Development and application of a multiple linear regression model to consider the impact of weekly waste container capacity on the yield from kerbside recycling programmes

The paper describes the development and application of a multiple linear regression model to identify how the key elements of waste and recycling infrastructure, namely container capacity and frequency of collection affect the yield from municipal kerbside recycling programmes. The overall aim of the research was to gain an understanding of the factors affecting the yield from municipal kerbside recycling programmes in Scotland. The study isolates the principal kerbside collection service offered by 32 councils across Scotland, eliminating those recycling programmes associated with flatted properties or multi occupancies. The results of a regression analysis model has identified three principal factors which explain 80% of the variability in the average yield of the principal dry recyclate services: weekly residual waste capacity, number of materials collected and the weekly recycling capacity. The use of the model has been evaluated and recommendations made on ongoing methodological development and the use of the results in informing the design of kerbside recycling programmes. The authors hope that the research can provide insights for the ongoing development of methods to optimise the design and operation of kerbside recycling programmes.

Development and characterization of a lux-modified 2,4-dichlorophenol-degrading Burkholderia sp. RASC

lux-marked biosensors for assessing the toxicity and bioremediation potential of polluted environments may complement traditional chemical techniques. luxCDABE genes were introduced into the chromosome of the 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP)-mineralizing bacterium, Burkholderia sp. RASC c2, by biparental mating using the Tn4431 system. Experiments revealed that light output was constitutive and related to cell biomass concentration during exponential growth. The transposon insertion was stable and did not interrupt 2,4-DCP-degradative genes, and expression of luxCDABE did not constitute a metabolic burden to the cell. A bioluminescence response was detectable at sublethal 2,4-DCP concentrations: at <10.26 microg ml(-1), bioluminescence was stimulated (e.g. 218% of control), but at concentrations >60 microg ml(-1) it declined to <1%. Investigating the effect of [14C]-2,4-DCP concentration on the evolution of 14CO2 revealed that, for initial concentrations of 2.5-25 microg ml(-1), approximately equals 55% of the added 14C was mineralized after 24 h compared with

International Projects and Cross-Cultural Adjustment of British Expatriates in Middle East: A Qualitative Investigation of Influencing Factors

Increased globalisation within the British AEC (Architectural, Engineering and Construction) sector has increased the need for companies to transfer staff to manage their overseas operations. To be able to perform abroad, expatriates must harmonise themselves to the conditions prevailing in the host country. These include getting accustomed to living, working and interacting with the host country nationals. The process is commonly referred to as 'cross-cultural adjustment'. Various factors influence the process of adjustment. In order to identify these issues, a qualitative study was undertaken, which mainly comprised of comprehensive literature review, individual interviews and focus group discussion with British expatriates working on international AEC assignments in Middle Eastern countries. Through interpretative approach, the current study aims to understand the concept of cross-cultural adjustment of British Expatriates based in Middle East and their influencing factors.

The findings suggest that success of expatriation does not entirely rest on an expatriate's ability but also on organisational support and assistance that expatriates receive prior to and during the assignment. Organisational factors such as selection mechanisms, job design, training, logistical and social support, mentoring, etc., influence various facets of expatriate adjustment. Striking cultural contrasts between British and Arab culture both in work and non work situations also dictate the level of support required by the expatriate, suggesting that relocation to less developed, remote or politically unstable regions, demands additional support and consideration by the parent company. This study is relevant to the AEC companies employing British expatriates, who need to be cognisant of the issues highlighted above to make rational and informed decisions when handling international assignments in the Middle East.

The physical activity loyalty card scheme:Development and application of a novel system for incentivizing behaviour change

In the Public Health White Paper "Healthy Lives, Healthy People" (2010), the UK Government emphasised using incentives and "nudging" to encourage positive, healthy behaviour changes. However, there is little evidence that nudging is effective, in particular for increasing physical activity. We have created a platform to research the effectiveness of health-related behaviour change interventions and incentive schemes. The system consists of an outward-facing website, incorporating tools for incentivizing behaviour change, and a novel physical activity monitoring system. The monitoring system consists of the "Physical Activity Loyalty Card", which contains a passive RFID tag, and a contactless sensor network to detect the cards. This paper describes the application of this novel web-based system to investigate the effectiveness of non-cash incentives to "nudge" adults to undertake more physical activity. © 2012 ICST Institute for Computer Science, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Development and Validation of a Forklift Truck Powertrain Simulation

Fuel economy has become an important consideration in forklift truck design, particularly in Europe. A simulation of the fuel consumption and performance of a forklift truck has been developed, validated and subsequently used to determine the energy consumed by individual powertrain components during drive cycles.
The truck used in this study has a rated lifting capacity of 2500kg, and is powered by a 2.6 litre naturally aspirated diesel engine with a fuel pump containing a mechanical variable-speed governor. The drivetrain consisted of a torque convertor, hydraulic clutch and single speed transmission.
AVL Cruise was used to simulate the vehicle powertrain, with coupled Mathworks Simulink models used to simulate the hydraulic and control systems and governor. The vehicle has been simulated on several performance and fuel consumption drive cycles with the main focus being the VDI 2198 fuel consumption drive cycle.
To validate the model, a truck was instrumented and measurements taken to compare the performance and instantaneous fuel consumption to simulated values. The fuel injector pump was modified and calibrated to enable instantaneous fuel flow to be measured.
The model has been validated to within acceptable limits and has been used to investigate the effect four different torque converters have on the fuel consumption and performance of the forklift truck. The study demonstrates how the model can be used to compare the fuel consumption and performance trade-offs when selecting drivetrain components.

Organizational assessment in paediatric primary care:Development and initial validation of the primary care organizational questionnaire

Primary care in the United States is undergoing many changes. Reliable and valid instruments are needed to assess the effects of these changes. The Primary Care Organizational Questionnaire (PCOQ), a 56-item 5-point Likert scale survey that evaluates interactions among members of the clinic/practice and job-related attributes, was administered to clinicians and staff in 36 primary care practices serving paediatric populations in Connecticut. A priori scales were reliable (Cronbach alpha =0.7). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed greater heterogeneity across clinics than within clinics for 13 of 15 a priori scales, which were then included in a principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation. Eigenvalue analysis showed nine significant factors, largely similar to the a priori scales, indicating concurrent construct validity. Further research will ascertain the utility of the PCOQ in predicting the effectiveness of primary care practices in implementing disease management programmes. © 2006 Royal Society of Medicine Press.

Development and Validation of a PulseNet Standardized Protocol for Subtyping Isolates of Cronobacter Species

Cronobacter (formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a genus comprising seven species regarded as opportunistic pathogens that can be found in a wide variety of environments and foods, including powdered infant formula (PIF). Cronobacter sakazakii, the major species of this genus, has been epidemiologically linked to cases of bacteremia, meningitis in neonates, and necrotizing enterocolitis, and contaminated PIF has been identified as an important source of infection. Robust and reproducible subtyping methods are required to aid in the detection and investigation, of foodborne outbreaks. In this study, a pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) protocol was developed and validated for subtyping Cronobacter species. It was derived from an existing modified PulseNet protocol, wherein XbaI and SpeI were the primary and secondary restriction enzymes used, generating an average of 14.7 and 20.3 bands, respectively. The PFGE method developed was both reproducible and discriminatory for subtyping Cronobacter species.

Role of vascular endothelial growth factor and placental growth factors during retinal vascular development and hyaloid regression

PURPOSE. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A and placental growth factor (PIGF) are members of a large group of homologous peptides identified as the VEGF family. Although VEGF-A is known to act as a potent angiogenic peptide in the retina, the vasoactive function of PIGF in this tissue is less well defined. This study has sought to elucidate the expression patterns and modulatory role of these growth factors during retinal vascular development and hyaloid regression in the neonatal mouse. METHODS. C57BL6J mice were killed at postnatal days (P)1, P3, P5, P7, P9, and P11. The eyes were enucleated and processed for in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry and the retinas extracted for total protein or RNA. Separate groups of neonatal mice were also injected intraperitoneally daily from P2 through P9 with either VEGF-neutralizing antibody, PIGF-neutralizing antibody, isotype immunoglobulin (Ig)-G, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). The mice were then perfused with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran, and the eyes were subsequently embedded in paraffin wax or flat mounted. RESULTS. Quantitative (real-time) reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated similar expression patterns of VEGF-A and PIGF mRNA during neonatal retinal development, although the fluctuation between time periods was greater overall for VEGF-A. The localization of VEGF-A and PIGF in the retina, as revealed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, was also similar. Neutralization of VEGF-A caused a significant reduction in the hyaloid and retinal vasculature, whereas PIGF antibody treatment caused a marked persistence of the hyaloid without significantly affecting retinal vascular development. CONCLUSIONS. Although having similar expression patterns in the retina, these growth factors appear to have distinct modulatory influences during normal retinal vascular development and hyaloid regression.

Development and Validation of a Compact Thermal Model for an Aircraft Compartment

The development of accurate structural/thermal numerical models of complex systems, such as aircraft fuselage barrels, is often limited and determined by the smallest scales that need to be modelled. The development of reduced order models of the smallest scales and consequently their integration with higher level models can be a way to minimise the bottle neck present, while still having efficient, robust and accurate numerical models. In this paper a methodology on how to develop compact thermal fluid models (CTFMs) for compartments where mixed convection regimes are present is demonstrated. Detailed numerical simulations (CFD) have been developed for an aircraft crown compartment and validated against experimental data obtained from a 1:1 scale compartment rig. The crown compartment is defined as the confined area between the upper fuselage and the passenger cabin in a single aisle commercial aircraft. CFD results were utilised to extract average quantities (temperature and heat fluxes) and characteristic parameters (heat transfer coefficients) to generate CTFMs. The CTFMs have then been compared with the results obtained from the detailed models showing average errors for temperature predictions lower than 5%. This error can be deemed acceptable when compared to the nominal experimental error associated with the thermocouple measurements.

The CTFMs methodology developed allows to generate accurate reduced order models where accuracy is restricted to the region of Boundary Conditions applied. This limitation arises from the sensitivity of the internal flow structures to the applied boundary condition set. CTFMs thus generated can be then integrated in complex numerical modelling of whole fuselage sections.

Further steps in the development of an exhaustive methodology would be the implementation of a logic ruled based approach to extract directly from the CFD simulations numbers and positions of the nodes for the CTFM.

Addressing potentially inappropriate prescribing in older patients: development and pilot study of an intervention in primary care (the OPTI-SCRIPT study)

Background: Potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in older people is common in primary care and can result in increased morbidity, adverse drug events, hospitalizations and mortality. The prevalence of PIP in Ireland is estimated at 36% with an associated expenditure of over [euro sign]45 million in 2007. The aim of this paper is to describe the application of the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework to the development of an intervention to decrease PIP in Irish primary care.

Methods: The MRC framework for the design and evaluation of complex interventions guided the development of the study intervention. In the development stage, literature was reviewed and combined with information obtained from experts in the field using a consensus based methodology and patient cases to define the main components of the intervention. In the pilot stage, five GPs tested the proposed intervention. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the GPs to inform the development and implementation of the intervention for the main randomised controlled trial.

Results: The literature review identified PIP criteria for inclusion in the study and two initial intervention components - academic detailing and medicines review supported by therapeutic treatment algorithms. Through patient case studies and a focus group with a group of 8 GPs, these components were refined and a third component of the intervention identified - patient information leaflets. The intervention was tested in a pilot study. In total, eight medicine reviews were conducted across five GP practices. These reviews addressed ten instances of PIP, nine of which were addressed in the form of either a dose reduction or a discontinuation of a targeted medication. Qualitative interviews highlighted that GPs were receptive to the intervention but patient preference and time needed both to prepare for and conduct the medicines review, emerged as potential barriers. Findings from the pilot study allowed further refinement to produce the finalised intervention of academic detailing with a pharmacist, medicines review with web-based therapeutic treatment algorithms and tailored patient information leaflets.

Conclusions: The MRC framework was used in the development of the OPTI-SCRIPT intervention to decrease the level of PIP in primary care in Ireland. Its application ensured that the intervention was developed using the best available evidence, was acceptable to GPs and feasible to deliver in the clinical setting. The effectiveness of this intervention is currently being tested in a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial.

Trial registration: Current controlled trials ISRCTN41694007.© 2013 Clyne et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Development and single laboratory validation of an optical biosensor assay for tetrodotoxin detection as a tool to combat emerging risks in European seafood

Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a potent neurotoxin emerging in European waters due to increasing ocean temperatures. Its detection in seafood is currently performed as a consequence of using the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) mouse bioassay (MBA) for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins, but TTX is not monitored routinely in Europe. Due to ethical and performance-related issues associated with this bioassay, the European Commission has recently published directives extending procedures that may be used for official PSP control. An AOAC-accredited high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method has now been accepted by the European Union as a first action screening method for PSP toxins to replace the MBA. However, this AOAC HPLC method is not capable of detecting TTX, so this potent toxin would be undetected; thereby, a separate method of analysis is required. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) optical biosensor technology has been proven as a potential alternative screening method to detect PSP toxins in seafood. The addition of a similar SPR inhibition assay for TTX would complement the PSP assay in removing the MBA. The present report describes the development and single laboratory validation in accordance with AOAC and IUPAC guidelines of an SPR method to be used as a rapid screening tool to detect TTX in the sea snail Charonia lampas lampas, a species which has been implicated in 2008 in the first case of human TTX poisoning in Europe. As no current regulatory limits are set for TTX in Europe, single laboratory validation was undertaken using those for PSP toxins at 800 µg/kg. The decision limit (CCa) was 100 µg/kg, with the detection capability (CCß) found to be =200 µg/kg. Repeatability and reproducibility were assessed at 200, 400, and 800 µg/kg and showed relative standard deviations of 8.3, 3.8, and 5.4 % and 7.8, 8.3, and 3.7 % for both parameters at each level, respectively. At these three respective levels, the recovery of the assay was 112, 98, and 99 %.