Energy efficiency of housing for older citizens: Does it matter?

Global population ageing has significant implications for public policy in areas such as health, housing and economic security. The notion of housing as a public health issue is not new, yet very little research has examined the links between housing specifically built for older people, energy performance and occupant health and economic security. Utilising a case study approach, this research examined the interplay between the energy efficiency of housing explicitly designed for this demographic, the thermal efficiency of their dwellings, and the impact on internal temperatures and monthly energy costs. The study shows that the thermal efficiency of the dwellings is not the same across all dwellings, impacting the internal temperatures experienced by the elderly occupants and their finances. This has implications for energy efficiency policy, policy governing the energy performance of buildings specifically designed for older people, as well as the mandatory disclosure of building performance. The study highlights in particular the need for energy policy to be further refined to link the thermal performance requirements of buildings to the broader health care plan and specific needs of older people

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Energy efficiency of housing for older citizens: does it matter?

Global population ageing has significant implications for public policy in areas such as health, housing and economic security. The notion of housing as a public health issue is not new, yet very little research has examined the links between housing specifically built for older people, energy performance and occupant health and economic security. Utilising a case study approach, this research examined the interplay between the energy efficiency of housing explicitly designed for this demographic, the thermal efficiency of their dwellings, and the impact on internal temperatures and monthly energy costs. The study shows that the thermal efficiency of the dwellings is not the same across all dwellings, impacting the internal temperatures experienced by the elderly occupants and their finances. This has implications for energy efficiency policy, policy governing the energy performance of buildings specifically designed for older people, as well as the mandatory disclosure of building performance. The study highlights in particular the need for energy policy to be further refined to link the thermal performance requirements of buildings to the broader health care plan and specific needs of older people

Personal growth: using the LJMU herb garden to enhance student learning outcomes, confidence and well-being

Experiential active learning has been shown to develop student skills, knowledge, abilities and confidence in their specific areas of study, whilst also preparing them for future work and their careers. University campus-based projects can provide excellent opportunities for experiential outdoor active learning, whilst also having the potential to provide both educational, health and wellbeing improvement benefits for students, staff and the wider university community. At last year’s Student at the Heart conference (2022) we presented our projected plans to engage students in nature based outdoor campus-based projects to enhance learning, health and well-being outcomes. This project has now physically commenced, and a range of activities have been undertaken and a range of resources developed for use within the LJMU community Activities and resources for campus-based staff and students developed as part of the herb garden project will be shared and discussed as part of the session. Longer term implications and the sustainability of this project and WRL opportunity, will also be examined. This presentation will: Provide an updated overview of the herb garden project that has been undertaken and further developed this year here at LJMU Outline the experiential active learning tasks undertaken by students as part of the project, Discuss the critical learning and holistic personal outcomes for students and staff as a result of their participation. The student’s voices, engagement and attendance will be pivotal and central to this presentation. The students we have worked with this year will present alongside us, so that they can share their balanced, judicious reflections, thoughts and feelings about their WRL hybrid learning experience in the campus herb garden. Presentation links to the new LJMU strategy aims of: Education and Student Experience: transforming lives and futures - examples of enhancing graduate employment prospects, diversifying, responsive support, delivering outstanding teaching and learning, providing an excellent student experience beyond the curriculum and supporting communities Research and Knowledge Exchange: curiosity, creativity and impact - examples of teaching inspired by research, evidence-based service development, knowledge exchange, and student-led research Personal growth: using the LJMU herb garden to enhance student learning outcomes, confidence and well-being PowerPoint. Only LJMU Staff and students have access to this resource

Atopy, eczema and breast milk fatty acids in a high-risk cohort of children followed from birth to 5 yr

Background: The incidence of atopic diseases such as eczema is increasing in westernized societies. The suggestion that there is a 'protective' association between the unique fatty acid composition of breast milk, particularly the omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6) essential polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and the development of atopic disease in children was investigated in a cohort study of 263 infants born into families with a history of allergy (one or both parents had asthma, hayfever, eczema). The objectives of this study were to determine the lipid profile [specifically in relation to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) composition] in maternal breast milk samples collected at 6 wk and at 6 months following birth, and to investigate the potential role of these fatty acids in modulating the phenotype of children at high genetic risk of developing atopic disease. Method: Breast milk samples were available from 91 atopic mothers at their child's ages of 6 wk and 6 months. These samples were analysed for the fatty acid spectrum. Analysis of variance was used to detect differences between groups of outcomes (no atopy or eczema, non-atopic eczema, atopy, atopic eczema) at ages 6 months and 5 yr, and a multiple comparisons procedure was conducted to isolate the parameters producing the different results (F-test, LSD test). For the exposure variables, n-3 and n-6 fatty acids are expressed as weight percentage and as a ratio (at both time-points). Results: The fatty acid profiles of maternal breast milk at 6 wk and 6 months were similar. An increased ratio of n-6: n-3 fatty acids in both 6 wk and 6 month milk samples was associated with non-atopic eczema (p < 0.005) but not atopy alone or atopic eczema. Conclusion: We found milk fatty acids were a significant modulator of non-atopic eczema but not atopy or atopic eczema in infants at 6 months. In mothers with a history of asthma, hayfever or eczema, their 6-month-old infants were more likely to develop non-atopic eczema if their milk had a higher ratio of n-6: n-3 LC-PUFA

Technology developments for ACIGA high power test facility for advanced interferometry

Copyright © Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Limited 2005.The High Optical Power Test Facility for Advanced Interferometry has been built by the Australian Consortium for Interferometric Gravitational Astronomy north of Perth in Western Australia. An 80 m suspended cavity has been prepared in collaboration with LIGO, where a set of experiments to test suspension control and thermal compensation will soon take place. Future experiments will investigate radiation pressure instabilities and optical spring effects in a high power optical cavity with ~200 kW circulating power. The facility combines research and development undertaken by all consortium members, whose latest results are presented.P Barriga, M Barton, D G Blair, A Brooks, R Burman, R Burston, E J Chin, J Chow, D Coward, B Cusack, G de Vine, J Degallaix, J C Dumas, M Feat, S Gras, M Gray, M Hamilton, D Hosken, E Howell, J S Jacob, L Ju, T L Kelly, B H Lee, C Y Lee, K T Lee, A Lun, D E McClelland, K McKenzie, C Mow-Lowry, A Moylan, D Mudge, J Munch, D Rabeling, D Reitze, A Romann, S Schediwy, S M Scott, A Searle, B S Sheard, B J J Slagmolen, P Veitch, J Winterflood, A Woolley, Z Yan and C Zha