Coventry University

About: Coventry University is a education organization based out in Coventry, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Context (language use) & Population. The organization has 4964 authors who have published 12700 publications receiving 255898 citations. The organization is also known as: Lanchester Polytechnic & Coventry Polytechnic.

Application of game theory based hybrid algorithm for multi-objective integrated process planning and scheduling

Abstract: Process planning and scheduling are two key sub-functions in the manufacturing system. Traditionally, process planning and scheduling were regarded as the separate tasks to perform sequentially. Recently, a significant trend is to integrate process planning and scheduling more tightly to achieve greater performance and higher productivity of the manufacturing system. Because of the complementarity of process planning and scheduling, and the multiple objectives requirement from the real-world production, this research focuses on the multi-objective integrated process planning and scheduling (IPPS) problem. In this research, the Nash equilibrium in game theory based approach has been used to deal with the multiple objectives. And a hybrid algorithm has been developed to optimize the IPPS problem. Experimental studies have been used to test the performance of the proposed approach. The results show that the developed approach is a promising and very effective method on the research of the multi-objective IPPS problem.

From RDAs to LEPs: A New Localism? Case Examples of West Midlands and Yorkshire

Abstract: The new Coalition Government formed in May 2010 in the UK is to abolish Regional Development Agencies and, in the name of a ‘new localism’, is to replace them with Local Enterprise Partnerships, ‘joint local authority-business bodies brought forward by local authorities to promote local economic development’. This article looks at the proposals for LEPs, in the light of theories of governance. It explores the case examples of the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humberside, where there have been differing proposals for region-wide LEPs. It argues that far from localism, the move to set up LEPs is profoundly ant-regionalist and is re-centralisation in disguise, given that many economic development functions are being taken back to Whitehall. That problem of recentralisation, we suggest, risks being exacerbated by a fragmentation of LEPs into small territorial units, and a lack of resources.

EscapED: A Framework for Creating Educational Escape Rooms and Interactive Games to For Higher/Further Education.

Abstract: Game-based learning (GBL) is often found to be technologically driven and more often than not, serious games for instance, are conceptualised and designed solely for digital platforms and state of the art technologies To encourage a greater discussion on the potential benefits and challenges of a more holistic approach to developing GBL that promote human centered interactions and play for learning, the authors present the escapED programme The escapED programme was conceived following the recent entertainment trend of escape rooms and is used for developing non-digital GBL approaches within education escapED aids the design and creation of educational Escape Rooms and Interactive Gaming Experiences for staff and students in further/higher education settings The paper first presents a pilot study that was used to assess the feasibility and acceptance of University teaching staff of embedding interactive GBL into a higher education environment The authors then present the escapED theoretical framework that was used to create the prototype game for the pilot study as a tool to aid future design and development of on-site interactive experiences The paper also presents an external developer report of using the escapED framework to develop a prototype game for teaching research methods to Southampton University students Finally, the authors present a discussion on the use of the escapED framework so far and plans for future work and evaluation in order to provide engaging alternatives for learning and soft skills development amongst higher education staff andstudents

Salt Tolerance in Selected Vegetable Crops

Abstract: Ensuring adequate food production is a major issue in the context of an increasing human population, limit to the areas of new land that can be cultivated, and loss of existing cultivated lands to abiotic stresses. Of these stresses, salinity consistently has the greatest impact in reducing the area of cultivated land, often due to inappropriate irrigation techniques. To increase food supply, there is a need to produce salt-tolerant crops, which can grow successfully on salt-affected lands. Among crops, vegetables possess a central position in the human diet because of their nutritional value providing vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, and mineral nutrients. There are many vegetable crops of local importance around the world but others that are very widely cultivated. All of these vegetable crops are affected by salinity more or less severely. Salinity affects every aspect of vegetable crop development including their morphology, physiological function and yield. Although efforts have been made to unders...

The endogenous production of hydrogen sulphide in intrauterine tissues

Abstract: Hydrogen sulphide is a gas signalling molecule which is produced endogenously from L-cysteine via the enzymes cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE). The possible role of hydrogen sulphide in reproduction has not yet been fully investigated. It has been previously demonstrated that hydrogen sulphide relaxes uterine smooth muscle in vitro. The aim of the present study was to investigate the endogenous production of hydrogen sulphide in rat and human intrauterine tissues in vitro. The production of hydrogen sulphide in rat and human intrauterine tissues was measured in vitro using a standard technique. The expression of CBS and CSE was also investigated in rat and human intrauterine tissues via Western blotting. Furthermore, the effects of nitric oxide (NO) and low oxygen conditions on the production rates of hydrogen sulphide were investigated. The order of hydrogen sulphide production rates (mean +/- SD, n = 4) for rat tissues were: liver (777 +/- 163 nM/min/g) > uterus (168 +/- 100 nM/min/g) > fetal membranes (22.3 +/- 15.0 nM/min/g) > placenta (11.1 +/- 4.7 nM/min/g), compared to human placenta (200 +/- 102 nM/min/g). NO significantly increased hydrogen sulphide production in rat fetal membranes (P < 0.05). Under low oxygen conditions the production of hydrogen sulphide was significantly elevated in human placenta, rat liver, uterus and fetal membranes (P < 0.05). Western blotting (n = 4) detected the expression of CBS and CSE in all rat intrauterine tissues, and in human placenta, myometrium, amnion and chorion. Rat and human intrauterine tissues produce hydrogen sulphide in vitro possibly via CBS and CSE enzymes. NO increased the production of hydrogen sulphide in rat fetal membranes. The augmentation of hydrogen sulphide production in human intrauterine tissues in a low oxygen environment could have a role in pathophysiology of pregnancy.