How CESR informs student research:The engaging in critical business enquiry module at UWE

This article from the July 2013 edition of the CESR review outlines the objectives behind the UWE UG1 module Engaging in Critical Business Enquiry

Evaluation of the ACE employment programme: helping employers to make tailored adjustments for their autistic employees

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the views of autistic people, carers and practitioners regarding the barriers autistic employees face at work (Study 1) and to use these views to inform the design of an employment programme for autistic employees without learning disabilities (Study 2). Design/methodology/approach In Study 1, 16 (20%) carers, 17 (21%) practitioners and 47 (59%) autistic adults who had been or were currently employed, answered a survey regarding barriers at work. Study 2 evaluates the efficacy of a set of profiling assessment tools (PA) developed to help employers make individually-tailored adjustments for their autistic employees by delivering an employment programme consisting of 15, 8-week work placements. Findings In Study 1, only 25% of autistic adults reported having had adjustments in the workplace and all groups reported this as the main barrier – alongside employers’ lack of understanding. Two sets of results demonstrate the efficacy of the PA tools in addressing this barrier. First, a comparative cost simulation revealed a cost-saving in terms of on-job support of £6.67 per participant per hour worked relative to published data from another programme. Second, 83% of autistic employees reported having had the right adjustments at work. Research limitations/implications This is an exploratory study that did not include a comparison group. Hence, it was not possible to evaluate the efficacy of the PA tools relative to a standard employment programme intervention, nor to assess cost reduction, which currently is only estimated from already available published data. Practical implications Overall the findings from these studies demonstrate that the time invested in the high-quality assessment of the profile of autistic employees results in saving costs over time and better outcomes. Originality/value The originality of the Autism Centre for Employment programme resides in that, unlike other programmes, it shifts the focus from helping autistic employees to helping their employers

Simulation-based investigation of tar formation in after-treatment systems for biomass gasification

Even-though biomass-gasification remains a promising technology regarding de-centralized sustainable energy supply, its main limitations, namely the issues of unsteady operation, tar-formation in after-treatment systems and consequential high maintenance requirements, have never been fully overcome. In order to tackle the latter two deficiencies and to increase the understanding of thermodynamic and thermokinetic producer gas phase phenomena within the after-treatment zones, a numerical system-dynamic model has been created. Thereby naphthalene has been chosen to represent the behaviour of tars. The model has been validated against a wide variety of measured and simulated producer-gas compositions. This work particularly focuses on the investigation and minimization of tar-formation within after-treatment systems at low-pressures and decreasing temperatures. Model-based analysis has led to a range of recommended measures, which could reduce the formation tendency and thus the condensation of tars in those zones. These recommendations are i) to decrease gas residence time within pipes and producer gas purification devices; ii) to increase temperatures in low-pressure zones; iii) to increase hydrogen to carbon ratio as well as iv) to increase oxygen to carbon ratio in the producer gas. Furthermore the numerical model has been included into the cloud-computing platform KaleidoSim. Thus a wider range of process parameter combinations could be investigated in reasonable time. Consequentially a simulation-based sensitivity analysis of producer-gas composition with respect to process parameter changes was conducted and the validity-basis of above recommendations was enlarged

A massive simultaneous cloud computing platform for OpenFOAM

Today the field of numerical simulation in is faced with increasing demands for data-intensive investigations. On the one hand Engineering tasks call for parameter-studies, sensitivity analysis and optimization runs of ever-increasing size and magnitude. In addition the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its notorious hunger for data, urges to provide ever more extensive, numerically derived learning-, testing- and validation input for training e.g. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). On the other hand the current ‘age of cloud computing’ has set the stage such that nowadays any user of simulation software has access to potentially limitless hardware resources. In the light of these challenges and opportunities, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and Kaleidosim Technologies AG (Kaleidosim) have developed a publically available Massive Simultaneous Cloud Computing (MSCC) platform for OpenFOAM. The platform is specifically tailored to yield vast amounts of simulation data in minimal Wall Clock Time (WCT). Spanning approximately nine-man-years of development effort the platform now features: • An instructive web-browser-based user interface (Web Interface); • An Application Programming Interface (API); • A Self-Compile option enabling users to run self-composed OpenFOAM applications directly in the cloud; • The Massive Simultaneous Cloud Computing (MSCC) feature which allows the orchestration of up to 500 cloud-based OpenFOAM simulation runs simultaneously; • The option to run Paraview in Batch Mode such that (semi-) automated cloud-based post-processing can be performed; • The Katana File Downloader (KFD) allowing the selective download of specific output dat

Diet and Gastrointestinal Bypass–Induced Weight Loss: The Roles of Ghrelin and Peptide YY

OBJECTIVE-Bariatric surgery causes durable weight loss. Gut hormones are implicated in obesity pathogenesis, dietary failure, and mediating gastrointestinal bypass (GIBP) surgery weight loss. In mice, we determined the effects of diet-induced obesity (DIO), subsequent dieting, and GIBP surgery on ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY), and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). To evaluate PYY's role in mediating weight loss post-GIBP, we undertook GIBP surgery in PyyKO mice.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-Male C57BL/6 mice randomized to a high-fat diet or control diet were killed at 4-week intervals. DIO mice underwent switch to ad libitum low-fat diet (DIO-switch) or caloric restriction (CR) for 4 weeks before being killed. PyyKO mice and their DIO wild-type (WT) littermates underwent GIBP or sham surgery and were culled 10 days post-operatively. Fasting acyl-ghrelin, total PYY, active GLP-1 concentrations, stomach ghrelin expression, and colonic Pyy and glucagon expression were determined. Fasting and postprandial PYY and GLP-1 concentrations were assessed 30 days postsurgery in GIBP and sham pair-fed (sham.PF) groups.RESULTS-DIO progressively reduced circulating fasting acyl-ghrelin, PYY, and GLP-1 levels. CR and DIO-switch caused weight loss but failed to restore circulating PYY to weight-appropriate levels. After GIBP, WT mice lost weight and exhibited increased circulating fasting PYY and colonic Pyy and glucagon expression. In contrast, the acute effects of GIBP on body weight were lost in PyyKO mice. Fasting PYY and postprandial PYY and GLP-1 levels were increased in GIBP mice compared with sham.PF mice.CONCLUSIONS-PYY plays a key role in mediating the early weight loss observed post-GIBP, whereas relative PYY deficiency during dieting may compromise weight-loss attempts. Diabetes 60:810-818, 201

Faktor-Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Motivasi Para Investor Pada Keputusan Pembelian Residensial Properti Di Yogyakarta

Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui pengaruh faktorlokasi, keuangan, fitur rumah, lingkungan sekitar terhadap motivasi konsumen terhadap pembelian residensial properti di Yogyakarta. Teori yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah teori investasi dari Sharpe et al 2006, teori motivasi konsumen dari buku Kotler 2016 dan teori pendukung lainnya. Pada penelitian ini disebarkan sebanyak 150 kuesioner. Penelitian ini menggunakan alat analisis regresi linear berganda dengan program SPSS 19for windows. Hasil penelitian ini didapatkan faktorlokasi, keuangan, fitur rumah, lingkungan sekitar berpengaruh positif terhadap motivasi konsumen terhadap pembelian residensial properti di Yogyakarta

Identifying the Long-Term Role of Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase after Contusive Spinal Cord Injury Using a Transgenic Mouse Model

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is a potent mediator of oxidative stress during neuroinflammation triggered by neurotrauma or neurodegeneration. We previously demonstrated that acute iNOS inhibition attenuated iNOS levels and promoted neuroprotection and functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). The present study investigated the effects of chronic iNOS ablation after SCI using inos-null mice. iNOS−/− knockout and wild-type (WT) control mice underwent a moderate thoracic (T8) contusive SCI. Locomotor function was assessed weekly, using the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS), and at the endpoint (six weeks), by footprint analysis. At the endpoint, the volume of preserved white and gray matter, as well as the number of dorsal column axons and perilesional blood vessels rostral to the injury, were quantified. At weeks two and three after SCI, iNOS−/− mice exhibited a significant locomotor improvement compared to WT controls, although a sustained improvement was not observed during later weeks. At the endpoint, iNOS−/− mice showed significantly less preserved white and gray matter, as well as fewer dorsal column axons and perilesional blood vessels, compared to WT controls. While short-term antagonism of iNOS provides histological and functional benefits, its long-term ablation after SCI may be deleterious, blocking protective or reparative processes important for angiogenesis and tissue preservation

Whole genome sequencing for the genetic diagnosis of heterogenous dystonia phenotypes

Introduction: Dystonia is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder and a genetic cause is often difficult to elucidate. This is the first study to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) to investigate dystonia in a large sample of affected individuals. Methods: WGS was performed on 111 probands with heterogenous dystonia phenotypes. We performed analysis for coding and non-coding variants, copy number variants (CNVs), and structural variants (SVs). We assessed for an association between dystonia and 10 known dystonia risk variants. Results: A genetic diagnosis was obtained for 11.7% (13/111) of individuals. We found that a genetic diagnosis was more likely in those with an earlier age at onset, younger age at testing, and a combined dystonia phenotype. We identified pathogenic/likely-pathogenic variants in ADCY5 (n = 1), ATM (n = 1), GNAL (n = 2), GLB1 (n = 1), KMT2B (n = 2), PRKN (n = 2), PRRT2 (n = 1), SGCE (n = 2), and THAP1 (n = 1). CNVs were detected in 3 individuals. We found an association between the known risk variant ARSG rs11655081 and dystonia (p = 0.003). Conclusion: A genetic diagnosis was found in 11.7% of individuals with dystonia. The diagnostic yield was higher in those with an earlier age of onset, younger age at testing, and a combined dystonia phenotype. WGS may be particularly relevant for dystonia given that it allows for the detection of CNVs, which accounted for 23% of the genetically diagnosed cases. © 2019 The Author

Life, time, and the organism:Temporal registers in the construction of life forms

In this paper, we articulate how time and temporalities are involved in the making of living things. For these purposes, we draw on an instructive episode concerning Norfolk Horn sheep. We attend to historical debates over the nature of the breed, whether it is extinct or not, and whether presently living exemplars are faithful copies of those that came before. We argue that there are features to these debates that are important to understanding contemporary configurations of life, time and the organism, especially as these are articulated within the field of synthetic biology. In particular, we highlight how organisms are configured within different material and semiotic assemblages that are always structured temporally. While we identify three distinct structures, namely the historical, phyletic and molecular registers, we do not regard the list as exhaustive. We also highlight how these structures are related to the care and value invested in the organisms at issue. Finally, because we are interested ultimately in ways of producing time, our subject matter requires us to think about historiographical practice reflexively. This draws us into dialogue with other scholars interested in time, not just historians, but also philosophers and sociologists, and into conversations with them about time as always multiple and never an inert background