Modelling the mechanical aspects of the curing process of magneto-sensitive elastomeric materials

In this paper, a phenomenologically motivated magneto-mechanically coupled finite strain elastic framework for simulating the curing process of polymers in the presence of a magnetic load is proposed. This approach is in line with previous works by Hossain and co-workers on finite strain curing modelling framework for the purely mechanical polymer curing (Hossain et al., 2009b). The proposed thermodynamically consistent approach is independent of any particular free energy function that may be used for the fully-cured magneto-sensitive polymer modelling, i.e. any phenomenological or micromechanical-inspired free energy can be inserted into the main modelling framework. For the fabrication of magneto-sensitive polymers, micron-size ferromagnetic particles are mixed with the liquid matrix material in the uncured stage. The particles align in a preferred direction with the application of a magnetic field during the curing process. The polymer curing process is a complex (visco) elastic process that transforms a fluid to a solid with time. Such transformation process is modelled by an appropriate constitutive relation which takes into account the temporal evolution of the material parameters appearing in a particular energy function. For demonstration in this work, a frequently used energy function is chosen, i.e. the classical Mooney-Rivlin free energy enhanced by coupling terms. Several representative numerical examples are demonstrated that prove the capability of our approach to correctly capture common features in polymers undergoing curing processes in the presence of a magneto-mechanical coupled load.

Construcció d'una aplicació web utilitzant el mètode Rational Unified Process

Construcció d'una aplicació web a partir de les especificacions d'un client imaginari. Estudi i utilització del mètode Rational Unified Process, el més habitual actualment en la construcció de software. Disseny d'una base de dades i implementació del model lògic mitjançant un SGBD punter al mercat com Oracle.

Hungry for Change: Social Exclusion, Food Poverty and Homelessness in Dublin

This study investigates the impact of poverty and social exclusion on the food, diet and nutrition of people out-of-home in Dublin. The research involved a food frequency survey carried out with 75 people out of home, qualitative interviews with 12 individuals as well as a self-completion questionnaire administered to 18 food service providers in Dublin city. One of the main findings from the study was that the extent and experience of food poverty among homeless people was not only conditioned by income inadequacy and other socio-economic and cultural determinants, but particularly, by access to accommodation, as well as the quality of that accommodation. The report makes a number of practice and policy recommendations to tackle food poverty and homelessness. The qualitative approaches to food poverty employed for use with this sample of people out-of-home aimed to deal in depth with issues around food consumption. Through drawing a sub-sample from those who participated in the survey research (a process of recapture), the authors sought to expand on the survey questionnaire information on food issues. The themes for the Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) emerged from the analysis of the survey questionnaires and 4 key thematic areas were selected. i) Access to cooking, preparation and storage facilities ii) Access, choice and constraints in food purchase and consumption iii) Access to information about healthy diet, food preparation and storage iv) Expectations, cultures, values and choice concerning eating The qualitative aspect of the research enquiry eventually generated one FGD and seven semi-structured interviews representing the views of a total of 12 persons all of whom had completed the initial survey questionnaire.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

A Grounded Theory Model of the Counselling Referral Process in Primary Care Methadone Treatment in Ireland.

In terms of the treatment of illicit drug abuse, methadone maintenance is a well researched and widely applied systematic response. The approach to primary care methadone treatment in Ireland is based on the methadone protocol. Primary care plays a central role in the delivery of methadone treatment. Beginning with a view that a system evolves within the constraints and influencing factors of its context, the aim of this thesis is to model the process that has developed by which patients on primary care methadone treatment are referred to counselling. It investigates the role primary care practitioners perceive they have in relation to managing the psychosocial aspects of the methadone patient's treatment regime. It analyzes individual medical practitioner counselling referral mechanisms to determine what common processes operate across different practitioners. It identifies the factors that influence the use of counselling on primary care methadone programmes and structures these in a cause/effect model. This research used interviews and documentary analysis to acquire grounded data. The sample consisted primarily of medical practitioners involved in the delivery of methadone programmes. Others closely involved in the implementation of drug treatment in the primary care context made up the balance of interviewees. The study used a grounded theory methodology to induce the process that was latent in the grounded data. Concepts emerging were grouped under the headings of referral factors, decision making factors and factors related to the unique positioning of primary care at the interface between medicine and society. The core finding was that, in primary care in Ireland, there is no psychological model to complement the pharmacological intervention of methadone substitution. The findings from this study offer insight into the factors at work and their impacts, in the context of the use of counselling in primary care methadone treatment. The study suggests a possible direction for further evolution of opiate abuse treatment in Ireland which would transform it from a harm reduction to a holistic patient centric paradigm.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

A Study of a Staff Alcohol Policy in a Large Public Health Organisation, Looking at the Policy Content, the Policy Development and the Implementation Process, and the Policy Impact

There are different approaches to dealing with alcohol related problems in the workplace. A literature review indicates that two of the models that underpin programmes to deal with alcohol related problems in the workplace are the disease model and the health promotion model. The disease model considers alcoholism as an illness and uses curative techniques to restore the individual to sobriety. The health promotion model looks at the determinants of health and promotes changes in the environment and structures, which would support healthy behaviour in relation to alcohol. Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) may have elements of both theses models. Dealing with alcohol problems at work involves a captive audience and the workplace as a setting can be used to influence healthier lifestyles. A workplace alcohol policy is a mechanism through which alcohol related issues might be dealt with, and the necessary resources and commitment of managers and staff channelled to this end. The policy aims should be clear and unambiguous, and specific plans put in place for implementing all aspects of the policy. In the case of the alcohol policy in the organisation under study, the policy was underpinned by a health promotion ethos and the policy document reflects broad aims and objectives to support this. The steering group that oversaw the development of the policy had particular needs of their own which they brought to the development process. The common theme in their needs was how to identify and support employees with alcohol related problems within an equitable staff welfare system. The role of the supervisor was recognised as crucial and training was provided to introduce the skills needed for an early intervention and constructive confrontation with employees who had alcohol related problems. Opportunities provided by this policy initiative to deal with broader issues around alcohol and to consider the determinants of health in relation to alcohol were not fully utilised. The policy formalised the procedures for dealing with people who have alcohol related problems in an equitable and supportive manner. The wider aspect of the health promotion approach does not appear to have been a priority in the development and implementation of the policy.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

A Survey of NHS Services for Opiate Dependents in Scotland

The aim of this study was to investigate the range of opiates available within the Scottish NHS for patients with opiate dependancy and to assess the process underlying clinical decision-making. Clinicians, representitives of drug action teams and NHS personnel were apporached and semi-structured phone conversations were the primary means to elicit information. Whilst methadone is almost universally prescribed in Scotland, buprenorphine, dihydrocodeine (not currently licensed for opiate dependance management), lofexidine and naltrexone are also used. Alternative therapies are variably used.This resource was contributed by The National Documentation Centre on Drug Use.

Interest of qualitative and quantitative profiling of endocannabinoids for evaluation of their implication in drug addiction process

Introduction: In the middle of the 90's, the discovery of endogenous ligands for cannabinoid receptors opened a new era in this research field. Amides and esters of arachidonic acid have been identified as these endogenous ligands. Arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide or AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) seem to be the most important of these lipid messengers. In addition, virodhamine (VA), noladin ether (2-AGE), and N-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA) have been shown to bind to CB receptors with varying affinities. During recent years, it has become more evident that the EC system is part of fundamental regulatory mechanisms in many physiological processes such as stress and anxiety responses, depression, anorexia and bulimia, schizophrenia disorders, neuroprotection, Parkinson disease, anti-proliferative effects on cancer cells, drug addiction, and atherosclerosis. Aims: This work presents the problematic of EC analysis and the input of Information Dependant Acquisition based on hybrid triple quadrupole linear ion trap (QqQLIT) system for the profiling of these lipid mediators. Methods: The method was developed on a LC Ultimate 3000 series (Dionex, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) coupled to a QTrap 4000 system (Applied biosystems, Concord, ON, Canada). The ECs were separated on an XTerra C18 MS column (50 × 3.0 mm i.d., 3.5 μm) with a 5 min gradient elution. For confirmatory analysis, an information-dependant acquisition experiment was performed with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) as survey scan and enhanced produced ion (EPI) as dependant scan. Results: The assay was found to be linear in the concentration range of 0.1-5 ng/mL for AEA, 0.3-5 ng/mL for VA, 2-AGE, and NADA and 1-20 ng/mL for 2-AG using 0.5 mL of plasma. Repeatability and intermediate precision were found less than 15% over the tested concentration ranges. Under non-pathophysiological conditions, only AEA and 2-AG were actually detected in plasma with concentration ranges going from 104 to 537 pg/mL and from 2160 to 3990 pg/mL respectively. We have particularly focused our scopes on the evaluation of EC level changes in biological matrices through drug addiction and atherosclerosis processes. We will present preliminary data obtained during pilot study after administration of cannabis on human patients. Conclusion: ECs have been shown to play a key role in regulation of many pathophysiological processes. Medical research in these different fields continues to growth in order to understand and to highlight the predominant role of EC in the CNS and peripheral tissues signalisation. The profiling of these lipids needs to develop rapid, highly sensitive and selective analytical methods.

An overview of the effects of annexin 1 on cells involved in the inflammatory process

The concept of anti-inflammation is currently evolving with the definition of several endogenous inhibitory circuits that are important in the control of the host inflammatory response. Here we focus on one of these pathways, the annexin 1 (ANXA1) system. Originally identified as a 37 kDa glucocorticoid-inducible protein, ANXA1 has emerged over the last decade as an important endogenous modulator of inflammation. We review the pharmacological effects of ANXA1 on cell types involved in inflammation, from blood-borne leukocytes to resident cells. This review reveals that there is scope for more research, since most of the studies have so far focused on the effects of the protein and its peptido-mimetics on neutrophil recruitment and activation. However, many other cells central to inflammation, e.g. endothelial cells or mast cells, also express ANXA1: it is foreseen that a better definition of the role(s) of the endogenous protein in these cells will open the way to further pharmacological studies. We propose that a more systematic analysis of ANXA1 physio-pharmacology in cells involved in the host inflammatory reaction could aid in the design of novel anti-inflammatory therapeutics based on this endogenous mediator.

Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 Report on the Consultation with Young People

The Department of Education and Skills is developing a new Digital Strategy for Schools to be completed during 2015. The Digital Strategy for Schools will set out how Department of Education and Skills’ priorities can be delivered and facilitated by the use of technology in education. The development of the Strategy is of critical importance to Ireland if it is to realise the potential of ICT in schools and prepare our young people to live, learn and work in the 21st century. The Department of Education and Skills has partnered with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) to seek the views of young people through a structured consultation process informed by DCYA expertise in consulting with young people.

Soil fungal communities of grasslands are environmentally structured at a regional scale in the Alps.

Studying patterns of species distributions along elevation gradients is frequently used to identify the primary factors that determine the distribution, diversity and assembly of species. However, despite their crucial role in ecosystem functioning, our understanding of the distribution of below-ground fungi is still limited, calling for more comprehensive studies of fungal biogeography along environmental gradients at various scales (from regional to global). Here, we investigated the richness of taxa of soil fungi and their phylogenetic diversity across a wide range of grassland types along a 2800 m elevation gradient at a large number of sites (213), stratified across a region of the Western Swiss Alps (700 km(2)). We used 454 pyrosequencing to obtain fungal sequences that were clustered into operational taxonomic units (OTUs). The OTU diversity-area relationship revealed uneven distribution of fungal taxa across the study area (i.e. not all taxa are everywhere) and fine-scale spatial clustering. Fungal richness and phylogenetic diversity were found to be higher in lower temperatures and higher moisture conditions. Climatic and soil characteristics as well as plant community composition were related to OTU alpha, beta and phylogenetic diversity, with distinct fungal lineages suggesting distinct ecological tolerances. Soil fungi, thus, show lineage-specific biogeographic patterns, even at a regional scale, and follow environmental determinism, mediated by interactions with plants.

Lifeline Consultation Report - A summary of the feedback to the Public Health Agency's public consultation process on the Lifeline Crisis Response Service

This report is a summary of the feedback from the public consultation process on the current Lifeline contract and future options.

Characterization of the gene expression related to the process of DNA damage tolerance in Schistosoma mansoni

In the course of its complex life cycle, the parasite Schistosoma mansoni need to adapt to distinct environments, and consequently is exposed to various DNA damaging agents. The Schistosoma genome sequencing initiative has uncovered sequences from genes and transcripts related to the process of DNA damage tolerance as the enzymes UBC13, MMS2, and RAD6. In the present work, we evaluate the importance of this process in different stages of the life cycle of this parasite. The importance is evidenced by expression and phylogenetic profiles, which show the conservation of this pathway from protozoa to mammalians on evolution.

The robustness of the weak selection approximation for the evolution of altruism against strong selection.

The weak selection approximation of population genetics has made possible the analysis of social evolution under a considerable variety of biological scenarios. Despite its extensive usage, the accuracy of weak selection in predicting the emergence of altruism under limited dispersal when selection intensity increases remains unclear. Here, we derive the condition for the spread of an altruistic mutant in the infinite island model of dispersal under a Moran reproductive process and arbitrary strength of selection. The simplicity of the model allows us to compare weak and strong selection regimes analytically. Our results demonstrate that the weak selection approximation is robust to moderate increases in selection intensity and therefore provides a good approximation to understand the invasion of altruism in spatially structured population. In particular, we find that the weak selection approximation is excellent even if selection is very strong, when either migration is much stronger than selection or when patches are large. Importantly, we emphasize that the weak selection approximation provides the ideal condition for the invasion of altruism, and increasing selection intensity will impede the emergence of altruism. We discuss that this should also hold for more complicated life cycles and for culturally transmitted altruism. Using the weak selection approximation is therefore unlikely to miss out on any demographic scenario that lead to the evolution of altruism under limited dispersal.

Identité et filiation : enfants enlevés-appropriés, adultes restitués dans le contexte de la dernière dictature militaire en Argentine (1976-1983)

Durant la dernière dictature argentine (1976-1983), !a junte militaire organisa le vol de nourrissons, enfants de leurs ennemis, pour qu'ils puissent être élevés dans des familles proches du pouvoir. L'association « Grands-Mères de la Place de Mai » comptabilisa environ 409 vols. Au moment de l'exploration du terrain de récherche, en 2004, une quarantaine avaient été retrouvés dans des familles qui ne connaissaient pas leurs origines tandis qu'une vingtaine étaient dans des familles liées à la junte ; c'est à cette dernière catégorie que s'intéresse ce travail. Durant leur enfance ou à l'âge adulte, ces enfants apprirent un jour la vérité sur leurs origines biologiques et la justice la leur restitua ; c'est pourquoi ils sont dits « restitués ». Cette contribution vise à interroger l'identité individuelle comme une dynamique intime qui s'articule à la filiation et s'insère dans une collectivité, une société. Trois hypothèses l'ont organisée : une première concerne la connaissance des origines biologiques et ses conséquences psychologiques identitaires, qui passe nécessairement par la justice et la société. Une deuxième hypothèse explore les éventelles conséquences traumatiques de l'enlèvement des personnes restituées et de la restitution. Enfin, la troisième hypothèse interroge le rapport de la construction identitaire à la société, qu'elle se fasse par des investissements politiques et associatifs ou par les médias et l'Histoire. Ces hypothèses nourrissent un questionnement sur les liens entre restitution et travail de symbolisation des origines. Sept entretiens semi structurés avec des personnes restituées ont. été menés puis qualitativement analysés dans une perspective que l'on peut référer, de manière large, à une « anthropologique clinique », au croisement d'une psychologie clinique éclairée par la psychanalyse et de l'anthropologie. Au travers d'une analyse approfondie de leur parcours identitaire des personnes enlevées, adoptées et restituées, ce travail se livre à une recherche empirique sur la construction identitaire. Le concept de transmission se trouve mobilisé, qui concerne l'inscription de l'individu dans la subjectivité d'un couple avec le prénom, dans une lignée ou dans un collectif avec le choix professionnel ou les liens avec l'association « Grands-Mères de la Place Mai ». De plus, la thèse apporte une contribution à la compréhension des enjeux du clivage, des blessures primitive et narcissique, des processus d'affiliation et des secrets de famille et propose également de penser, en prolongement, les enjeux de la « défiliation » et de I'« amalgame ». La question du traumatisme, de sa répétition et de son élaboration, ainsi que celle des facteurs de resilience sont également discutées. Ce travail ouvre sur une réflexion plus large du concept d'identité. - During the last dictatorship in Argentina (1976-1983), the military junta organized the kidnapping of infants - children of its enemies - in order to raise them in families close to the authorities. The association "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo" estimates that approximately 400 children have been kidnapped in this way. During their childhood, or as adults, they have come to learn the truth about their biological origins, restituted to them by justice: They are therefore known as "restituted" children. At the time of the field research in 2004, around 40 children had been found in families unaware of their origins. About 20 other came from families close to the junta. The present work is particularly interested in the latter category. This contribution investigates the individual identity as an intimate dynamics by examining its articulation with filiation and its insertion within a community, a society. It revolves around three hypotheses: the first concerns the knowledge - necessarily transmitted through justice and society - of biological origins and its psychological consequences on the identity. The second explores the eventually traumatic, consequences of kidnapping and restitution among the restituted persons. Finally, the third hypothesis questions the relation between identity construction and society, whether it is made through political and associative involvements, media or History. These hypotheses lead to the examination of affiliations between restitution and symbolization process of the origins. Seven semi-structured interviews with restituted persons have been conducted and qualitatively analyzed in a perspective that can, in a large sense, be referred to as "clinical anthropology": an approach/intersection between clinical psychology, psychoanalysis and anthropology. Through an in-depth analysis of the identity itinerary of the kidnapped, adopted and restituted persons, this work is conducted as an empirical research on identity construction. For that purpose, it uses the concept of transmission to describe an individual's affiliation with the subjectivity of a couple through the first name, with a lineage or a community through professional choices or through his/her connections with the association "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo". Further, it makes a meaningful contribution to the understanding and implications of the notions of cleavage, of primal and narcissistic wounds, of processes of affiliation and of family secrets. In addition, it also proposes a reflection on and the implication of the notions of "deviation" and "amalgam". The question of trauma, its repetition and elaboration, and of resilience factors are aiso being discussed. This work concludes with results in a iarger consideration of the concept of identity.