Condition Monitoring of Power Cables

A National Grid funded research project at Southampton has investigated possible methodologies for data acquisition, transmission and processing that will facilitate on-line continuous monitoring of partial discharges in high voltage polymeric cable systems. A method that only uses passive components at the measuring points has been developed and is outlined in this paper. More recent work, funded through the EPSRC Supergen V, UK Energy Infrastructure (AMPerES) grant in collaboration with UK electricity network operators has concentrated on the development of partial discharge data processing techniques that ultimately may allow continuous assessment of transmission asset health to be reliably determined

Exposure to cues of harsh or safe environmental conditions alters food preferences

In humans, psychological stress is positively correlated with an increased desire for certain energy-dense food items, indicating that stress may trigger foraging behavior that adapts to perceived current and future resource availability. However, the extent to which such processes influence desire for different kinds of foods remains unclear. Here, we examine the effects of perceived environmental conditions on food preferences across the food spectrum of dairy, meats, vegetables, fruit, grains, and sweets. We first showed images of 30 different food items to participants and recorded their stated desire to eat each kind of food. We then repeated this procedure after exposing participants to cues of either a harsh or a safe environment. As predicted, we found cues of environmental harshness increased the desirability of energy-dense food items. However, there was also evidence for decreased desirability for energy-dense food items following exposure to cues of a relatively safe environment. Our findings indicate that simple manipulations of perceived environmental conditions may trigger changes in desire for different kinds of food. Our study has relevance for increasing efforts to understand eating behavior in order to promote uptake of healthier diets

Different ways of researching and reflecting on professional development

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis via http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2016.114089

Leadership for professional learning towards educational equity: a systematic literature review

Abstract: This systematic review of recent research explored the uncharted intersection of literature on educational leadership, professional learning, and educational equity. It investigated leadership approaches to shaping the professional development and on-going learning of educators that supports more equitable outcomes for students. The underlying motivation for the work is our concern for the educational experiences and achievements of marginalised students, and for professional learning to address these inequalities. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, and iterative selection of literature based on relevance and quality judged by weight of evidence assessments, we identified 41 empirical items for detailed analysis. The outcome was five themes: Critical framing of social justice issues; Dialogue and enquiry; Learning and identity development; Context, resources, and motivations; Normalising inclusion and shared leadership. A further six articles informed a conceptual framework linking professional learning and outcomes that developed existing models. Critique of linear conceptualisations of learning, and affinity with the values and philosophy of the process model of education championed by Lawrence Stenhouse, prompted proposing the themes as nascent principles. These require further research, yet they have immediate practical utility for educational leaders and teachers working in pursuit of educational equity. Keywords: Professional Learning; Leadership; Educational Equity; Review of Researc

Occupational sex-segregation, specialized human capital and wages: evidence from Britain

Female-dominated occupations are poorly paid, but there is disagreement about why. Sociological explanations argue that pay in such occupations is low because society undervalues 'women's work', while economic theory argues that this is due to scant requirements for specialized skills. This article sheds light over these debates by examining the impact of occupational feminization on wages in Britain and exploring the mechanisms that produce it, using innovative statistical models that account for both observable and unobservable skill. Results confirm that occupational sex-segregation explains a sizeable portion of the gender wage gap and that wages in female-dominated occupations are lower than wages in other occupations. Inconsistent with human capital theory, low pay in female-dominated occupations cannot be explained fully by low skill specialization or by observable or unobservable characteristics of their workers. Remaining wage penalties in such occupations are consequently taken as evidence of institutional devaluation of 'women's work'

Q methodology and rural research

Traditionally, rural scholarship has been limited in its methodological approach. This has begun to change in recent years as rural researchers have embraced a range of different methodological tools. The aim of this article is to contribute to greater methodological pluralism in rural sociology by introducing readers to a method of research that is rarely engaged in the field, that is, Q methodology. The article describes the defining features of the approach as well as providing examples of its application to argue that it is a method that offers particular opportunities and synergies for rural social science research

Incomplete Inhibition of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Lyase Modulates Immune System Function yet Prevents Early Lethality and Non-Lymphoid Lesions

BACKGROUND: S1PL is an aldehyde-lyase that irreversibly cleaves sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in the terminal step of sphingolipid catabolism. Because S1P modulates a wide range of physiological processes, its concentration must be tightly regulated within both intracellular and extracellular environments. METHODOLOGY: In order to better understand the function of S1PL in this regulatory pathway, we assessed the in vivo effects of different levels of S1PL activity using knockout (KO) and humanized mouse models. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our analysis showed that all S1PL-deficient genetic models in this study displayed lymphopenia, with sequestration of mature T cells in the thymus and lymph nodes. In addition to the lymphoid phenotypes, S1PL KO mice (S1PL(-/-)) also developed myeloid cell hyperplasia and significant lesions in the lung, heart, urinary tract, and bone, and had a markedly reduced life span. The humanized knock-in mice harboring one allele (S1PL(H/-)) or two alleles (S1PL(H/H)) of human S1PL expressed less than 10 and 20% of normal S1PL activity, respectively. This partial restoration of S1PL activity was sufficient to fully protect both humanized mouse lines from the lethal non-lymphoid lesions that developed in S1PL(-/-) mice, but failed to restore normal T-cell development and trafficking. Detailed analysis of T-cell compartments indicated that complete absence of S1PL affected both maturation/development and egress of mature T cells from the thymus, whereas low level S1PL activity affected T-cell egress more than differentiation. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings demonstrate that lymphocyte trafficking is particularly sensitive to variations in S1PL activity and suggest that there is a window in which partial inhibition of S1PL could produce therapeutic levels of immunosuppression without causing clinically significant S1P-related lesions in non-lymphoid target organs