181 research outputs found

    Design Futures: Connecting Real World Experiences and Industrial Processes in Studio Based Projects

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    This paper discusses a studio-based lighting design project developed for second year undergraduate students in a four year design degree. The project is intended to develop student understanding of the technological and manufacturing requirements of the professional design process and has been repeated each year over a three year period during which time student responses have been gathered and changes made in response to student feedback. This paper highlights the benefits of real world experiences in the early stage of design education by extending the traditions of hypothetically and conceptually rich briefs, which impacts on the student’s future design process. The lighting project is based on a client brief/s that range from architectural lighting for commercial applications to lighting systems for emergency services. The project includes lighting workshops that explore the technical and ephemeral qualities of light and provides students with hands-on experience of industrial/manufacturing processes. It also extends understanding on the role of collaboration in obtaining a professional outcome, i.e. (producing working prototypes for exhibition). Students are required to source quotations from industry thus affording a tangible outcome and an understanding of the financial implications of their design outputs. Final working prototypes are presented in a public exhibition space, designed and co-ordinated by the student group. The educational benefits of ‘real world’ experiences gained by the students and its impact on their design process is analysed. Student evaluations are discussed in response to the project brief, including their response to working with industry. In addition, how the results have enabled a refinement to the project over time. By embedding opportunities for students to engage in industrial processes outside of the university they are more likely to assume a professional focus, share knowledge and engage in each other’s experiences rather than focus on individual achievements and grades

    Software diversity: state of the art and perspectives

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    International audienceDiversity is prevalent in modern software systems to facilitate adapting the software to customer requirements or the execution environment. Diversity has an impact on all phases of the software development process. Appropriate means and organizational structures are required to deal with the additional complexity introduced by software variability. This introductory article to the special section "Software Diversity--Modeling, Analysis and Evolution" provides an overview of the current state of the art in diverse systems development and discusses challenges and potential solutions. The article covers requirements analysis, design, implementation, verification and validation, maintenance and evolution as well as organizational aspects. It also provides an overview of the articles which are part of this special section and addresses particular issues of diverse systems development

    Improving programme-led and focused interventions for eating disorders: An experts' consensus statement-A UK perspective

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    OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders are associated with significant illness burden and costs, yet access to evidence-based care is limited. Greater use of programme-led and focused interventions that are less resource-intensive might be part of the solution to this demand-capacity mismatch. METHOD: In October 2022, a group of predominantly UK-based clinical and academic researchers, charity representatives and people with lived experience convened to consider ways to improve access to, and efficacy of, programme-led and focused interventions for eating disorders in an attempt to bridge the demand-capacity gap. RESULTS: Several key recommendations were made across areas of research, policy, and practice. Of particular importance is the view that programme-led and focused interventions are suitable for a range of different eating disorder presentations across all ages, providing medical and psychiatric risk are closely monitored. The terminology used for these interventions should be carefully considered, so as not to imply that the treatment is suboptimal. CONCLUSIONS: Programme-led and focused interventions are a viable option to close the demand-capacity gap for eating disorder treatment and are particularly needed for children and young people. Work is urgently needed across sectors to evaluate and implement such interventions as a clinical and research priority

    Deep Drilling in the Time Domain with DECam: Survey Characterization

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    This paper presents a new optical imaging survey of four deep drilling fields (DDFs), two Galactic and two extragalactic, with the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the 4 meter Blanco telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). During the first year of observations in 2021, >>4000 images covering 21 square degrees (7 DECam pointings), with ∌\sim40 epochs (nights) per field and 5 to 6 images per night per filter in gg, rr, ii, and/or zz, have become publicly available (the proprietary period for this program is waived). We describe the real-time difference-image pipeline and how alerts are distributed to brokers via the same distribution system as the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). In this paper, we focus on the two extragalactic deep fields (COSMOS and ELAIS-S1), characterizing the detected sources and demonstrating that the survey design is effective for probing the discovery space of faint and fast variable and transient sources. We describe and make publicly available 4413 calibrated light curves based on difference-image detection photometry of transients and variables in the extragalactic fields. We also present preliminary scientific analysis regarding Solar System small bodies, stellar flares and variables, Galactic anomaly detection, fast-rising transients and variables, supernovae, and active galactic nuclei.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, 2 tables. Accepted to MNRA

    Researching the mental health needs of hard-to-reach groups: managing multiple sources of evidence

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    Background: common mental health problems impose substantial challenges to patients, carers, and health care systems. A range of interventions have demonstrable efficacy in improving the lives of people experiencing such problems. However many people are disadvantaged, either because they are unable to access primary care, or because access does not lead to adequate help. New methods are needed to understand the problems of access and generate solutions. In this paper we describe our methodological approach to managing multiple and diverse sources of evidence, within a research programme to increase equity of access to high quality mental health services in primary care.Methods: we began with a scoping review to identify the range and extent of relevant published material, and establish key concepts related to access. We then devised a strategy to collect - in parallel - evidence from six separate sources: a systematic review of published quantitative data on access-related studies; a meta-synthesis of published qualitative data on patient perspectives; dialogues with local stakeholders; a review of grey literature from statutory and voluntary service providers; secondary analysis of patient transcripts from previous qualitative studies; and primary data from interviews with service users and carers.We synthesised the findings from these diverse sources, made judgements on key emerging issues in relation to needs and services, and proposed a range of potential interventions. These proposals were debated and refined using iterative electronic and focus group consultation procedures involving international experts, local stakeholders and service users.Conclusions: our methods break new ground by generating and synthesising multiple sources of evidence, connecting scientific understanding with the perspectives of users, in order to develop innovative ways to meet the mental health needs of under-served group

    Dietary factors impact on the association between CTSS variants and obesity related traits.

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    Cathepsin S, a protein coded by the CTSS gene, is implicated in adipose tissue biology--this protein enhances adipose tissue development. Our hypothesis is that common variants in CTSS play a role in body weight regulation and in the development of obesity and that these effects are influenced by dietary factors--increased by high protein, glycemic index and energy diets
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