Applying Theories of Particle Packing and Rheology to Concrete for Sustainable Development

Concrete is one of the most important construction materials. However, it is not so compatible with the demands of sustainable development because manufacturing of cement generates a large amount of carbon dioxide and therefore cement consumption produces a huge carbon footprint. Currently, the cement consumption is generally lowered by adding supplementary cementitious materials to replace part of the cement. Nonetheless, in order to maintain performance, there is a limit to such cement replacement by supplementary cementitious materials. To further reduce the cement consumption, the total cementitious materials content has to be reduced. This requires the packing density of the aggregate particles to be maximized so that the amount of voids in the bulk volume of aggregate to be filled with cement paste could be minimized and the surface area of the aggregate particles to be minimized so that the amount of cement paste needed to form paste films coating the surfaces of aggregate particle for rheological performance could be minimized. Such optimization is not straightforward and modern concrete science based on particuology is needed. Herein, a number of new theories regarding particle packing and rheology of concrete, which are transforming conventional concrete technology into modern concrete science, are presented. These theories would help to develop a more scientific and systematic concrete mix design method for the production of high-performance concrete with minimum cement consumption

Demonstrating the Impact of Identity-Congruence in Career Intentions: Application of Affect Control Theory

The purpose of the dissertation was to demonstrate that identity-congruence contributes to understanding career intentions, using operationalizations of identity-congruence that avoid serious deficiencies in prior attempts at this demonstration. In this research, the operationalization from affect control theory, affective meanings, was adopted. This research also sought to support the distinctive impact of identity-congruence by distinguishing its effects from common predictors in career choice. Further, state-of-the-art statistical methods that have been developed specifically to assess congruence effects were expanded to allow full use of the affective meanings operationalization in demonstrating an effect of identity-congruence. Two cross-sectional online survey studies were conducted with undergraduate students (n = 520 for Study 1; n = 288 for Study 2), with a focus on entrepreneurship as a potential career or occupation. Findings from Study 1 demonstrated that identity-congruence accounted for unique variance in intent to pursue entrepreneurship when compared with vocational interests and subjectively expected utility. Applying the new statistical methodology, findings from Study 2 showed an effect of identity-congruence in intent to pursue entrepreneurship in a moderated multiple regression model, although not in the polynomial regression model that underpins the present state-of-the-art congruence models. Overall, the results supported the unique contribution of identity-congruence, as represented by affective meanings, to understand career intention toward entrepreneurship. The results from the two studies were discussed regarding the conceptualization of identity-congruence, the implications of including affect control theory in vocational research and guidance, and the contribution of the newly developed congruence methodology

Affective Identity Predicts Entrepreneurial Intent with Two Forms of Self-Entrepreneur Congruence

Vocational psychologists have theorized that the congruence between self and occupations is the key to find fulfilling careers for individuals (Vondracek & Porfeli, 2011). However, the typical use of vocational interests to capture information about the self has been limited because it does not disentangle identity and work preferences in people’s responses in vocational assessments. People cannot be fully informed of careers most fitting to them if the vocational assessment does not capture distinct information about their identity. In this study, we strive to disentangle identity from preferences by including affective identity, which is sentiments that people hold towards themselves, as a predictor for career intent. Focusing on the context of entrepreneurship as a career, we examine how the congruence of affective identity and affective ratings of entrepreneurs provide additional information in predicting entrepreneurial intent beyond work preferences congruence. We invited undergraduate students from a Canadian University to complete an online-survey for an extra credit in their psychology course. We examined the impact of different congruence form of intent by including linear and polynomial terms of self and entrepreneur ratings when conducting a hierarchical linear regression. In general, we found support for the validity of our developed measure and demonstrated that contemporary congruence forms based on factors of affective identity brings new information in career choice perception. Affective identity accounts for unique predictability of self perception beyond vocational preference, which suggests the potential use of affective identity for career search feedback

Bioelectronic DNA detection of human papillomaviruses using eSensor™: a model system for detection of multiple pathogens

BACKGROUND: We used human papillomaviruses (HPV) as a model system to evaluate the utility of a nucleic acid, hybridization-based bioelectronic DNA detection platform (eSensor™) in identifying multiple pathogens. METHODS: Two chips were spotted with capture probes consisting of DNA oligonucleotide sequences specific for HPV types. Electrically conductive signal probes were synthesized to be complementary to a distinct region of the amplified HPV target DNA. A portion of the HPV L1 region that was amplified by using consensus primers served as target DNA. The amplified target was mixed with a cocktail of signal probes and added to a cartridge containing a DNA chip to allow for hybridization with complementary capture probes. RESULTS: Two bioelectric chips were designed and successfully detected 86% of the HPV types contained in clinical samples. CONCLUSIONS: This model system demonstrates the potential of the eSensor platform for rapid and integrated detection of multiple pathogens

New found hope for antibiotic discovery: lipid II inhibitors

Research into antibacterial agents has recently gathered pace in light of the disturbing crisis of antimicrobial resistance. The development of modern tools offers the opportunity of reviving the fallen era of antibacterial discovery through uncovering novel lead compounds that target vital bacterial cell components, such as lipid II. This paper provides a summary of the role of lipid II as well as an overview and insight into the structural features of macrocyclic peptides that inhibit this bacterial cell wall component. The recent discovery of teixobactin, a new class of lipid II inhibitor has generated substantial research interests. As such, the significant progress that has been achieved towards its development as a promising antibacterial agent is discussed

Understanding the Practice of Frontline Child Protection Social Workers Working with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Families

Introduction All social workers, regardless of their cultural or ethnic background, have to work with Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) families. Cultural competency is of considerable importance in social work practice. Existing literature has focused on the reasons why BAME families come into contact with children’s services, the challenges social workers face when working with these families and the numerous meanings attached to cultural competence. There is limited research on how, and whether, practitioners in England (and elsewhere) practise cultural competence in frontline child protection contexts. Focusing on child protection, the present research aimed to understand current cultural competence practice among social workers working with BAME families. Methods Nine current or former social workers took part in one to one, semi-structured interviews. Inclusion criteria for participants was at least five years’ experience in child protection social work. Participants had an average of ten years social work practice. Five social workers identified themselves as ‘White’, three as ‘Asian or Asian British’, and one as ‘Black or African or Caribbean or Black British’. All but one of the participants were working or had worked as social workers in the Midlands; the remaining participant had worked in London. All the participants, between them, were working, or had worked in four different local authorities. Six participants were currently employed as frontline staff, two as managers and one was now a University social work lecturer. Six of the participants reported having worked with 60 or more BAME families. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. Findings Six major themes emerged from the data. The present study found that social workers, when working with BAME families, had to: (i) understand the BAME family’s unique experiences, networks and knowledge of public services; (ii) value community as a resource, while acknowledging how community may have ‘hidden’ problems, and understand communities better; (iii) explore culture by realising culture is not an excuse for abuse, learn about cultural differences, and recognise the influence of culture on roles within families; (iv) use interpreters to ensure accurate communication with BAME family members, maintain the quality of interpreters, assess relationship between interpreters and families, use an interpreter skilfully and have training in using interpreters. To improve their cultural competency in child protection practice, social workers have to: (v) engage in continuing professional development - using online resources, conducting their own research, and consulting with community organisations or ethnic-specific services, specialised teams and interpreters; (vi) reflect as a practitioner, no matter whether a BAME or White social worker, and reflect on one another’s practices to ensure BAME families are treated equally and fairly. Conclusions Social workers need to acknowledge the uniqueness of each BAME (and White) family and their experiences. The present study recommends that participants incorporate intersectionality and the social model of child protection when working with BAME families. In terms of policy, consideration should be given to greater public education on public services or supports available, and on “acceptable” child-rearing practice. A community’s resources should be utilised to help ensure the wellbeing of children. Social work educators should train would be social workers on how to work effectively with interpreters and how to take an experiential learning approach to improve their ability to work with BAME families. In practice, social workers need to learn more about, and better understand, BAME families, communities and cultures. Social workers also need to use interpreters appropriately, and to continuously learn and reflect as a practitioner. Further research is needed to fully appreciate the different aspects of social work practice with BAME families, to understand these children and parents’ perspectives on child protection interventions, and to improve partnership working with ethnic-specific agencies to identify better ways to support these families

Activated lymphocyte recruitment into the tumor microenvironment following preoperative sipuleucel-T for localized prostate cancer.

BackgroundSipuleucel-T is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved immunotherapy for asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Its mechanism of action is not fully understood. This prospective trial evaluated the direct immune effects of systemically administered sipuleucel-T on prostatic cancer tissue in the preoperative setting.MethodsPatients with untreated localized prostate cancer were treated on an open-label Phase II study of sipuleucel-T prior to planned radical prostatectomy (RP). Immune infiltrates in RP specimens (posttreatment) and in paired pretreatment biopsies were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Correlations between circulating immune response and IHC were assessed using Spearman rank order.ResultsOf the 42 enrolled patients, 37 were evaluable. Adverse events were primarily transient, mild-to-moderate and infusion related. Patients developed T cell proliferation and interferon-γ responses detectable in the blood following treatment. Furthermore, a greater-than-three-fold increase in infiltrating CD3(+), CD4(+) FOXP3(-), and CD8(+) T cells was observed in the RP tissues compared with the pretreatment biopsy (binomial proportions: all P < .001). This level of T cell infiltration was observed at the tumor interface, and was not seen in a control group consisting of 12 concurrent patients who did not receive any neoadjuvant treatment prior to RP. The majority of infiltrating T cells were PD-1(+) and Ki-67(+), consistent with activated T cells. Importantly, the magnitude of the circulating immune response did not directly correlate with T cell infiltration within the prostate based upon Spearman's rank order correlation.ConclusionsThis study is the first to demonstrate a local immune effect from the administration of sipuleucel-T. Neoadjuvant sipuleucel-T elicits both a systemic antigen-specific T cell response and the recruitment of activated effector T cells into the prostate tumor microenvironment