Edinburgh Napier University

About: Edinburgh Napier University is a education organization based out in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 2665 authors who have published 6859 publications receiving 175272 citations.

Unemployed Job Seeker Attitudes towards Potential Travel-to-Work Times

Abstract: The effectiveness of intra-regional job search is influenced by how far people are willing to travel to new employment. While much has been written on the commuting patterns of those in work, relatively little research has been carried out on how far unemployed job seekers are prepared to commute. This paper presents and tests a model of factors influencing the maximum time unemployed job seekers would be willing to travel to a potential new job. Significant effects are found for a range of personal and demographic characteristics, including gender, years of education, type of job, and location. The evidence suggests support for the spatial mismatch hypothesis and shows differing accessibility to employment opportunities for certain types of unemployed people. The findings also suggest that models of the trade-off between leisure and work time should fully include travel-to-work time as part of this trade-off.

Aqueous morpholine pre-treatment in cellulose nanofibril (CNF) production: comparison with carboxymethylation and TEMPO oxidisation pre-treatment methods

Abstract: In this study, pulped cellulose fibres were pre-treated with aqueous morpholine prior to mechanical disruption in the production of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF). The properties of the morpholine pre-treated CNF (MCNF) were closely compared with CNF obtained from carboxymethylation (CMCNF) and TEMPO-oxidation (TCNF) pre-treatment methods. An investigation of the swelling behaviours of cellulose in varying concentrations of morpholine revealed that there is a synergistic behaviour between morpholine and water in its ability to swell cellulose. As a result, cellulose pulp dispersed in 1:1 mole ratio of morpholine to water was well swollen and readily fibrillated by mechanical shear. Surface chemistry analyses indicated that the surface of the MCNF remained unmodified, compared to the CMCNF and TCNF which were modified with anionic groups. This resulted in only a slight decrease in crystallinity index and a minimal effect on the thermal stability of MCNF, compared to CMCNF and TCNF which showed marked decreases in crystallinity indices and thermal stabilities. The average widths of MCNF, CMCNF and TCNF, as measured from electron microscopic images, were broadly similar. The higher polydispersity of MCNF widths however led to a differential sedimentation and subsequent lower aspect ratio in comparison with CMCNF and TCNF as estimated using the sedimentation approach. Also, the presence of electrostatic repulsive forces, physical interactions/entanglements and lower rigidity threshold of the CMCNF and TCNF resulted in higher storage moduli compared to the MCNF, whose elasticity is controlled by physical interactions and entanglements. Aqueous morpholine pre-treatment can potentially be regarded as an ecologically sustainable process for unmodified CNF production, since the chemical reagent is not consumed and can be recovered and reused.

Component-based development

Abstract: A method is provided for adapting a software component. The method includes the steps of extracting a component specification comprising binary code and metadata from a first component; creating a context-oriented adaptation specification; adapting at least part of the first component in accordance with the context-oriented adaptation specification and an adaptation rule; and generating an adapted component on the basis of the adapted and un-adapted parts of the first component. A tool is also provided for carrying out these steps and may be part of a computer program.

Talking Therapy Services for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) in Scotland: Perspectives of Service Users and Professionals

Abstract: This study aimed to elicit perceptions and experiences of talking therapy services for CSA survivors and professionals utilizing qualitative interviews and analyzing transcripts using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Participants included 13 adult survivors and 31 professionals in statutory and voluntary services in Scotland. Main themes were benefits from and challenges of the therapeutic process. Benefits included a trusting therapeutic relationship, feeling safe to disclose, breaking isolation, enhancing self-esteem and self-worth, contextualizing the abuse, and moving toward recovery. Challenges included trauma-focused work, supportive contact, continuity and consistency of services, accessibility during acute episodes, hearing and managing disclosures, child protection issues, and availability and accessibility of services. The findings support a greater emphasis on relational models, supervision, and training.