The drivers of motivation

This project has been completed for a medium-sized supermarket located on the southern side of Hamilton. They currently have 83 people employed to work there. The reason for researching the drivers of motivation is so employers can begin to understand the best ways to motivate their individual employees The aim of the project was to analyse what drives motivation in the workplace and to provide recommendations for the supermarket. Both a questionnaire and interview were used, the questionnaire with the purpose of gathering a large amount of quantitative data in a short period of time and the interview to build on the results received from the questionnaires and provide qualitative data. Only employees in the grocery and checkout departments were asked to participate. Results from the questionnaire and interview showed that when it came to store culture, most staff felt that it could improve, that the store’s values were not being displayed, and that if store culture improved they would be better motivated. The store culture was also identified as an important motivator, especially for the staff over 26 years of age. When data concerning training and development was analysed, it was found that both training and career development were important motivators, with most staff wishing to undertake training and/or career development opportunities if they arose. From the analyses of the results for the reward and recognition questions, the staff indicated they felt they were not valued as employees and would prefer to receive more feedback to help increase their motivation. Pay was the last motivator to be analysed. The respondents indicated that they felt an increase in their pay rate would improve their motivation. However, upon further analysis through the interview, it was found although initially they would be motivated whether this would permanently improve their motivation was questionable. There were three recommendations for the organisation. These were, to implement a reward and recognition programme that addressed meeting the three motivational needs of the staff mentioned above, rewards and recognition, pay, and training and development. The second was to improve store culture, which would involve taking existing store values and establishing them into everyday life at the supermarket, so they become a shared set of values by them team. The third was to undertake further research to investigate how the motivational needs for the supermarket industry, a typical low skill, entry level job may differ to that of a higher skill job

An experimental and finite element study of the low-cycle fatigue failure of a galvanised steel lighting column

This paper presents the results of a low-cycle fatigue test on a lighting column. The wind induced vibration phenomena responsible for low cycle fatigue in such structures is discussed and the failure mechanism is examined. It was initially thought that poor quality weld detail was the major influence on the fatigue life of such columns. However, the significant role of the galvanised coating in the failure process is also highlighted. The experimental results are compared with those from a detailed 3D finite element model. Various methods of calculating hot-spot stresses at welded joints are examined and use of a simple peak stress removal approach is shown to produce significantly different values compared with the other methods examined

New studies in halogenated tetrathiafulvalenes

Several halogenated derivatives of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) have been synthesised, using a wide range of halogenating agents. Two distinct methods were used to obtain the desired iodo- and bromo-TTFs. Reaction conditions were optimised to increase the yields of products. Representative compounds include 4,5-Dibromo-4',5'- methylthio-tetrathiafulvalene, 4,5-Diiodo-4',5'-bis(2'-cyanoethylthio)-tetrathiafulvalene and 4-Bromo-4,5,5'-trimethyltetrathiafulvalene.Examination of the electrochemistry of these TTFs, employing cyclic voltammetry, showed good donor ability for halogenated TTFs bearing one or two substituent groups. X-ray crystallographic studies on 4,5-Dibromo-4',5'-bis(2'-cyanoethylthio)- tetrathiafulvalene, and the iodide salt of 4,5-Dibromo-4',5'-methylthio- tetrathiafulvalene, showed close intra- and inter-molecular contacts between halogen atoms and other atoms. This work points the way forward for using halogenated TTFs as donor components for radical ion salts, in which the halogen atom(s) contribute to the supramolecular ordering of the structure

Phase Separation in Aerospace Polymer Blends

Polymer composites are becoming increasingly attractive to the aerospace industry as a lighter alternative to metal. They allow better fuel efficiency, so reduce environmental impact and operating costs. To create strong and fracture-resistant composites, blends of branched epoxy resin thermosets and linear thermoplastics are used. As the mechanical properties of these materials are largely determined by their morphologies, it is important to understand the phase separation that takes place within the blends. Unfortunately, the usual techniques for studying phase separation, such as the Flory-Huggins model, are not particularly applicable to branched polymers, so predictions of the behaviour of such blends are limited. Even the lattice cluster theory can only be used for polymers with simple, regular architectures, rather than the randomly branched thermosets relevant to the aerospace industry. In this work, a computational approach was developed to calculate the entropy and free energy of branched polymers with arbitrary shapes and sizes. Although these calculations are currently only valid for polymers in infinitely dilute solution, they provide systematic corrections to the Flory-Huggins predictions. Concentration fluctuations, which are the precursor for phase separation, have also been studied directly using Monte Carlo simulations based on the bond fluctuation model. Properties such as total interaction energies, radii of gyration, radial distribution functions and structure factors have been determined for blends containing molecules with various amounts of branching, and various combinations of interaction energies. Finally, a model experimental system based on an industrially-relevant blend has been designed and characterised. This allowed measurements of concentration fluctuations to be carried out using small-angle neutron scattering, and for the competing influences of temperature and cure extent on miscibility behaviour to be studied separately. In the future, it is hoped that the results from these experiments could be compared with structure factors produced using the simulation method mentioned above

Assessing the impact of increasing seawater temperature and acidity on marine organisms using ophiuroid brittlestars as an experimental model

Ocean acidification is a consequence of rapidly increasing atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and, in tandem with increasing sea temperature, poses a significant threat to marine life. A series of mesocosm experiments have been conducted at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (Plymouth, UK) and the Kings Bay Marine Laboratory (Ny-Alesund, Svalbard) where ophiuroid brittlestars were used as a model to investigate the physiological response of marine organisms to ocean acidification and ocean warming. A 'whole organism' approach was adopted to elucidate the primary physiological responses, trade offs and conflicts that occurred. Three ophiuroid species of differing lifestyle and habitats were chosen to give an insight into how such factors influenced a species' response to ocean acidification and warming; the infaunal Amphiura filiformis, the epibenthic Ophiura ophiura, both temperate, and the Arctic epibenthic Ophiocten sericeum. There was a similar physiological response of metabolic upregulation across all three species. All species survived the lowest pH exposures (6.8 for A. filiformis, 7.3 for 0. ophiura and 0. sericeum) and showed signs of synergy between increasing water temperature and ocean acidification with the effects of lowered pH amplified as temperature increased. Beyond this, whilst specific responses differed between species, some similarity was observed between the epibenthic species 0. ophiura and 0. sericeum which both reduced arm regeneration and motility at lowered pH. In contrast, A. filiformis increased arm regeneration and suffered arm muscle wastage that appeared unsustainable. Differences in response and long term vulnerability to ocean acidification related to lifestyle (infaunal versus epibenthic) were consolidated by the Energy Limitation Model whereby the response of a species to ocean acidification is based on the increased cost of maintaining the acid-base balance of extracellular fluids. The ability to do this, and where the energy is taken from to do so, rationalises the variety of physiological responses seen between species. The results of the investigations described in this thesis indicate that even species with low regulatory capacity may survive ocean acidification. However, lifestyle may have a determining role in where energy trade offs are made to maintain acid-base balance and this may ultimately determine species survival.Plymouth Marine Laborator

(SNP006) Louise Wood Austin interviewed by John D. Dooms

Records the reminiscences of Louise Wood Austin, who grew up in Sugar Hollow, Virginia, prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park in 1934. Mrs. Austin and her interviewer, John Dooms, returned to the section of Shenandoah National Park where her family home stood until 1941. Describes her home life and family history, including members of her extended family who represent a cross section of local family names. Among the topics discussed are the growing, harvesting and preserving of food, raising livestock, home remedies and folk medicine. Recalls cattle drives from Ivy, Va., to summer pastures in Jarman Gap, itinerant Syrian peddlers, midwives and square dances. Discusses several small businesses operated by her father and uncles, including a blacksmith shop, distillery and coffin making shop.https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/snp/1119/thumbnail.jp

3D Monte Carlo radiation transfer modelling of photodynamic therapy

We acknowledge the support of the UK Engineering and Physics Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for funding through a studentship for C L Campbell as well as the Alfred Stewart Trust.The effects of ageing and skin type on Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) for different treatment methods have been theoretically investigated. A multilayered Monte Carlo Radiation Transfer model is presented where both daylight activated PDT and conventional PDT are compared. It was found that light penetrates deeper through older skin with a lighter complexion, which translates into a deeper effective treatment depth. The effect of ageing was found to be larger for darker skin types. The investigation further strengthens the usage of daylight as a potential light source for PDT where effective treatment depths of about 2 mm can be achieved.Publisher PD