqueous buffer phase. The un-reacted 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-4-methyl-3-oxo-lH- 1,4-benzodiazepine-2-acetic acid methyl, ester (SB-240098) was removed by liquid- liquid extraction with isopropyl alcohol, and 91% was removed from the ionic liquid. The ionic liquid was then regenerated with sodium hydroxide for recycle. The results from the bioconversion with fresh and recycled ionic liquid were almost identical, in both cases around l.8g.L-1 of product was produced in 6 hours. The two-phase extractions were subsequently studied in the Lewis cell, and the mass transfer rate (K0) examined for the extraction of both the substrate and the product from the ionic liquid. Values of K0 determined in the Lewis cell over the Reynolds number range for which a flat, non-perturbed, interface could be maintained were in the range 1.0 - 3.5 X 10-6 m.s-1 for both product and substrate extraction. In both extraction experiments there was a linear increase in K0 with Reynolds number. The second bioconversion the thymidine phosphorylase catalysed synthesis of thymidine from thymine, which is traditionally performed in aqueous media, was then examined in ionic liquids. Initial investigations of this conversion step showed that replacing the aqueous media with an ionic liquid like [BMIM][PF6] under otherwise identical reaction conditions reduced the overall yield, which is attributed to the low solubility of the reagents in this ionic liquid. As the first constraint of the aqueous system was the solubility of the substrates and products; work then focused on those ionic liquids that showed a high solubility for thymine and especially thymidine. A study of the conversion in these high solubility ionic liquids showed conversion to the same degree as that demonstrated in aqueous media. An examination of product recovery from [EMIM][tosylate] following the thymidine transformation showed that the most likely method of product recovery was adsorption to an anion exchange resin 1-X8. In summary the results presented in this thesis show that ionic liquids offer significant advantages as alternative reaction media in industrial bioconversions. These are related to the excellent solvation properties of ionic liquids, and the tunable physicochemical properties of ionic liquids such as miscibility (or immiscibility) with water by changes in the anion or cation. Overall this thesis has identified generic procedures for the design of bioconversions and product recovery options in ionic liquids that have been exemplified using two different bioconversion systems

Exploring the Impact of a Clinical Decision Support Tool from the Perspective of Service Users & Carers

This study was part of an evaluation of a Clinical Decision Support Tool (CDST) which was developed as the basis for the Integrated Packages Approach to Care (InPac) model for adult mental health services in South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust (SWYMHT). The study investigated the use of the CDST and its potential impact on service users and carers through the standardisation of patient’s needs assessments and care packages. Focus groups for service users and carers were held to discuss their perspective of the impacts of the CDST in routine use. Thematic analysis of the group discussions suggests that service users and carers believe the CDST has some potential benefits for service users, carers and staff, yet to date, it has had little direct impact on service users. The study identified a number of areas where service users and carers believed the tool could be improved in order to increase its effectiveness in routine clinical practice

Research in action-developing and evaluating a student research placement experience

Evidence based practice is essential in the provision of high-quality contemporary nursing practice. Yet nursing students often lack an understanding of the research process because applied research experience is rarely facilitated in undergraduate nursing programmes. Students research knowledge is mostly gained via classroom based theoretical teaching; however, it is a challenging subject to teach and is often evaluated poorly by students who find the subject uninteresting and difficult to apply to their clinical practice. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of student nurses after undertaking a nurse led primary research study placement. The study explores the students' experiences of a research placement using a phenomenological approach with the data collection method of drawings and narration which were then subject to Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis as a data analysis method. This study was undertaken with 18 nursing students who were enrolled in a United Kingdom university, who had recently participated in a nurse-led research study exploring the use of sensors to detect atrial fibrillation in members of the public in a supermarket. The following themes were developed by the researchers: Practice makes perfect, Enhancing communication, Research attitude, Making a difference, Increased confidence, Enhanced skills, Researcher collaborations, The views of others. Students valued the research placement; the experience provided insight into the conduct of research in primary health and allowed students to learn about research in an experiential way which proved to be more effective than usual classroom methods. Students' communication skills were enhanced, through interacting with the public in a different way, who were keen to engage with them because of their student status. [Abstract copyright: Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.