Browse by Type of Work

In June 2023, the library kicked-off a project, supported by internal Quality-Related funding. A Project Officer with coding expertise analysed data about publications, datasets and other outputs produced by Birmingham academics. Conversations with researchers from many career stages and disciplin...
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In June 2023, the library kicked-off a project, supported by internal Quality-Related funding. A Project Officer with coding expertise analysed data about publications, datasets and other outputs produced by Birmingham academics. Conversations with researchers from many career stages and disciplines were also conducted, exposing exemplars of good practice and open research culture.

Background. Elite disabled athletes have the opportunity to increase awareness on social rights of disable people but, there is no data in non-Western culture on how elite disable athletes can be supported in their social mission. Aims. ① Describe difference between disabled elite athletes and ...
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Background. Elite disabled athletes have the opportunity to increase awareness on social rights of disable people but, there is no data in non-Western culture on how elite disable athletes can be supported in their social mission. Aims. ① Describe difference between disabled elite athletes and non-athletes for activism orientation in South Korea ② Understand the reasons why/why not disabled elite athletes engage in activism, in comparison to disabled non-athletes in South Korea

The disability movement developed from an initial stage with emphasis on empowering discriminated people towards a stage with emphasis on enabling human rights. Accordingly, throughout history disabled people have participated in various forms of activism, including sports. Since the establishment o...
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The disability movement developed from an initial stage with emphasis on empowering discriminated people towards a stage with emphasis on enabling human rights. Accordingly, throughout history disabled people have participated in various forms of activism, including sports. Since the establishment of the Paralympic games, disability sport has become a potentially useful platform to raise public awareness on the disability right movement. That is because elite disabled athletes are given much attention in various public spaces (e.g., the media) in comparison to other disabled people. The current study aimed to expand the literature on disabled athlete activism by categorizing the forms of activism that disabled people engage in and identifying commonalities and differences across three sports status levels (elite athletes, retired athletes and non-athletes). Participants were 11 disabled elite athletes, 4 retired athletes, and 6 non-athletes in South Korea. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using narrative analysis with regards to: style and type of activism; consequences of activism; comparison of activism among the three different sports status levels. The results were categorized into ‘Social activism’ (e.g., motivational speech), ‘Scholar activism’ (e.g., research), ‘Political activism’ (e.g., candlelight protest), ‘Sport-based activism’ (e.g., athletes), and ‘Online activism’ (e.g., blog). Compared to non-athlete activism, which focused mainly on political activism, athlete activism focused mainly on social, scholar, and sport-based activism. These findings provide key knowledge of the current status of the sport disability activism movement and, furthermore, provide possible directions of its near-future development.

Dyslexia is a universal reading difficulty. It can be found in all countries, cultures and languages: Arabian, European, Chinese, etc. However, everybody is different. Dyslexic individuals are different too. They face different problems while reading. Some of them may not understand what is written,...
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Dyslexia is a universal reading difficulty. It can be found in all countries, cultures and languages: Arabian, European, Chinese, etc. However, everybody is different. Dyslexic individuals are different too. They face different problems while reading. Some of them may not understand what is written, while others may omit, transpose or alter letters while reading a word. And the same at the word level. The aim of this research is to overcome these problems by providing each dyslexic individual with the appropriate learning to improve his/her reading. This may also result in improving other aspects of their difficulties: such as spelling, self-esteem, etc. To do this,the research will follow three stages: • Diagnosing a dyslexic child to identify their dyslexic type, • Developing a training system to provide a series of learning exercises tailored to the needs of the individual dyslexic child. • Evaluating the proposed system in terms of learning and satisfaction.

This project looks at how both staff and student leaders understand, recognise, and embed diverse embodied cultural capital within the institutional environment/ ethos/ cultural pedagogy of three schools/ colleges based in Leicester. It does so within the historical context of Leicester's multicultu...
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This project looks at how both staff and student leaders understand, recognise, and embed diverse embodied cultural capital within the institutional environment/ ethos/ cultural pedagogy of three schools/ colleges based in Leicester. It does so within the historical context of Leicester's multiculturalism. This project looks for evidence of a global multicultural capital embedded within each institution's ethos/ environment/ open spaces. It is looking for evidence of institutional, symbolic, and objectified recognition of embodied non-white cultural capital in institutions where non-white students are the large majority. It does so through a postcolonial theoretical lens. It hopes to find non-white cultural capital embedded within each institution's ethos/ open spaces as a counter-balance to the formal colonial curriculum. It explores whether the embodied narratives, histories, and experiences of non-white students are recognised as a way to contest unequal power relations and oppressive cultural hierarchies within education and wider society.

My research examines the output of over 150 female artists who contributed to the 'poster movement' in Britain (1919 and 1939). Challenging the conventionally male-focused nature of Art History I explore how these women used the alternative medium of the poster to achieve artistic notoriety and cons...
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My research examines the output of over 150 female artists who contributed to the 'poster movement' in Britain (1919 and 1939). Challenging the conventionally male-focused nature of Art History I explore how these women used the alternative medium of the poster to achieve artistic notoriety and consider how this connected to the changing social, political, and cultural position of women during the interwar. My research focuses specifically on women's work for major companies and bodies, including the government's Empire Marketing Board campaign and the General Post Office's publicity drive. This allows me to explore both the impact of women on the visual culture of the interwar period and the relationship between poster work and the wider growth in female power and autonomy during this time.

Infections on the surface of prosthetic implants such as hip replacements account for a quarter of all implant removals, and are frequently life-threatening. To combat this, we need new approaches to make implants more resistant to infection, working together with the normal oral or injected antibio...
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Infections on the surface of prosthetic implants such as hip replacements account for a quarter of all implant removals, and are frequently life-threatening. To combat this, we need new approaches to make implants more resistant to infection, working together with the normal oral or injected antibiotics used after surgery. My research is finding ways to do just this using silver, an antimicrobial that has been in use for thousands of years. By using modern metal 3D printing techniques, it's possible to introduce silver to implants in entirely new ways. Whether through weaving silver into the ordinary alloy of an implant, or introducing a second material like a silver loaded cement, the next generation of implants could be protected from bacteria whilst having the customisability available through 3D printing.

The Chinese state is leading a neoliberal transformation in China's rural area. A growing number of rural topic TV dramas choose to follow its agenda. However, it is not clear why the TV drama industry gets involved in this rural transformation process, and how much these dramas can help the state t...
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The Chinese state is leading a neoliberal transformation in China's rural area. A growing number of rural topic TV dramas choose to follow its agenda. However, it is not clear why the TV drama industry gets involved in this rural transformation process, and how much these dramas can help the state to carry out its policies. This study aims to address these issues. By conducting in-depth interviews with government officials, drama professionals and peasants in two villages, supplemented by analyses of relevant literature and archives, this research reveals how China's rural neoliberal transformation process looks like when it intersects with China's media marketisation process. It concludes that the Chinese state is increasingly collaborating with the market for the interpenetration of political-economic interests, and thereby joins the global discussion on how neoliberalism, as a way of governing, works in different socio-political contexts.

Presentation from the UXLibs V conference (2019): What are the benefits of allowing students to lead your UX research, and how can they contribute to your understanding of the lived experience of your users? Our intern took control of a cultural probe into the PGT experience at Birmingham, which ...
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Presentation from the UXLibs V conference (2019): What are the benefits of allowing students to lead your UX research, and how can they contribute to your understanding of the lived experience of your users? Our intern took control of a cultural probe into the PGT experience at Birmingham, which also investigated and analysed various UX techniques.

In the UK, urbanization continues unabated. We are fast losing 'greenspace', a key habitat for supporting many native species. Simultaneously, the impacts of climate change are also being observed, most notably in the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events (EWEs). However, litt...
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In the UK, urbanization continues unabated. We are fast losing 'greenspace', a key habitat for supporting many native species. Simultaneously, the impacts of climate change are also being observed, most notably in the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events (EWEs). However, little is known about how wildlife respond to these multiple challenges. My research investigates how fine-scale environmental change within the complex cityscape affects the timing of breeding (phenology) and breeding success in the urban-adapted Blue Tit. Six years of nestbox data were collected from a network of 31 sites (N=310), covering a gradient of increasing urbanization and decreasing habitat connectivity in the city of Birmingham. I will introduce how I am modelling this data together with high resolution satellite and ground-based temperature and precipitation data, to better understand how the city environment buffers (or exacerbates) the potentially detrimental effects of extreme weather during different phases of the breeding cycle.

Nottingham was an important town during the British Civil Wars of the 1630s and 40s. Despite the King raising his standard in the town it rapidly became a stronghold for Parliament, and its residents became embroiled in one of the fiercest areas of fighting in the country. This research builds on an...
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Nottingham was an important town during the British Civil Wars of the 1630s and 40s. Despite the King raising his standard in the town it rapidly became a stronghold for Parliament, and its residents became embroiled in one of the fiercest areas of fighting in the country. This research builds on and extends the 'county study' approach in novel ways; rather than focusing on political and military events it concentrates on the experiences of Nottingham's population and interprets the impact of the Civil Wars on everyday life. It attempts to reconstruct and understand the civilian experience of a garrison town during a period of often brutal civil war. Adopting innovative ways of reading the past, it incorporates soundscapes and 'history from below' in a way which shines a spotlight on the masses rather than the elite during Nottingham's difficult transformation from market and county town to fortified stronghold.

Liquid is one of the primary state of matter that has so much importance in our lives. The fact that every liquid has distinct property called the dielectric constant. It gives us the opportunity to measure and analyse various form of liquids by simply exposing them to some sort of electrical signal...
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Liquid is one of the primary state of matter that has so much importance in our lives. The fact that every liquid has distinct property called the dielectric constant. It gives us the opportunity to measure and analyse various form of liquids by simply exposing them to some sort of electrical signal. Today this knowledge of dielectric properties of liquids has become an important tool, if properly interpreted will provide useful information that can be utilised in many ways. From changes in concentration level; to moisture content in plants; to analysis of body fluids to aid medical diagnosis. For instance early detection and monitoring of diseases such as diabetic and cancer in medicine and quality of product in food and petroleum industry. My research is aimed at designing sensors that are capable of investigating liquids with accuracy and at reduce cost using microwave resonators cavities.

Recent statistics reveal 65% of Black Caribbean female students achieved A*- C in GCSE English and Maths compared with 88% of Chinese female students. The discourse of underachievement for Black Caribbean female students has been a common feature of secondary education in the UK for decades, yet the...
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Recent statistics reveal 65% of Black Caribbean female students achieved A*- C in GCSE English and Maths compared with 88% of Chinese female students. The discourse of underachievement for Black Caribbean female students has been a common feature of secondary education in the UK for decades, yet there are few studies undertaken. Instead, the overcrowded debate often leans towards boys. My research aims to explore the complexities of underachievement by ethnicity, focusing on Black Caribbean female students. My purpose is to ascertain the combination of factors that contribute to this discourse as well as drawing comparisons with high achieving Chinese female students. My findings shall determine factors that contribute to achievement for Black Caribbean female students and will recommend sustainable solutions to raise the achievement of Black Caribbean female students in secondary education in the UK.

As we age, natural changes in bone and muscle occur. However, sometimes these changes can lead to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoporosis. In the past 50 years there have been big improvements in the treatment of RA, leading to a large increase in life expectancy. However, new tr...
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As we age, natural changes in bone and muscle occur. However, sometimes these changes can lead to diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoporosis. In the past 50 years there have been big improvements in the treatment of RA, leading to a large increase in life expectancy. However, new treatments are being developed at a slow pace and treatment strategies predominantly modify only minor features of the diseases and are not able to stop or reverse bone damage. Recently we have found a novel leukocyte transmigration peptide, agent X, which may have the ability to increase bone growth, leading to stronger, less breakable bones. Additionally, in models of disease, preliminary data has suggested that agent X is able to restore bone growth and decrease bone damage. This data advocates that in both healthy and diseased bones, agent X may have a beneficial strengthening role, providing possible therapeutic potential in reducing fracture rates in the elderly and restoring bone growth during arthritis.

Two barriers to successful dental implant surgery are (1) the possibility of infection and (2) poor compatibility with native human cells. The mouth is colonised by millions of bacteria, living in communities called biofilms. Human cells in the mouth are in competition with these bacteria to occupy ...
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Two barriers to successful dental implant surgery are (1) the possibility of infection and (2) poor compatibility with native human cells. The mouth is colonised by millions of bacteria, living in communities called biofilms. Human cells in the mouth are in competition with these bacteria to occupy the implant surface. Infection can result in the need for implant removal, which is both costly and very painful. New materials for implants are continuously being developed, but are not making it into clinics. Testing innovative materials is challenging due to the highly complex oral environment. We are combining models of oral tissue with bacterial biofilms, to better understand how we can help human cells win the 'race to the surface'.

My research investigates the different emotions used in British anti-slavery literature. Abolitionist (anti-slavery) writers used sentimental tropes (expressions of sadness, such as slave's tears) to evoke sympathy, and gain the reader's support for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. This...
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My research investigates the different emotions used in British anti-slavery literature. Abolitionist (anti-slavery) writers used sentimental tropes (expressions of sadness, such as slave's tears) to evoke sympathy, and gain the reader's support for the abolition of slavery and the slave trade. This will be compared with portrayals of anger, manifested in slave revolts, violence, and vengeance, although this was problematic as it highlighted the threat posed by slaves. Therefore, abolitionists portrayed slaves praying for divine vengeance, depicting natural disasters (such as earthquakes) as manifestations of God's wrath. Such fear tactics portrayed slavery as a national sin, with abolition as the only way to avoid divine punishment. Current scholarship concerns abolitionist's use of individual emotions, which my research develops with a comparison of these emotions. It will impact both historical studies of the anti-slavery campaign and literary studies of emotions, as well as potentially influencing persuasive techniques of future political campaigns.

Ancient Rome was a complicated place. Cluttered, noisy and unplanned, it was the exact opposite of the grid-plan ideal Romans favoured in their provinces. This all changed in 64 AD, though, when, as Nero fiddled, much of Rome burned down. This enabled the capital to be reordered and regularised. How...
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Ancient Rome was a complicated place. Cluttered, noisy and unplanned, it was the exact opposite of the grid-plan ideal Romans favoured in their provinces. This all changed in 64 AD, though, when, as Nero fiddled, much of Rome burned down. This enabled the capital to be reordered and regularised. However, one district escaped all that. Transtiberim (meaning 'across the river') was the only part of Rome on the other side of the river, and, spared from the destruction, it evolved in a very different, more chaotic way to the rest of the city. My poster illustrates how, both part of and apart from the ancient metropolis, this understudied region went from bucolic idyll to criminal hotbed; from home of the Senatorial elite to centre for diaspora communities and the destitute. Here, at the epicentre of classical civilisation, we find therefore an all too recognisable tale of urban development and decline.

The mechanics associated with a living entity dictates its ability to survive or perish. Similarly, heart valve function relies on its mechanical properties and structural integrity. A compromise in these leads to diseased valve states. There are still many unknowns on the influence of dimensional c...
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The mechanics associated with a living entity dictates its ability to survive or perish. Similarly, heart valve function relies on its mechanical properties and structural integrity. A compromise in these leads to diseased valve states. There are still many unknowns on the influence of dimensional changes in valve mechanics: to tackle this, we created a mathematical model describing the shape of a heart valve based upon clinical data. We then established a computational characterization associated with different valve configurations. Our model predicted different cases of function, associated with valve geometrical changes. Diseased configurations, yielded greater valve tissue stress in comparison with healthy ones, exhibiting greater damaging. Our model provides with adjustable geometric detail, useful to study customized cases by employing diverse patient data and generating a range of geometries for computational assessment. Such framework can aid in patient risk stratification by indicating which configurations are associated with unfavorable performance.

Gender-related research in the Middle Eastern context has mainly addressed the female body and the plight of Muslim women in Islamic societies. Muslim masculinity has had little attention paid to it, in comparison with Muslim femininity. In my PhD, I attempt to further the analytical research on M...
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Gender-related research in the Middle Eastern context has mainly addressed the female body and the plight of Muslim women in Islamic societies. Muslim masculinity has had little attention paid to it, in comparison with Muslim femininity. In my PhD, I attempt to further the analytical research on Middle Eastern art and gender by considering the impact of globalisation on local gender relations, and by taking masculinities into account so as to assess the interactions between the stereotypical representation of Muslim men's and women's gender practices. In this respect, I investigate how Western curatorial policies have strengthened traditional monolithic gender identity within the other culture, and how individuals (here, the artists/art critics who are associated with the Islamic world) respond to their fixed given identity. My intention is for this research to create more diversity in general perceptions of those cultural practices that represent Muslim men and women.

Feminist films cannot be reduced to women's cinema. A possible definition of women's cinema includes films about women, films addressed to women or films directed by women, one of the commonest understandings hitherto. However, in terms of filmmakers of feminist films, it is crucial to make clear th...
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Feminist films cannot be reduced to women's cinema. A possible definition of women's cinema includes films about women, films addressed to women or films directed by women, one of the commonest understandings hitherto. However, in terms of filmmakers of feminist films, it is crucial to make clear that there is no limitation on the gender categories they may fall into. This research draws attention to Westernised films and Hong Kong cinema directed by filmmakers with different genders between 1990-2000, discussing gender representation in cinema in relation to different socio-cultural contexts and various gender perspectives of the directors. The redefinition of 'feminist film' is expected to challenge the stereotype that women make good feminist films and men are unlikely to be feminists. The exploration of the films' feminism would also help to challenge the gender binary, assisting people in examining their traditional concepts of gender.

At the start of August 2018, the University of Birmingham successfully went live with both Alma (migrating from Aleph) and the Primo newUI. The implementation project was run by a small team of Library and IT staff with a wider pool of Library functional experts cascading change management, training...
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At the start of August 2018, the University of Birmingham successfully went live with both Alma (migrating from Aleph) and the Primo newUI. The implementation project was run by a small team of Library and IT staff with a wider pool of Library functional experts cascading change management, training and testing to their staff. Frances Machell (Library Services) and Ed Craft (IT Services) talk about both organizational and technical aspects of the implementation, changes to service ownership and integration with multiple third-party applications.

At the University of Birmingham considering ‘user experience’ and ‘delivering services’ are now vital components of strong library management. Students began to raise concerns about the lack of study space availability as a result of a 33% increase in library use since the completion of the new ...
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At the University of Birmingham considering ‘user experience’ and ‘delivering services’ are now vital components of strong library management. Students began to raise concerns about the lack of study space availability as a result of a 33% increase in library use since the completion of the new Main Library in 2016. We responded to this feedback through our ‘You Said/We Did’ campaign by implementing ‘Red Amber, Green (RAG) Study Space Monitoring’ and ‘Seat Hogging’ initiatives. Our presentation will also explore the topic of the library user as a customer within the context of Higher Education, debate the changing nature of student expectations and demonstrate how we extensively collaborated with multiple university departments to implement the changes for the students

This research dissertation deals with issues of gender representation in contemporary film Westerns. The classic view of the Western as a male genre that marginalizes women has been contested in the last twenty-five years. A trend of films has challenged the idea of the feminine as inferior to the m...
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This research dissertation deals with issues of gender representation in contemporary film Westerns. The classic view of the Western as a male genre that marginalizes women has been contested in the last twenty-five years. A trend of films has challenged the idea of the feminine as inferior to the masculine within the Western landscape. Reversal of roles, violence, and the exposure of oppression are used as strategies in order to allow the Western to accommodate feminist discourse. It can be argued that the impact of this research can be found within the current political and social debates around feminism, the necessity to equal women´s rights to men´s, and the pervasiveness of masculine gender violence. Proving a feminist reversal in a traditionally masculine film genre would help it to maintain social relevance, on the one hand; and, on the other hand, could result in some valuable dissemination of feminist ideology.

In 1988, Sino-India security cooperation was restored after decades of deep hostility following the 1962 China-India border war. Yet, in 1998, security cooperation between the two countries came to collapse such that Indian nuclear test, Pokhran II, was specifically targeted against China. What has ...
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In 1988, Sino-India security cooperation was restored after decades of deep hostility following the 1962 China-India border war. Yet, in 1998, security cooperation between the two countries came to collapse such that Indian nuclear test, Pokhran II, was specifically targeted against China. What has determined the rise and fall of Sino-India cooperation from the late 1980s onwards? How far can Sino-India security cooperation be re-established in the twenty-first century? My research builds on the International Relations theorizing on the security dilemma and costly-signalling, and the Political Psychology literature on enemy images. It adopts a mixed-method approach to originally investigate the causal mechanisms promoting Sino-India security cooperation from 1988 to 1998, showing how far these are replicable in the light of the demise of security cooperation from 1998 onwards. It envisages a scope for peaceful interactions between two states whose relationship will be a key determinant of 21st century international security.

My research addresses how the international community goes about trying to prevent conflict-related sexual violence. With much of the focus on international law, I examine the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, put forth by the UK Government in 2012. I assess the legalistic approach to preventio...
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My research addresses how the international community goes about trying to prevent conflict-related sexual violence. With much of the focus on international law, I examine the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, put forth by the UK Government in 2012. I assess the legalistic approach to prevention and the progress that has been made over the last few decades.

Mental stress often increases our blood pressure, and makes us feel anxious, stressed and unhappy. Large increases in blood pressure and psychological responses to stress can lead to cardiovascular disease and psychological disorders. Exercise is proposed to potentially reduce these blood pressure a...
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Mental stress often increases our blood pressure, and makes us feel anxious, stressed and unhappy. Large increases in blood pressure and psychological responses to stress can lead to cardiovascular disease and psychological disorders. Exercise is proposed to potentially reduce these blood pressure and negative emotional responses experienced during mental stress. Forty individuals completed a 10-minute mental stress task on two separate occasions: once on its own, and once after 10-minutes of moderately high intensity cycling. Results showed blood pressure during stress was lower after exercise. However, participants also experienced greater anxiety, feelings of stress, and negative emotions such as tension and depression, during the stress following exercise. Therefore, exercise before stress may be good in reducing our blood pressure response to stress and thus reducing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but bad for our psychological health by causing more negative thoughts and emotions.

My research will ask how, and why, the meaningful participation of children in transitional justice should be facilitated in post-conflict environments. This will involve the first review of existing provision for children in transitional justice, and the bringing together of perspectives in develop...
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My research will ask how, and why, the meaningful participation of children in transitional justice should be facilitated in post-conflict environments. This will involve the first review of existing provision for children in transitional justice, and the bringing together of perspectives in development studies and law. The lens through which the work will be presented is through the experience of ‘ex-children’ (those adults who, as children, grew up in the shadow of protracted conflict and the transition period that followed). Through interweaving a ‘golden thread’ by way of international child rights, specifically the “right to be heard” (as presented in Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child), the project will look at two focus countries with a history of protracted conflict, asking new questions about the way children and youth were affected, and ‘make the case’ for supporting child participation in transitional justice.

In the world, both the ecological balance and the health of the people are endangered with the increase of environmental problems and disasters. At the bottom of the environmental problems lies the use of energy resources far from sustainability and without consideration of nature. However, the need...
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In the world, both the ecological balance and the health of the people are endangered with the increase of environmental problems and disasters. At the bottom of the environmental problems lies the use of energy resources far from sustainability and without consideration of nature. However, the needs of today must be met without jeopardizing for the needs of the next generation, which is achieved through the provision of environmental sustainability. Avoiding depletion in the natural sources and ensuring environmental sustainability is possible with saving energy and protecting natural resources. Buildings play an important role in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. Therefore, disaster relief housing with district scale solutions is considered to be potential area to increase energy efficiency and decrease environmental impacts throughout their life span.

People with chronic low back pain (CLBP) move differently and display changes in the activity of their back muscles, which may have implications for ongoing symptoms. Utilising a novel method to measure the distribution of back muscle activity, we investigated whether people with CLBP engage differe...
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People with chronic low back pain (CLBP) move differently and display changes in the activity of their back muscles, which may have implications for ongoing symptoms. Utilising a novel method to measure the distribution of back muscle activity, we investigated whether people with CLBP engage different regions of their back muscles during a sustained contraction. Back muscle activity was recorded from 13 people with CLBP and 13 healthy control participants as they completed a timed back extension endurance test until task failure. People with CLBP sustained the contraction for 95.6s less than the control participants. During the task, CLBP participants showed a lower level of activation of their back muscles and a lower level of redistribution of muscle activity over the task duration. These results show that the CLBP group used a different muscle strategy to perform the task, which may have relevance for ongoing pain and more rapid fatigue.

They traversed continents, grew up bilingual, experienced family separations, were socially mobile, and crossed racial and cultural barriers; yet children of missionaries are seldom mentioned in general or religious histories. This project moves children's experience centre-stage to recover these ma...
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They traversed continents, grew up bilingual, experienced family separations, were socially mobile, and crossed racial and cultural barriers; yet children of missionaries are seldom mentioned in general or religious histories. This project moves children's experience centre-stage to recover these marginalized voices through an interdisciplinary approach that includes history, anthropology, and human geography. Through archival research and oral history, it will increase our understanding of these global actors praised as 'great humanitarians' by some and accused as 'cultural imperialists' by others - and explore the role of children as cultural mediators with their own perspectives that intersect with issues of migration, race, culture, politics and faith.

One of the major concerns of oral medicines is patient's ability to swallow. It was reported that 4 of 10 of adults struggle to swallow medicines. Notably, in the older populations this difficulty is often enhanced by dysphagia or dry mouth. Coating oral medicines with polymers is a common method to...
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One of the major concerns of oral medicines is patient's ability to swallow. It was reported that 4 of 10 of adults struggle to swallow medicines. Notably, in the older populations this difficulty is often enhanced by dysphagia or dry mouth. Coating oral medicines with polymers is a common method to improve swallowing of the tablets. We carry out the clinical study to examine swallowability of tablets with different coatings in comparison with uncoated tablets. Moreover, our research looks into the texture and overall mouthfeel of the tablets. The study was designed according to the standard rules of sensory analysis. We aim to compare the influence of variables like time to swallow or amount of used water, on the swallowability of the tablets. Additionally we try to evaluate the attributes of mouthfeel and use them to predict the acceptability of bespoke tablets.

In the context of the so-called "refugee crisis" starting in 2015, the European Union (EU) has had a rather inconsistent approach to refugee inflows. The EU simultaneously stressed its commitment to offering protection to people fleeing wars and persecutions as well as developed cooperation with non...
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In the context of the so-called "refugee crisis" starting in 2015, the European Union (EU) has had a rather inconsistent approach to refugee inflows. The EU simultaneously stressed its commitment to offering protection to people fleeing wars and persecutions as well as developed cooperation with non-European countries, such as Turkey or Afghanistan, in order to constrain migrants within countries where they are from or which they are crossing on their way to Europe. Researching these cooperation policies matters, not only because they have huge impacts on migrants' lives and might lead to further persecutions, torture or even death by preventing these people to reach Europe and thus, the protection that they deserve according to international treaties. It also matters because these policies are used by the EU to impose the burden of refugees on the poorest countries in the world, rather than sharing it with developed countries.

In spite of a move to democracy in Spain, immigrant female representation in recent cultural publication is still predominantly that of the exotic, pathetic or visually fetishistic and specters of paternalism remain in the sociological mind-set. My research reflects on Spanish immigration law, postm...
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In spite of a move to democracy in Spain, immigrant female representation in recent cultural publication is still predominantly that of the exotic, pathetic or visually fetishistic and specters of paternalism remain in the sociological mind-set. My research reflects on Spanish immigration law, postmillennial literature and film, discourse analytics, gender history and women's writing in Spain, with a view to establishing how the liminal immigrant female is imagined and represented in an EU-minded postmodern Spain and whether notable indications of progress are visible. In my thesis I consider: contrasting filmic/ literary representations of female immigrants from China, Latin America and Africa; gender space, identity and social capital; and the limitations of maternity, sexuality and 'otherness.' To set this against the current socio-literary milieu, I explore how key philosophical interpretations may be applied or contradicted in relation to specifically female immigration works.

Recently, there has been a resurgence of scholarly interest into athlete activism. So far, predominantly, academics have employed a historical perspective to study how elite-level western non-disabled athletes engage in social activism. For example, studies investigating how elite athletes use their...
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Recently, there has been a resurgence of scholarly interest into athlete activism. So far, predominantly, academics have employed a historical perspective to study how elite-level western non-disabled athletes engage in social activism. For example, studies investigating how elite athletes use their profiles to challenge social inequalities. The aim of this symposium is to bring international scholars together to discuss global trends in athlete activism research. Three studies will be presented to demonstrate the widening empirical, methodological, and conceptual scope of athlete activism research. Inhyang Choi will present an qualitative investigation of Koran disabled athlete’s experiences of social and political engagement. Inhyang’s study is underpinned by a cultural sport psychology paradigm with attention to the influence of the Asian philosophy of Confucianism on athlete activism. Then, underpinned by a critical disability studies paradigm, Damian Haslett will present an exploration of recreational and elite Irish Para athletes’ experiences of activism. Finally, Ted Butryn will present an investigation on American high school athletes’ perceptions of Colin Kaepernick and athlete activism within and beyond the NFL. It is our hope that this symposium provides an opportunity to discover new methods of analysis and to encourage inter-disciplinary and cross-cultural research on sport and social justice.

Sport and exercise psychology has recently expanded into how it can be utilized to enable social missions, such as investigating athletes who engage social activism. Predominantly, researchers have investigated social activism among elite able-bodied athletes. Recently a small number of scholar have...
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Sport and exercise psychology has recently expanded into how it can be utilized to enable social missions, such as investigating athletes who engage social activism. Predominantly, researchers have investigated social activism among elite able-bodied athletes. Recently a small number of scholar have extended the research on athlete activism to a focus upon western disabled elite athletes. However, not only is research still rare on the latter topic, but there is a complete absence of empirical research on social activism among disabled athletes in non-western cultures. This research adopted a cultural sport psychology (CSP) approach to explore disabled athlete activism among South Korean athletes. A CSP lens was used because the Asian philosophy of Confucianism has a strong influence over how South Korean’s engage in social and political issues compare with previous studies based on Western culture. The purpose of this study was to provide insights from athletes who represent a broad continuum of orientations towards engaging in social activism. Thirty respondents of the Activism Orientation Scale were recruited using a maximum variation purposive sampling strategy. Participants were elite and recreational disabled athletes who represented a range of physical impairments and sports type. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with an auto photography method. The data was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results are discussed in relation to: the type of activism; adoption/rejection of various activist identities; contextually informed activist identities; and cultural sport psychology. Practical suggestions are also offered in relation to sport and social activism.

The Trees and Design Action Group is a network that connects individuals and professionals from the public and private sectors to raise awareness of the benefits of urban green infrastructure. TDAG Midlands meetings are Knowledge Exchange events facilitated by Emma Ferranti (University of Birmingham...
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The Trees and Design Action Group is a network that connects individuals and professionals from the public and private sectors to raise awareness of the benefits of urban green infrastructure. TDAG Midlands meetings are Knowledge Exchange events facilitated by Emma Ferranti (University of Birmingham) as part of her NERC KE Fellowship 2016-2019.

The climate change threat to humanity challenges the creation of sustainable transport infrastructure based on the triptych of balancing and maximising environmental, economic and social value. A piece of infrastructure may be created in a sustainable manner, but may be then subsequently used unsust...
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The climate change threat to humanity challenges the creation of sustainable transport infrastructure based on the triptych of balancing and maximising environmental, economic and social value. A piece of infrastructure may be created in a sustainable manner, but may be then subsequently used unsustainably, that would not be sustainable. In other words, sustainable transport infrastructure is linked with the use of the most sustainable transport choices. Environmental value may be defined by the natural and anthropogenic factors and elements which interact with and influence the natural ecosystem, quality of life, and human health and well-being. Emissions are a widely accepted way by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to “calculate” environmental damaging actions. Emissions address the production of pollutants and the placement of waste into the environment. The target is to reduce the use of transport modes with high environmental impact (e.g. cars) and replace them with transport modes with low or no environmental impact (e.g. public transport, walking, cycling). The hypothesis tested is that each individual should be able to understand which transport mode is the most sustainable and investigate whether each individual will accept the use of alternative options that consume less energy and generate fewer emissions. The methodology used was statistical inference. The hypothesis regarding the individuals’ understanding was verified with some deviations and a table with the environmental infrastructure interdependencies was developed based on EXIOBASE 3 database using the emissions generated from each transport sector for comparison purposes.

Camera-based eye tracking research has revealed that experts make longer fixations on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting) prior to and following movement onset, compared to novices. Yet it is not clear how ocular activity affects motor performance. It is possible that the limite...
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Camera-based eye tracking research has revealed that experts make longer fixations on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting) prior to and following movement onset, compared to novices. Yet it is not clear how ocular activity affects motor performance. It is possible that the limited temporal resolution of camera systems has held back progress on this issue. We analysed horizontal EOG (512 Hz, 0.1-30 Hz filtered) from ten expert and ten novice golfers as they putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. We used multiple voltage thresholds to measure the duration of the final fixation (quiet eye; QE) with its pre- and post-movement onset components. We also measured ocular activity across time as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins, –4 to +2 s from movement onset (eye quietness; EQ): lower values correspond with greater quietness. Finally, we measured ball address and club swing durations using infrared and sound sensors. Total QE duration did not differ between groups. However, experts had shorter pre-movement QE and longer post-movement QE than novices. Experts had less EQ before movement onset and greater EQ after movement onset. EQ was inversely correlated with QE duration, concurrently validating EQ as an index of ocular activity. Experts had longer swing durations than novices. Swing duration correlated positively with post-movement QE and negatively with post-movement EQ. Our findings provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute motor skills.

Presentation given at the International Group of ExLibris Users (IGeLU) conference, St Petersburg, September 2017. Over summer 2016 the University of Birmingham migrated its main collection, three site libraries and extensive stores into a new, £60 million pound facility while minimising the disr...
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Presentation given at the International Group of ExLibris Users (IGeLU) conference, St Petersburg, September 2017. Over summer 2016 the University of Birmingham migrated its main collection, three site libraries and extensive stores into a new, £60 million pound facility while minimising the disruption to users as much as possible. The practical and technical problems of moving staff, services and resources are discussed with specific reference to how the use of ExLibris' Primo and Aleph applications as ‘authorities’ in the form of FindIt@Bham were essential to the success of the project.

Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the f...
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Quiet eye (QE) is the final ocular fixation on the target of an action (e.g., the ball in golf putting). Camerabased eye-tracking studies have consistently found longer QE durations in experts than novices; however, mechanisms underlying QE are not known. To offer a new perspective we examined the feasibility of measuring the QE using electrooculography (EOG) and developed an index to assess ocular activity across time: eye quietness (EQ). Ten expert and ten novice golfers putted 60 balls to a 2.4 m distant hole. Horizontal EOG (2ms resolution) was recorded from two electrodes placed on the outer sides of the eyes. QE duration was measured using a EOG voltage threshold and comprised the sum of the pre-movement and post-movement initiation components. EQ was computed as the standard deviation of the EOG in 0.5 s bins from –4 to +2 s, relative to backswing initiation: lower values indicate less movement of the eyes, hence greater quietness. Finally, we measured club-ball address and swing durations. T-tests showed that total QE did not differ between groups (p = .31); however, experts had marginally shorter pre-movement QE (p = .08) and longer post-movement QE (p < .001) than novices. A group × time ANOVA revealed that experts had less EQ before backswing initiation and greater EQ after backswing initiation (p = .002). QE durations were inversely correlated with EQ from –1.5 to 1 s (rs = –.48 - –.90, ps = .03 - .001). Experts had longer swing durations than novices (p = .01) and, importantly, swing durations correlated positively with post-movement QE (r = .52, p = .02) and negatively with EQ from 0.5 to 1s (r = –.63, p = .003). This study demonstrates the feasibility of measuring ocular activity using EOG and validates EQ as an index of ocular activity. Its findings challenge the dominant perspective on QE and provide new evidence that expert-novice differences in ocular activity may reflect differences in the kinematics of how experts and novices execute skills.

This study employed a test-retest design to examine changes in brain activity associated with practice of a motor skill. We recorded EEG activity from twelve right-handed recreational golfers (mean handicap: 23) as they putted 50 balls to a 2.4m distant hole, before and after a 3-day practice. We me...
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This study employed a test-retest design to examine changes in brain activity associated with practice of a motor skill. We recorded EEG activity from twelve right-handed recreational golfers (mean handicap: 23) as they putted 50 balls to a 2.4m distant hole, before and after a 3-day practice. We measured changes in putting performance, conscious processing, and regional EEG alpha activity. Putting performance improved and conscious processing decreased after practice. Mediation analyses revealed that performance improvements were associated with changes in EEG alpha, whereby activity in task-irrelevant cortical regions (temporal regions) was inhibited and functionally isolated from activity in task-relevant regions (central regions). These findings provide evidence for the development of greater neurophysiological efficiency with practice of a motor skill.

The role of infrastructure interdependencies is challenging due to the complexity and dynamic environment of all infrastructures and vital for critical infrastructure systems. There is an ongoing debate about the value of the benefits of the five national infrastructure sectors (energy, water, trans...
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The role of infrastructure interdependencies is challenging due to the complexity and dynamic environment of all infrastructures and vital for critical infrastructure systems. There is an ongoing debate about the value of the benefits of the five national infrastructure sectors (energy, water, transport, waste and communication) in the UK and how they interact in terms of social, economic and environmental wellbeing , . This study focuses only on one of the three aforementioned values, the economic value. The hypothesis tested is whether the transport sector is economically complemented by the energy, water and waste sectors and economically substituted by the communication sector1. The authors use the process analysis “networks and cohorts”, an analysis that uses tables, diagrams, models and networks of interactions along with organizational linkages . Of interest for this study in particular is the grand total of all revenues (capital value) which create incomes into other sectors and creates dependencies. This, by definition, is the Gross Value Added. The last five symmetric (product by product) Input-Output tables of gross value added are used: 2010, 2005, 1995, 1990 and 1984 . The theory underpinning the hypothesis was verified and one mathematical equation was developed based on the historical data of the gross value added by the value created in millions of pounds (£m) from the other critical sectors to transport.

The idea of social value has arisen from the psychological approach, and more specifically it is based on the principle of “independence of irrelevant alternatives” from the game theory introduced by Luce and Raiffa1. According to this, each alternative situation has an utility/value for the individ...
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The idea of social value has arisen from the psychological approach, and more specifically it is based on the principle of “independence of irrelevant alternatives” from the game theory introduced by Luce and Raiffa1. According to this, each alternative situation has an utility/value for the individual, which is a function of the features of the alternative situation and of the features of the individual who makes the choice. Beyond that, it assumed that the individual, who makes the choice, has a clear and measurable knowledge of the value, which each choice provides. Although even after the evaluation of each choice, it is a tentative situation regarding the choice of the individual. In other words, there is an element of possibility. Under the same principle of Luce and Raiffa, the possibility of a choice is in direct ratio to its value. The above mentioned assumptions constitute the “strict utility choice mode”. The exponential form of the value function is achieved by simple transformations of the “strict utility choice mode”,where X and S have a linear correlation. The exponential functions of the total value have a sigmoid form relative to the linear function of the value of the possible choice. This means that the exponential function may have a sigmoid form relative to the X-axis or Y-axis, based on the defined axes and values. The key challenge addressed is a quantitative sense of value, when the perceptions of value are qualitative. To measure social value quantitatively is challenging, since it is observed that pricing systems are “not based primarily on the users’ identity or activity”, but on the ability and willingness of the final user to pay. The social value gained by the individual is difficult to calculate, since it is defined by human behaviour and human needs. According to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, these needs belong to specific groups with specific hierarchy. Maslow developed value (utility) curves of each category of need relative to the age of the individual. The sum of the curves gives an almost sigmoid curve. Winters et al. created a Transportation Hierarchy of Needs and they found the following transport hierarchy of needs: [1] safety and security, [2] time, [3] societal acceptance, [4] cost and [5] comfort and convenience. This research studied value as something holistically affected by all the above factors (time, cost, comfort and convenience, safety and security), without considering their ranking, by asking individuals representative of the UK’s demography to evaluate the social value of eight transport modes (walking, cycling, rail, bus, car, taxi, water and air) and each factor for each mode with a questionnaire survey. The hypothesis tested is that the value to the individual, collectively, from the aforementioned factors should have an almost sigmoid curve, which was verified.

The role of infrastructure interdependencies is challenging due to the complexity and dynamic environment of all infrastructures and vital for critical infrastructure systems. There is an ongoing debate about the value of the benefits of the five national infrastructure sectors (energy, water, tr...
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The role of infrastructure interdependencies is challenging due to the complexity and dynamic environment of all infrastructures and vital for critical infrastructure systems. There is an ongoing debate about the value of the benefits of the five national infrastructure sectors (energy, water, transport, waste and communication) in the UK and how they interact in terms of social, economic and environmental wellbeing (Hall et al., 2016, p.10; iBUILD, 2015; Liveable Cities, 2015; National Infrastructure Plan, 2013). This study focuses only on one of the three aforementioned values, the economic value. The hypothesis tested is whether the transport sector is economically complemented by the energy, water and waste sectors and economically substituted by the communication sector. The authors use the process analysis “networks and cohorts”, an analysis that uses tables, diagrams, models and networks of interactions along with organizational linkages (Hill, 1993). Of interest for this study in particular is the grand total of all revenues (capital value) which create incomes into other sectors and creates dependencies. This, by definition, is the Gross Value Added. The last five symmetric (product by product) Input-Output tables of gross value added are used: 2010, 2005, 1995, 1990 and 1984 (Office for National Statistics, 2015). The theory underpinning the hypothesis was verified and one mathematical equation was developed based on the historical data of the gross value added by the value created in millions of pounds (£m) from the other critical sectors to transport.

Particulate matter (PM) is a toxic pollutant formed during the combustion of fossil fuels inside the engine of our cars. PM is composed by a carbonaceous core, known as soot onto which different hydrocarbon species can be adsorbed. The detrimental effects of PM on humans are varied; it can exacerba...
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Particulate matter (PM) is a toxic pollutant formed during the combustion of fossil fuels inside the engine of our cars. PM is composed by a carbonaceous core, known as soot onto which different hydrocarbon species can be adsorbed. The detrimental effects of PM on humans are varied; it can exacerbate allergies and provoke respiratory-related illnesses. In addition, PM is linked with cardiovascular problems and the increased rate of cancer on account of the mutagenic behaviour of the majority of PM components. Also, PM is not innocuous to the environment. Soot can absorb sunlight warming the low atmosphere and PM is one of the main causes of historical building damage and soiling. Traditionally, PM emissions have been associated to diesel vehicles, however, with the introduction of Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines, petrol powertrains are also in the spotlight for current legislation. In Europe, the Euro 6c, which will come into force in September 2017, imposes a level of 6x1011 particulates emitted per kilometre. PM can be reduced and controlled from different points of view i) engine calibration ii) fuel reformulation and iii) efficient aftertreatment systems (i.e. gasoline particulate filters). Thus, the aim of my thesis is to study the intrinsic properties of PM under different engine conditions and alternative fuels in order to aid in the design of efficient pathways to reduce PM in GDI engines.

The increase in the elderly population is impacting the social and economic aspects of the modern world as increasing longevity is not matched by an increasing healthy lifespan. Increased infections are a major component of ill health in old age. The aged immune system fails to respond properly to m...
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The increase in the elderly population is impacting the social and economic aspects of the modern world as increasing longevity is not matched by an increasing healthy lifespan. Increased infections are a major component of ill health in old age. The aged immune system fails to respond properly to many infections such as pneumonia, caused mainly by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is responsible for high rates of death among the elderly. Here we studied the impact of age on the function of neutrophils, immune cells crucial for immunity to S. pneumoniae. Blood from healthy young (n=3, <30 years) and elderly (n=3, >65 years) volunteers was stimulated by antibody or complement-bound live or dead S. pneumoniae serotype 4 (TIGR4 strain). The amount of bacteria taken up by neutrophils and their production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), used to kill bacteria, was measured by flow-cytometry. The ability of neutrophils to trap S. pneumoniae extracellularly using a web made of extruded DNA (neutrophil extracellular traps, NETs) was also analysed by counting the remaining viable bacteria after incubation with neutrophils. We found that elderly neutrophils phagocytosed and produced ROS less well in response to S. pneumoniae, but this could be overcome if complement was bound to the bacteria. Although only n=1, preliminary data showed that NETs trapping of S. pneumoniae was lower (40%) in the elderly compared to young neutrophils (57%). Our data indicate that neutrophils from the elderly can produce ROS and phagocytose S. pneumoniae but may have impaired NET trapping ability.

Background: The Home Office recently conducted a survey in which they explored whether domestic abuse (DA) victims were satisfied with the services they received. The survey demonstrated that DA victims are dissatisfied. A consortium of the Police and their domestic violence support organisations de...
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Background: The Home Office recently conducted a survey in which they explored whether domestic abuse (DA) victims were satisfied with the services they received. The survey demonstrated that DA victims are dissatisfied. A consortium of the Police and their domestic violence support organisations decided to conduct this study to explore satisfaction with their services in greater detail and to use these findings to improve services. Objective: To investigate how services can be improved for people who experienced DA. Method: The study will be conducted in three phases: (1) the study will evaluate experiences of current services. We will include participants from three stakeholder groups: DA survivors, DA support staff, and criminal justice staff. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with representatives from each group. (2) The co-design process involves firstly discussing the Phase 1 findings with each of the three stakeholder groups, in order to identify priorities for change. The group representatives then come together for a collaborative co-design event, in order to plan improvements. (3) We will study the process and outcome of the Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) intervention. Implications: The study will increase our understanding of the psychosocial needs of DA survivors in the UK through using the EBCD process. This is important because the design of services is primarily based on expert views; service-users are rarely involved. Furthermore, EBCD has not been used in policing before and therefore this study will comprise internationally ground-breaking work.

This study addresses Richard Rorty's concept of "the ironist" and their place in Education. The ironist has anxieties towards language and believes our society is governed by metaphysics that use semantic arguments to validate their finality. Rorty's ironist further believes that we need to constan...
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This study addresses Richard Rorty's concept of "the ironist" and their place in Education. The ironist has anxieties towards language and believes our society is governed by metaphysics that use semantic arguments to validate their finality. Rorty's ironist further believes that we need to constantly redescribe all elements of our postmodern society to eventually instigate change. My research uses this ironist perspective to examine Education as a metaphysical being and its genealogy. The research comprises of three overall areas: The place of ironism in Education; schools currently justify their place as a "Truth" of our society through research and assessment, but these systems are a final vocabulary to be deconstructed. The history of Education; through the challenging of language, it becomes quickly clear that the history of the words and concepts becomes essential in understanding their origins, and thus reasons why we hold them in such high regard. Deconstructing these terms may reveal ideas about governance or religion that lie at the heart of Education. A redescription of Education; Rorty places great weight on the place of literature and fictions as methods of redescription, so to implement the grounds for change. This form of fictional redescription will be used to make a fresh start with Education, rather than simply redefine it within the vocabularies that currently exist.

The aim of the project is to analyse the legitimacy of justifications for the continued use of the death penalty which are grounded in Islamic law. The context for the study is the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council and was created through the UN G...
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The aim of the project is to analyse the legitimacy of justifications for the continued use of the death penalty which are grounded in Islamic law. The context for the study is the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The UPR is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council and was created through the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006. It is a unique process that reviews the human rights records of all UN member states. Each UPR cycle runs for a period of four and a half years. Under the UPR, countries that apply the death penalty justify its application by claiming that the punishment does not violate ICCPR Articles 6, 7 and 14. These arguments are generally aimed at demonstrating either that the punishment is a legitimate expression of state sovereignty, and/or that it is an effective administration of penology. Article 6 states that “in countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes.” It is within this framework that the use of the punishment specifically by Islamic states will be studied. Ultimately, the research will engage and contribute to the exegesis of punishment under Islamic Law, based on human rights principles. It will aim to influence government policy of Islamic states and result in a reduction of the death penalty.

A growing amount of soluble materials (granules, tablets or pellets) are commonly used in the daily life. The dissolution process* of these materials is a complex sequence of physical and chemical transformations, however they sometimes happen simultaneously. This fact increases the difficulty of st...
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A growing amount of soluble materials (granules, tablets or pellets) are commonly used in the daily life. The dissolution process* of these materials is a complex sequence of physical and chemical transformations, however they sometimes happen simultaneously. This fact increases the difficulty of studying this phenomenon. Procter and Gamble, P&G, (sponsor of this project) is well-known for producing the best quality soluble materials such as washing powder. The main aim of this work is studying the role of granule structure in the dissolution behaviour of washing powder. This knowledge would allow us to predict how today’s particles dissolve and to design detergents with defined release components. The evolution of imagining technics like X-ray tomography lets researchers visualise and characterise (pore size, fraction of each component, location of these components, etc.). Combining X-ray tomography and dissolution kinetics technics (the study of chemical and physical reaction rates), we have analysed the dissolution performance of intermediate products of detergent granules. The effect of pores size and location as well as components size and location has been correlated with dissolution kinetics.

Can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? It is a tricky task for most people. Although they come in different sizes and have other slight differences, most modern crocodylians look pretty much the same to a non-specialist eye. However, the picture is very different when we c...
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Can you tell the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? It is a tricky task for most people. Although they come in different sizes and have other slight differences, most modern crocodylians look pretty much the same to a non-specialist eye. However, the picture is very different when we consider the 200-million-year evolution of the crocodylian lineage. Many fossil species of Crocodyliformes, the group that includes crocodylians and their relatives, are completely different from the semi-aquatic forms we have today. These extinct crocodyliform species include fully sea-going forms with flippers, giant dinosaur-eating terrestrial predators, greyhound-like fast-running small omnivores, bizarre filter-feeders, and even plant-eaters with complex mammal-like dentitions. Accordingly, my PhD research project aims to investigate and understand which environmental and biological factors drove the evolution of this huge diversity, as well as its decline towards the low ecological diversity seen today. To do this I am collecting anatomical data and information on body size and mass from hundreds of fossil specimens worldwide. I will use this data to quantify changes in ecological diversity through time, and will compare the results with environmental (climate and geographical) data and major evolutionary changes (e.g. origins of major lineages).

Aging is associated with an increased incidence of disease, such as cardiovascular disease. This occurs via several mechanisms including oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which can cause a reduction in vascular compliance via impairment in endothelium dependant dilation and arterial stiffne...
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Aging is associated with an increased incidence of disease, such as cardiovascular disease. This occurs via several mechanisms including oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which can cause a reduction in vascular compliance via impairment in endothelium dependant dilation and arterial stiffness. Many of these adverse effects can be reduced or overcome by exercise however, not all exercise is perceived as suitable for an older age population. This study will investigate 2 types of exercise undertaken at different intensity: a low/moderate intensity (Tai Chi) versus moderate/high intensity (Zumba Gold). The study will assess the effect of 12 weeks of Tai Chi or aerobic dance, on markers of oxidative stress, inflammation and vascular function. Participants aged between 65 and 75 years old, with no history of cardiovascular diseases will be recruited to the study. Following screening and baseline measures they will be randomised into 3 groups of control (social-interaction), Tai Chi and aerobic dance (Zumba Gold). All participants will take part in 12 weeks of intervention and will be assessed for vascular function (FMD), biochemical parameters of inflammation and oxidative, physical fitness, psychological effects (depression, pain, fatigue, loneliness) and other health parameters (BMI, lipid profile, blood pressure). Measurements will be taken at baseline, 6 weeks (mid-intervention) and 12 weeks (end-intervention). This study aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of two different forms of exercise on markers of health in older age, and to assess these two different types of exercise for acceptability in this population.

The recent quick urbanisation process has led to a situation where metro systems are no longer able to offer the necessary speeds to cover the ever increasing distances travelled. This reinforces the vicious circle that promotes private mobility and threatens the sustainability of cities. Even thoug...
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The recent quick urbanisation process has led to a situation where metro systems are no longer able to offer the necessary speeds to cover the ever increasing distances travelled. This reinforces the vicious circle that promotes private mobility and threatens the sustainability of cities. Even though metro systems can achieve higher top speeds than permitted on roads, their main disadvantage lies in the coverage paradox: when stations are close together, the time to walk to stations is short but the speed in the metro is also reduced for stopping more times. Conversely, if stations are far apart for higher speeds on the line, the time to access stations is also increased. Consequently, a journey using the metro always takes more time than it would on private modes. Using a systems engineering process, this research proposes a novel operational model where autonomous vehicles stop in different patterns at stations along a line. These vehicles travel in convoys instead of trains and are controlled by vehicle-to-vehicle communication similarly to those developed for automated highways. Simulations show that this strategy can simultaneously reduce by half the time to access stations and increase by 130% the average speed on the line, thus shortening journey times by up to 45% compared to conventional operations. Moreover, capacity is also increased by 30% compared to the busiest lines in operation. In conclusion, the model can meet the speed requirements of megacities, while increasing the capacity of systems to cope with the demographic trends of the twenty-first century.

Evaluative language may be defined as the linguistic means by which a speaker or writer expresses an attitude towards a particular proposition or entity. ‘Signaling nouns’ are abstract nouns, like fact, idea, and result, where specific meaning in a text depends on the context they are used in. Some ...
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Evaluative language may be defined as the linguistic means by which a speaker or writer expresses an attitude towards a particular proposition or entity. ‘Signaling nouns’ are abstract nouns, like fact, idea, and result, where specific meaning in a text depends on the context they are used in. Some such nouns also carry inherently evaluative weight; to characterize a situation as a crisis rather than, say, a concern is to make an evaluative judgment. The potential for nouns to carry evaluative meaning has been noted in studies of evaluation and the evaluative force of some signaling nouns has been noted in studies seeking to define this potential sub-class of nouns, but no comprehensive study has yet been undertaken of what may be termed ‘Evaluative Signaling Nouns.’ Given that, in the field of Automated Sentiment Analysis, it has also been suggested that that nouns are particularly significant in the expression of sentiment in political discourse, this represents a significant gap in current literature which my study seeks to address. Contested British membership of the EU offers an ideal and timely context in which to base this study. Furthermore, given that ideological bias in media representations has been considered significant in influencing public acceptance of EU membership, a comparative study of Evaluative Signaling Nouns used in the European Parliament, by the British Government and in British Newspapers will be undertaken.

The financial landscape for development work in the Caribbean is changing. The global recession, austerity measures and middle-income country classifications all make conventional donor driven sources of funding for development projects in the region harder for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) ...
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The financial landscape for development work in the Caribbean is changing. The global recession, austerity measures and middle-income country classifications all make conventional donor driven sources of funding for development projects in the region harder for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to access. Based on qualitative research in Barbados and Grenada this paper explores some of the creative ways that NGOs are responding to, pre-empting and negotiating the ongoing challenge of mobilizing financial resources in this changing context. NGOs are engaging with the corporate sector, using social enterprise models of working to raise money and exploring virtual connections to maximize funding opportunities. These contemporary funding sources represent opportunities for sought after independence and autonomy from established methods of development financing, but they also present ethical dilemmas for NGOs as they engage with systems that are often ideologically distinct from their own believes and values. This paper will explore the intricacies of some of these newer fiscal practices, and examine how NGOs are negotiating these tensions in their everyday work, using crowd funding as one example. Of particular importance are the new relationships that can be created through these more novel funding sources, especially with Diaspora groups, exemplifying the connection between social networks and financial stability. The paper concludes by asking whether these novel modes of funding create more democratic, secure and equal relations or whether they reproduce forms of insecurity and powerlessness for NGOs.

NGO financing, development, Caribbean, Caribbean Insecurities, development projects, non-governmental organizations, qualitative research, Barbados, Grenada, Caribbean creativity, social enterprise mo...
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NGO financing, development, Caribbean, Caribbean Insecurities, development projects, non-governmental organizations, qualitative research, Barbados, Grenada, Caribbean creativity, social enterprise models, ethical dilemmas, crowd funding, Diaspora groups.

The uncritical retelling of the dominant ‘Windrush story’ simplistically serves to conceal the agentic realities of those young men and women who migrated from Jamaica to England prior to 1962. The maintenance of this ‘single story’ (Adichie 2009) renders invisible a number of contradictions regard...
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The uncritical retelling of the dominant ‘Windrush story’ simplistically serves to conceal the agentic realities of those young men and women who migrated from Jamaica to England prior to 1962. The maintenance of this ‘single story’ (Adichie 2009) renders invisible a number of contradictions regarding the lived realities of subsequent Jamaican generations, particularly for those born in England. The concept of the Other, that is those who are deemed to infringe the normative boundaries of British society, endures as a relatively unchallenged concept within the disciplines of Sociology and Criminology (Spalek 2008). Arguably, the attribution of other status serves to reify the contemporary construct of the Black other as emerging from the textual post-war Jamaican immigrant. Informed by fieldwork undertaken for my PhD ‘Becoming the Other: the problematisation of the Windrush generations,’ this study develops narrative conversations with three generations of ten families within the Old Trafford area of Manchester, England. Emerging findings attest to the experience of ‘critical moments’ from which “Black British” identities are negotiated. The process of becoming the other as experienced by the ‘first born’ (2nd generation) is detected through a series of ‘touches’ (Tate 2016). That is, the association of the first born to the imagined Black Jamaican, as problem. Yet, such significant interactions are not only detected in the first born’s external encounters with the white English other, but also controversially through a number of internal cues from significant others (parents, siblings, family and friends). Within this paper, I want to consider that the experience of internal otherisation serves to form an(other) identity for the first born in England prior to external encounters. Furthermore, such encounters suggest a continuity in migratory distancing (a)way from Jamaicaness towards a more precarious (Black) Britishness.

Tourism entails producing spaces as sites for consumption and crafting narratives that entice people into visiting a given area. As such, references to Kingston’s downtown violent ‘ghetto life’ have infused Jamaican visual and musical culture, in part drawing curious tourists to Trench Town, the bir...
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Tourism entails producing spaces as sites for consumption and crafting narratives that entice people into visiting a given area. As such, references to Kingston’s downtown violent ‘ghetto life’ have infused Jamaican visual and musical culture, in part drawing curious tourists to Trench Town, the birthplace of reggae. Within this neighbourhood, the core of informal and sporadic tourism activities can be found in Bob Marley’s former home, renewed as the ‘Culture Yard’ and run by a grassroots community organization. However, numerous other projects are envisaged to tap into the area’s rich cultural heritage, involving stakeholders from both within and outside the community. Restoring musical landmarks, highlighting famous reggae artist’s homes, creating a music village and a wax museum are but a few examples of fantasized tourism enterprises. Some of these projects have been talked about for over a decade, however none have yet been implemented, maintaining the impression that Trench Town is perpetually on the cusp of developing a full blown tourism industry. Drawing on fieldwork carried out in Kingston I discuss how community organisations continue to design possible Trench Town based tourism activities, whilst outsiders continue to dream up ‘ghetto’ narratives. I analyse how the different aspirations to create a tourism economy in Trench Town are tied to - and interact with – tourist reveries of ghetto poverty and violence, thereby creating an entanglement of imaginations around (in)security.

This presentation features eight artistic representations of black Caribbean and diasporan women, paired together to explore different compositional, social and technological modalities. The visual analysis commences with an art-historical critique of ways that black women have been portrayed in cla...
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This presentation features eight artistic representations of black Caribbean and diasporan women, paired together to explore different compositional, social and technological modalities. The visual analysis commences with an art-historical critique of ways that black women have been portrayed in classical figurative painting, and then compares different styles of photographic portraiture, before concluding with a review of recent installations by contemporary Caribbean artists. Each selection provides opportunities to consider the role of artworks as archives of social history, artists as documentarians, and exhibition spaces as sites for critical engagement with the politics of black portraiture as an issue of ontological in/security. The works in focus are: • Two oil paintings showing aspects of Haitian history depicted through black female corporeality: Portrait of a Haitian woman (1786) by François Malépart de Beaucourt; and Mama Legba (2011) by Elizabeth Colomba • Performance-themed artworks that feature coded styles of dress and movement: Dancing scene in the West Indies (c. 1764-96) by Agostino Brunias; and “Whip it Good!” (2015) by Jeanette Ehlers • Contrasting examples of colonial photography and contemporary photographic self-portraiture: “Woman selling Jack Fruit, Trinidad” (1908-9) by Harry Hamilton Johnston; and Redcoat, from the series Queen Nanny of the Maroons (2004) by Renée Cox • Twenty-first century mixed-media installations that question and challenge racialized gender stereotypes: “Brown Girl in the Ring” (2015) by Jodi Minnis and Edrin Symonette; and Post j'ouvert self-portrait (2013) by Brianna McCarthy. Drawing on the work of art historians Charmaine Nelson and Samantha Noel, as well as black feminist scholarship from other subject disciplines, artists’ and curators’ reflexive commentaries on their own practice are aligned to wider discourses about the unmasking and counter-narration of “controlling images” (Collins 2000: 69-72), the de-centering of the “mythical norm” (Lorde 2007 [1984]: 116), and the importance of self-representation for “talking back” (hooks 1989: 9) and “restablilis[ing] the integrity of the black female self” (Henderson 2010: 6).

Artistic representations; Caribbean diaspora; visual analysis; art history; photographic portraiture; contemporary Caribbean artists; social history; black portraiture; ontological in/security; Haitia...
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Artistic representations; Caribbean diaspora; visual analysis; art history; photographic portraiture; contemporary Caribbean artists; social history; black portraiture; ontological in/security; Haitian history; colonial photography; racialized gender stereotypes.

Trinidad and Tobago are the leading oil and gas production economy in the Caribbean. Countless reports prove the significant contribution oil production makes to this nation's economy. This twin island is also one of the foremost global exporters of methanol and ammonia to the U.S market (IHS Chem...
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Trinidad and Tobago are the leading oil and gas production economy in the Caribbean. Countless reports prove the significant contribution oil production makes to this nation's economy. This twin island is also one of the foremost global exporters of methanol and ammonia to the U.S market (IHS Chemical, World Methanol Analysis 2013; FERTECON Ammonia Outlook 2014). However, some may argue that this resource-rich country remains heavily reliant on revenues generated by gas production. Although Trinidad and Tobago have succeeded, to a limited extent, in diversifying the economy from energy to manufacturing, services and eco-tourism, it currently faces a major economic insecurity. More recently, several local economists including Hosein (2016) have issued statements warning the Trinidad and Tobago Government that failure to reform the economy particularly in areas of economic diversification can result in a repeat of the 1989 IMF Structural Adjustment Loan fiasco. Hosein (2016) and others argue that economic diversification will reduce risk and ensure long-term industrial development. In this vein, I use my presentation to examine the concept and importance of economic diversification in light the brief situation analysis outlined above. There have been continuous debates about the industrial value of creativity and culture in societies (see the works of Eleonora Belfiore). The basic idea is that wealth and income-generating opportunities can be obtained through individual creativity skills, talent and local culture. In this vein, I present some of the findings from my impact case study of the Shoot To Live project, a community media project in Trinidad and Tobago, which explores creative and social entrepreneurial outlets as one of the solutions to Trinidad and Tobago's economic insecurity.

As relatively young small developing nations, Caribbean states face a number of challenges which lend themselves to various manifestations of insecurity. For many individuals, one such challenge relates to socio-economic insecurity. As a vibrant and creative people, vulnerable Caribbean nationals ha...
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As relatively young small developing nations, Caribbean states face a number of challenges which lend themselves to various manifestations of insecurity. For many individuals, one such challenge relates to socio-economic insecurity. As a vibrant and creative people, vulnerable Caribbean nationals have innovated countless ways to combat this type of insecurity – music, crafts, cottage industries - but also other via less legitimate, socially unacceptable and even criminal means. Using Trinidad and Tobago as a case study, this paper argues that political violence, couched specifically in the form of terrorism has emerged as a means of attempting to change life circumstances for some of those marginalised by poverty. It examines the genealogy of this type of terrorist activity in Trinidad and Tobago, beginning with the attempted coup of July 1990 and comparing it with the more recent activity of Trinidadians having migrated to Syria to fight with the terrorist insurgent group Daesh. As terrorism can introduce new forms of insecurity to the region, possibly impairing relationships with other states in the international system, I argue that it is imperative to recognise these socio-economic push factors and take them into consideration in policy making in order to be able to treat with the phenomenon meaningfully and protect our societies moving forward.

The creation of North American anthropology was significantly driven by the attempt to collect what could be gathered of Native American culture before the horrors of Manifest Destiny consigned it to the ages (Stocking, 1982). During the US Occupation of Haiti and the years immediately following, Ha...
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The creation of North American anthropology was significantly driven by the attempt to collect what could be gathered of Native American culture before the horrors of Manifest Destiny consigned it to the ages (Stocking, 1982). During the US Occupation of Haiti and the years immediately following, Haitian popular culture, especially that which was connected to Haitian Vodou, became similarly threatened. Brutal military suppression on behalf of the US Marines, together with a hostile elite, meant that Haitian rural practice was increasingly marginalised. Ethnographic study once again became a tool of preservation, and also of resistance, in response to this threat. Ramsey (2011) has looked in detail at the role of Haitian anthropology during the Campagne anti-superstiteuse of 1941, when the Church and government united in a kulturkampf against Vodou. Yet this was not the first time ethnography housed a response to increased insecurity of everyday Haitian life, and it manifested itself through various means within fieldwork and dissemination of research. This paper will look at three specific examples wherein creative responses to a threatened culture are found within the creation of Haitian ethnography. The first will analyse the celebrated work of Haitian ethnographer Jean Price-Mars as a response to the “tragic uncertainty” of occupation life, before investigating the role of anthropological “informant” Galbert Constance, who emphasised the precariousness of Haitian existence to Melville and Frances Herskovits. Finally we shall look at the transformation of the Pont Beudet Insane Asylum, founded and administered by the US occupation, into a site of anthropological pilgrimage for those interested in Haitian Vodou. These examples shall furnish our understanding of how ethnographical work shaped and catalysed responses to external cultural threats in early-twentieth century Haiti.

North American anthropology; Native American culture; Haity Occupation; Haitian popular culture; Campagne anti-superstiteuse; Caribbean insecurity; creative responses to insecurity; Haitian ethnograph...
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North American anthropology; Native American culture; Haity Occupation; Haitian popular culture; Campagne anti-superstiteuse; Caribbean insecurity; creative responses to insecurity; Haitian ethnography; early-twentieth century Haiti.

Background and Purpose. The study of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in precision sports has revealed that oscillatory activity within the upper-alpha frequency (10-12 Hz) recorded in the last seconds preceding skill execution can distinguish experts from novices. The power of these oscillati...
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Background and Purpose. The study of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in precision sports has revealed that oscillatory activity within the upper-alpha frequency (10-12 Hz) recorded in the last seconds preceding skill execution can distinguish experts from novices. The power of these oscillations provides an index of neuronal suppression by a thalamic mechanism that gates resources to task-related and away from task-unrelated cortical areas. Our study employed a test-retest training paradigm to examine changes in cortical alpha activity and performance. Method. Twelve right-handed experienced golfers (age: M = 21) underwent three 1-hour putting training sessions, sandwiched between a test and retest session, during which they putted 50 balls to a standard hole at a distance of 2.4 m. Outcome (number of holed putts) and performance (radial, angle, and length errors) measures were recorded in both sessions. EEG upper-alpha power was measured from 32 scalp electrodes before (-3 s) and after (+1 s) initiation of the backswing. Results. The change in outcome and performance measures indicated that participants improved across sessions (e.g., holed putts: 12.17 during test, 16.25 during retest, P = .05). Among the performance measures, angle error was the best correlate of putting outcome during both test (r = -0.92, P < .001) and retest (r = -0.89, P < .001). The improvement in performance across sessions was fully mediated by the reduction of angle (P = .008) and radial (P = .06), but not length error. A topographical analysis of the EEG revealed that upper-alpha power was lowest in central areas and highest in temporal-occipital areas (P < .001). The improvements in putting outcome (P = .02) and angle error (P = .03) across sessions were partially mediated by higher power in the left temporal area in the last second preceding backswing initiation. Conclusion. The present findings confirm that improvements in putting outcome are largely attributable to decreases in putter head angle at impact. The topographical pattern displayed by preparatory upper-alpha power is consistent with the gating of resources to central sensorimotor areas and away from temporal and occipital areas. Importantly, increased inhibition of cognitive (e.g., language) processes performed in the left temporal cortex partially accounted for improved putting outcome and performance. Finally, data on self-reported measures (e.g., conscious processing) as well as limitations and further directions will be presented and discussed in relation to alpha gating.

When faced with the challenge of adding library maps to OvP at the University of Birmingham, the solution of employing Primo's existing lightbox design proved so convenient it was reused to add further functionality in other areas. The pros and cons of this approach are discussed with examples of bo...
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When faced with the challenge of adding library maps to OvP at the University of Birmingham, the solution of employing Primo's existing lightbox design proved so convenient it was reused to add further functionality in other areas. The pros and cons of this approach are discussed with examples of both in-house and external developments.

The Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) has been operating with a full complement of six stations since 1992. Almost 25 years later, we look back on the network history. The meta-data from the sites have been analysed to assess performance in terms of site insolation, with a brief look at...
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The Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network (BiSON) has been operating with a full complement of six stations since 1992. Almost 25 years later, we look back on the network history. The meta-data from the sites have been analysed to assess performance in terms of site insolation, with a brief look at the challenges that have been encountered over the years. We discuss how to access the ever-growing dataset produced by the network, and finally look to the future of the network and the potential impact of 25 years of technology miniaturisation.

Algae scooping is a behaviour in which wild chimpanzees in Bossou (Guinea) use tools to feed on aquatic algae by scooping and wrapping algae round the stick. Algae scooping has been suggested to require social learning to develop due to its rarity across other chimpanzee sites in Africa and differe...
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Algae scooping is a behaviour in which wild chimpanzees in Bossou (Guinea) use tools to feed on aquatic algae by scooping and wrapping algae round the stick. Algae scooping has been suggested to require social learning to develop due to its rarity across other chimpanzee sites in Africa and differences in techniques within the community of Bossou. Here we argue that algae scooping does not necessarily require social transmission to develop but instead is within the chimpanzee’s ‘Zone of Latent Solutions’: their cognitive repertoire.

Cancer is one of the biggest health concerns today. DNA strands where the sequence has changed can be indicative of the disease. This project aims to detect changes in DNA sequence using Ferrocene, an iron based compound. It is easily manufactured within the lab, is stable and non toxic. These quali...
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Cancer is one of the biggest health concerns today. DNA strands where the sequence has changed can be indicative of the disease. This project aims to detect changes in DNA sequence using Ferrocene, an iron based compound. It is easily manufactured within the lab, is stable and non toxic. These qualities make it an excellent candidate for DNA sensing.

The Peacock Group has developed a new MRI imaging probe with the potential to drastically improve the identification of disease compared to the current standard. This new design uses a miniature protein which binds to an active metal. MRI is a technique commonly used in hospitals to look inside the ...
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The Peacock Group has developed a new MRI imaging probe with the potential to drastically improve the identification of disease compared to the current standard. This new design uses a miniature protein which binds to an active metal. MRI is a technique commonly used in hospitals to look inside the body without the need for invasive surgery. Contrast agents can be injected to allow for easier diagnosis of disease. Factors affecting contrast agents: 1.Rate of tumbling (peptide length) 2.Association with water

Homecare products are in demand all over the world. As such the formulations need to be able to withstand extreme weather, such as cold climates. As the temperature of a surfactant system (e.g. dish liquid) is lowered some precipitated crystals may be visualized, especially if the temperature is be...
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Homecare products are in demand all over the world. As such the formulations need to be able to withstand extreme weather, such as cold climates. As the temperature of a surfactant system (e.g. dish liquid) is lowered some precipitated crystals may be visualized, especially if the temperature is below the Krafft point of the surfactant system.

The thymus is the unique site of production of T-cells, an essential arm of the adaptive immune system which is targeted by vaccinations as a defense against infectious diseases. In generating a potent cohort of pathogen- clearing T-cells, small numbers of cells capable of attacking tissues within t...
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The thymus is the unique site of production of T-cells, an essential arm of the adaptive immune system which is targeted by vaccinations as a defense against infectious diseases. In generating a potent cohort of pathogen- clearing T-cells, small numbers of cells capable of attacking tissues within the body are also produced. Under normal conditions these are kept in check by “regulatory” cells, however if the balance of “auto-immune” and regulatory cells is altered, it has the potential to trigger auto-immune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. Using mouse models, we aim to investigate the potential to manipulate thymic production of anti-inflammatory T-cells to aid treatment of auto-immune disease.

The Theory of Reinvestment argues that automated motor processes are disrupted when task-related declarative knowledge is used to control movement execution. Electroencephalographic (EEG) based high-alpha band (10-12 Hz) connectivity between the left temporal (verbal/analytic processing) area and t...
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The Theory of Reinvestment argues that automated motor processes are disrupted when task-related declarative knowledge is used to control movement execution. Electroencephalographic (EEG) based high-alpha band (10-12 Hz) connectivity between the left temporal (verbal/analytic processing) area and the frontal (motor planning) area has been endorsed as a neurophysiological marker of the propensity for conscious processing of declarative knowledge during movement preparation. Our study investigated the utility of left temporal to frontal connectivity in characterizing optimal golf putting performance. Ten expert and ten novice right-handed male golfers putted 120 golf balls on a flat mat to a 2.4 m distant hole while the EEG was continuously recorded. Conscious processing was assessed by a putting-specific reinvestment scale. Functional connectivity in preparation to golf putts was computed as high-alpha inter site phase clustering (ISPC), and analyzed as a function of expertise (expert, novice), performance outcome (holed, missed) and psychological pressure (low, high). We found that left (but not right) temporal-frontal ISPC was lower in experts compared to novices (M experts = .39; M novices = .48). The experts also reported lower conscious processing compared to the novices (M experts = 2.80; M novices = 3.50). Furthermore, left temporal-frontal ISPC was higher in missed versus holed putts for experts (M holed= .37; M misses = .41) and novices (M holed = .44; M misses = .51). No pressure effect was revealed (M low = .42; M high = .45). Our findings suggest that experts engage in less conscious processing compared to novices, and, in line with the Theory of Reinvestment, suggest that errors in motor performance can be prompted by excessive conscious verbal/analytic interference with movement preparation and execution. Our study findings suggest that diminished communication between the left temporal (verbal/analytic) and the frontal (pre-motor) cortical areas during movement preparation and execution is a feature of skilled motor performance. This knowledge can now be used to design connectivity-based neurofeedback training protocols to expedite motor learning and improve motor skills.

Threats to national and sub-national security remain a significant challenge for Jamaica. Most studies which seek to understand this phenomenon have focussed on Kingston's garrison constituencies. This article examines the construction of security at the local level using interviews which were condu...
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Threats to national and sub-national security remain a significant challenge for Jamaica. Most studies which seek to understand this phenomenon have focussed on Kingston's garrison constituencies. This article examines the construction of security at the local level using interviews which were conducted in Bucknor - a small community in Clarendon - which most residents have come to define as a 'garrison'. The article demonstrates how localised ideas of citizenship and political identity shape attitudes towards violence, individualism and policing. The community has become an important site for contesting, resisting and reinforcing established power as well as for re-narrating dominant discourses in Jamaican society. While the state has sought to assert its legitimacy in the community through 'social intervention', there is still a need to address, in a more sustainable way, the social and structural issues which affect the well-being of members of the community, threaten law and order, and pose a direct challenge to rational-legal authority through the Jamaican state.

Background Delusions are a significant feature of mental illnesses and can occur in many clinical conditions (Maher, 2001) yet the standard clinical definition (American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5 Task Force, 2013) is highly contentious. Much of the literature holds elements such as bizarren...
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Background Delusions are a significant feature of mental illnesses and can occur in many clinical conditions (Maher, 2001) yet the standard clinical definition (American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5 Task Force, 2013) is highly contentious. Much of the literature holds elements such as bizarreness of content and incorrigibility of belief as defining factors of delusion. However, on closer inspection, delusions are not so easy to pin down. The difficulty in defining delusion is not a new one as “…we are all capable of having convictions and it is a universal human characteristic to hold on to our own mistaken judgements.” (Jaspers, 1963, p.63). Objective I intend to highlight some of the difficulties associated with the definition of delusion and perhaps clarify the phenomenology. Methodology I examine some of the philosophical, psychological and psychiatric literature with regard to the definition of delusion. I also consider my experience of my own mental activity and experiences from my therapeutic work. Results/Conclusion I identify that delusions are a heterogeneous group and that there may be more than one ‘class’ of delusion. I also show that delusions are multi-dimensional with characteristics on a continuum with normal beliefs and that further research is needed to clarify the phenomenology.

The Expert-Performance Approach suggests that in order to gain the most accurate reflection of human behaviour, scientific experiments must employ designs that represent the natural environment as closely as possible. By adopting this approach, the ability to identify expert-novice differences in me...
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The Expert-Performance Approach suggests that in order to gain the most accurate reflection of human behaviour, scientific experiments must employ designs that represent the natural environment as closely as possible. By adopting this approach, the ability to identify expert-novice differences in measures (such as visual ability) is enhanced. Too often in the sporting literature this has been neglected, and may explain why the research on visual differences between athletes and non-athletes is so ambiguous. The present study aims to address this. 60 athletes performed a series of visual and motion tests on a computer. For each test, between 6-9 versions were run, with the response stimulus being modified in each version so that it reflected either the sport of the athlete (associate), an opposing sport (dissociate), or unbiased source (neutral). The results indicate the selective attention, motion perception, and the ability to discriminate direction of motion were all greater in the associate tests than in the dissociate tests. There was no difference in divided attention. These results lend support for the adoption of the Expert-Performance Approach in sports testing. Athletes show superior visual and perceptual functioning for stimuli which reflect their natural environment best.

Even though the first verse in the Holy Quran says explicitly “Read”, each year there are thousands of children in Saudi Arabia who fail to achieve their potential in education due to difficulties in reading, writing and spelling. This study investigates educational provision for learner with litera...
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Even though the first verse in the Holy Quran says explicitly “Read”, each year there are thousands of children in Saudi Arabia who fail to achieve their potential in education due to difficulties in reading, writing and spelling. This study investigates educational provision for learner with literacy skills difficulties in primary schools in Saudi Arabia. It further investigates participants’ perceptions towards the concept of dyslexia as a type of learning disability. This study is significant in the sense that it offers a unique educational perspective on this subject area as it will contribute to improving understanding of educational practices for students with LD/dyslexia in settings of spoken and written Arabic with a view to enhancing academic progress of the individuals with LD/dyslexia. Using an ethnographic case study approach, data have been collected from school staff, academic staff of University, student with LD/dyslexia and their parents. Semi-structured interviews, documents analysis and observations have been used as the principal methods of data collection. Data is being analysed using thematic analysis in order to interpret the relationship between the participants around the policy provision and practices that shape educational experiences of learners with LD/dyslexia in primary schools in Saudi Arabia.

The current feedstocks used to produce biodiesel are unviable to replace the diesel consumption because of the land used in their cultivation and one proposed solution is the use of algae which have a higher productivity per area. With this in mind, the total superficial area (water and land) requir...
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The current feedstocks used to produce biodiesel are unviable to replace the diesel consumption because of the land used in their cultivation and one proposed solution is the use of algae which have a higher productivity per area. With this in mind, the total superficial area (water and land) required to produce algae biodiesel for three specific cases – EU, US, and Brazil – was calculated based in: future diesel and biodiesel demand, current biodiesel production, international policies and targets, and specific data of algae productivity in several scenarios from the literature. The study indicates that productivity effects significantly the results and the current commercial cultivation at open ponds are not viable for scale up, so a minimum of productivity needs to be achieved. Microalgae cultivated in photobioreactors and macroalgae present a great potential and their capability to be located offshore is an advantage. In light of this, it was concluded that it is possible to reach the targets required by policies and replace diesel fuel using the current available area locally in the studied cases.

Cycling is a healthy and sustainable activity. However balance and bike handling skills are of crucial importance to avoid falling off the bike, crashing into obstacles and to prevent injuries. With the increase in cycling popularity this aspect becomes extremely important. However there is no objec...
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Cycling is a healthy and sustainable activity. However balance and bike handling skills are of crucial importance to avoid falling off the bike, crashing into obstacles and to prevent injuries. With the increase in cycling popularity this aspect becomes extremely important. However there is no objective system available to assess handling skills. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a test battery that will enable assessing the level of bike handling skills. We tested 14 novice and 14 expert cyclists under laboratory conditions while riding a bike in a straight line. The results showed that based on the lateral deviation of the bike and the amplitude of steering we can determine the level of one’s bike handling skills. All monitored parameters were also found to be very reliable. Therefore we now have a simple and reliable tool to measure the level of expertise in bike handling. This has high practical value as we can use this protocol for assessing the effectiveness of different interventions to improve bike handling in children and commuters, but also to adapt the bikes to the cyclists’ skill level, and consequentially improve cycling road safety.

This study aims to investigate Muslim women’s rights of obtaining the top rank religious position, from Mutahhari’s perspective. Mutahhari (1919-1979) was one of the contemporary prominent Shia philosopher and theologian who changed the traditional style of discussion from specialized jurisprudence ...
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This study aims to investigate Muslim women’s rights of obtaining the top rank religious position, from Mutahhari’s perspective. Mutahhari (1919-1979) was one of the contemporary prominent Shia philosopher and theologian who changed the traditional style of discussion from specialized jurisprudence to a socio-rational argument. As a result of his new approach to the question of women’s position, he brought novel interpretations suggesting that women could objectively take part in socio-political activities and occupy top-ranking religious authority. Mutahhari’s idea on women’s right to issue fatwas suffered a wave of criticism from the religious authorities that continues today. A substantial proportion of the prominent religious authorities exclude women from this domain. The poster examines Mutahhari’s methodology in the use of the primary religious texts of the Qur’an and hadith traditions. In this process, some of the key concepts of women’s intellect, faith and justice (idalat) in the Qur’an and aḥādīth will be scrutinized. Then it will be concluded that, in Mutahhari’s thinking men and women share equality of right in obtaining high rank religious authority and there is no reason to confine the right of issuing fatwa to men’s authority only.

Ageing may have an impact on a variety of physical and health related aspects. In particular cognitive ageing may reflect decline in executive functioning, memory and speed of information processing (Glisky, 2007) as well as fluid intelligence (Salthouse, 2004). The present study assessed whether c...
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Ageing may have an impact on a variety of physical and health related aspects. In particular cognitive ageing may reflect decline in executive functioning, memory and speed of information processing (Glisky, 2007) as well as fluid intelligence (Salthouse, 2004). The present study assessed whether cognitive training aimed to improve attention in children - Computerised Progressive Attention Training (CPAT; Shalev et al., 2007), can be used to improve symptoms of cognitive ageing (as well as motor control) in older adults. Participants were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. For the experimental group CPAT was used during 3 consecutive weeks for three 1-hour sessions each week. For the control group widely available computer games were used for the same duration and frequency. Both groups were assessed before and immediately after the 3-week intervention on motor and visual attention related tasks. Contrasting the two groups’ performance on these tasks revealed substantial differences following training. Participants in the experimental group were faster and less erratic and showed improved performance in untrained tasks including a general improvement in speed of processing. Increased measures of wellbeing were also apparent. Results provide initial evidence to support the efficacy of attention training in older adults.

The sanctuary of Dodona is located at the middle of a valley, between the imposing mountains of Tomaros and Manoliassa, a few miles away from the modern city of Ioannina at Epirus. Dodona was the oldest oracle of Ancient Greece and the religious and political center of the Epirotic tribes. The sanct...
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The sanctuary of Dodona is located at the middle of a valley, between the imposing mountains of Tomaros and Manoliassa, a few miles away from the modern city of Ioannina at Epirus. Dodona was the oldest oracle of Ancient Greece and the religious and political center of the Epirotic tribes. The sanctuary was dedicated to Zeus Dodonaios and his wife Dione and the cult focused mainly on the sacred oak tree (ΦΗΓΟΣ). The archaeologists found a vast number of offerings, such as tripods, weapons, bronze statues etc. The presentation aims to shed light on these offerings and discuss the unique character of the cult practices as it can be seen from the archaeological and historical evidences. Moreover, it outlines important religious, political, social, and spatial factors that shaped the reputation of the oracle and affected drastically its fate and its course through time. The primitive cult practices, which survived and formed within the context of the Archaic and Classical Antiquity, played a major role on the identity of the sanctuary. This identity can be decoded through some silent witnesses: the Votive Offerings.

Light Field, or Plenoptic, imaging is an exciting new technique where a user can capture 3-D information about a scene in a single acquisition. By placing a microlens array (thousands of tiny lenses) in between a conventional camera's main lens and image sensor, we can split rays which would have me...
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Light Field, or Plenoptic, imaging is an exciting new technique where a user can capture 3-D information about a scene in a single acquisition. By placing a microlens array (thousands of tiny lenses) in between a conventional camera's main lens and image sensor, we can split rays which would have met on a single pixel onto different pixels, storing the direction which the ray has come from. By knowing where rays have come from, we can use computational techniques to produce different images from the captured data. This means we can change viewpoint, aperture, and focus after an image has been taken. We can produce an image with everything in focus or a 3-D reconstruction, all from a single acquisition. This technology has many potential benefits in normal photography, and also biomedical imaging techniques such as microscopy. However it is difficult to design, implement, and optimise. Therefore, simulation software has been created so that plenoptic designs and applications can be explored without committing to build and calibrate a system. This will enable advances in biomedical imaging techniques and light field rendering methods to be explored without the need for a physical plenoptic system.

Introduction: Stress triggers psychological and biological responses that, among the general public, are perceived to be intimately linked. However, few studies have directly examined the relationship between actual and perceived psychological and biological stress responses. Study 1: Partici...
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Introduction: Stress triggers psychological and biological responses that, among the general public, are perceived to be intimately linked. However, few studies have directly examined the relationship between actual and perceived psychological and biological stress responses. Study 1: Participants (N = 276) completed a 10-minute mental arithmetic stressor while heart rate (HR) was recorded at baseline and during stress. Participants graphed their perceived HR and task stressfulness. Areas under the curve (AUC) for stressfulness and perceived HR were significantly related (p < .001) while neither AUCs for perceived HR nor task stressfulness were related to actual HR AUC. Study 2: High school students (N=180) reported, in response to a 10-minute mental arithmetic stressor, levels of perceived control, somatic anxiety, perceived threat and stressfulness. HR was measured at baseline and during stress and HR reactivity was calculated (stress-baseline). Again, stressfulness was related to increased somatic anxiety (p < .001) but neither was related to HR. Increased perceived stressfulness was found to result from an increased level of perceived threat caused by a perceived loss of control. Conclusion: Results suggest that the accepted notion that stress should cause increases in HR is not always true indicating dissociation between psychological and physiological stress responses.

Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the primary causes of mortality in the South Asian population. The Pakistani community have an elevated risk of developing it and other associated illnesses. Individual health is a consequence of personal lifestyle and social-networks influenced by...
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Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the primary causes of mortality in the South Asian population. The Pakistani community have an elevated risk of developing it and other associated illnesses. Individual health is a consequence of personal lifestyle and social-networks influenced by socioeconomic and cultural environments. These social-networks can act as a resource for information and support, or social capital. Objectives How does perceived social capital affect members of the Pakistani community when determining lifestyle choices related to CVD prevention? Methodology Recruitment included: posters, social media, word of mouth (snow-balling), contacting 3rd sector organisations and advertising in community centres and business districts. Forty-two interviews were carried out (22 women, 20 men aged 18-70 years) from an array of occupational backgrounds (students, unemployed, consultant surgeons, taxi drivers, teacher, retail assistant etc.). Results and Conclusions Preliminary findings indicate informal networks and advertising mediums act as an effective platform for engaging with populations traditionally interpreted as “hard to reach”. Culturally sensitive materials can facilitate the data collection process as participants build confidence and rapport with the researcher to discuss lifestyle choices at length.

Muslim violent extremism has claimed the lives of countless individuals. The phenomenon has spread across the world and seems only to be gathering pace. The cause(s) of Muslim violent extremism have been the subject of much research. As a result, programmes to counteract this radical threat and ...
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Muslim violent extremism has claimed the lives of countless individuals. The phenomenon has spread across the world and seems only to be gathering pace. The cause(s) of Muslim violent extremism have been the subject of much research. As a result, programmes to counteract this radical threat and safeguard communities from the risk of mass violence have been developed and applied. One would argue this has been done so on a seemingly trial and error basis; as the repercussions of current intervention programmes have only sought to stigmatise and isolate Muslim communities. This study seeks to understand the cause(s) of Muslim violent extremism by conducting a narrative analysis of the rhetoric employed by violent extremists. The purpose is to identify theological arguments of radical recruiters and isolate points of convergence across different extremist groups. In order to do so speeches of influential terrorist leaders will be analysed. Convicted UK terror suspects will also be interviewed in order to identify similarities in narrative. Theological aspects of respective narratives will then be subject to understanding their potential impact upon cognitive behaviour and if theological stimuli influences individual actions. The research findings will contribute towards developing a theoretical framework for a credible intervention programme.

Background: Air pollution related risks on health are often reported using percentages. Hence, a 1% increase in mortality risk per 10 unit increase in pollution compares two days say with 2 and 12 units; the days need not be sequential. But a change from 2 to 12 could follow different patterns―incre...
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Background: Air pollution related risks on health are often reported using percentages. Hence, a 1% increase in mortality risk per 10 unit increase in pollution compares two days say with 2 and 12 units; the days need not be sequential. But a change from 2 to 12 could follow different patterns―increase by 2 units each day for 5 days, all in one go over 1 day, etc. As conventional studies don’t take into account such variation in exposure pattern, our study aims to assess its impact on risk estimates. Methods: Using data on particulate pollution (PM) from London we defined exposure patterns on each day by counting number of 1-Positive changes in PM between successive days (delta) 2-PM peaks 3-Delta peaks for the week just before the mortality day. We then investigated the association between PM and mortality accounting for exposure patterns. Results: For a 10 unit increase in PM, the percentage increases in mortality (with 95% confidence interval) were 1.81(1.21–2.41), 6.46(3.55–9.45) and 2.28(0.8–3.78) for number of positive deltas≥4, PM10 peaks=3 and delta peaks=3 respectively. These were well above conventional estimate, 0.82(0.45–1.18), which ignored exposure patterns. Conclusion: Allowing for exposure patterns could influence risk estimates.

Obese individuals face increasing levels of prejudice and discrimination. In addition, some individuals internalise society’s anti-fat attitudes and stereotypes. Both internalised and societal stigmas have been associated with poorer health outcomes, independent of BMI. In this online study, 379...
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Obese individuals face increasing levels of prejudice and discrimination. In addition, some individuals internalise society’s anti-fat attitudes and stereotypes. Both internalised and societal stigmas have been associated with poorer health outcomes, independent of BMI. In this online study, 379 overweight or obese adults (88% female, average age 37.6 years, average BMI 36.8) from social media sites related to health, fitness, weight-loss, and plus-size fashion completed online questionnaires about stigma and health outcomes. Nasty comments from family, friends, co-workers or total strangers were the most common form of stigma, but over 80% had received inappropriate comments from doctors, and over one in four had experienced weight-based discrimination in an employment setting. More than one in ten had been physically attacked because of their weight, some more than once. Women experienced significantly more stigma than men, even after controlling for BMI. Both experienced and internalised stigma were associated with more disordered eating behaviours, poorer self-esteem, worse body image, and a greater restriction on public activities such as exercising: however, the effects of internalisation appear to be even greater than those of actual stigma experiences. Focusing future interventions on reducing internalisation of ubiquitous anti-fat messages may improve health outcomes in overweight individuals.

The benefits of the inclusion of girls and girls with disability in mainstream education in Tanzania have been well documented, yet it is this demographic which remain the most at risk of exclusion (Lewin and Little, 2011). Quantitative research has demonstrated some success for the government’s tar...
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The benefits of the inclusion of girls and girls with disability in mainstream education in Tanzania have been well documented, yet it is this demographic which remain the most at risk of exclusion (Lewin and Little, 2011). Quantitative research has demonstrated some success for the government’s target of all children to be enrolled in primary education, regardless of gender or disability. However, qualitative research “is recommended to complement, confirm and contradict statistics” (Okkolin, Lehtomäki, Bhalalusea, 2010) in order to divulge and analyse contributory factors to inequalities in the education of girls and girls with disabilities. The research aims to expand this current state of knowledge by employing Action Research as a qualitative methodology, interviewing a sample of Tanzanian teachers to seek their constructions and perceptions of ‘inclusion’, ‘girls’ and ‘girls with disability’. The analysis of these constructions will contribute to a context sensitive, socio-cultural understanding of disability, inclusion and gender issues. This understanding will raise contributory factors to inequalities and promote informed inclusive action in the contexts in which it is conducted. It will also contribute to the wider analysis of the success of the inclusive agenda for girls and girls with disabilities in Tanzania schools.

Individuals can be classified as having Type D, ‘distressed’, personality which is characterised by a tendency to experience negative emotions and to hide these emotions during social interaction. Type D personality has been linked to heart disease. A potential mechanism behind this association is l...
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Individuals can be classified as having Type D, ‘distressed’, personality which is characterised by a tendency to experience negative emotions and to hide these emotions during social interaction. Type D personality has been linked to heart disease. A potential mechanism behind this association is large blood pressure, heart rate and hormone (cortisol) responses to stress. Previous studies examining stress responses in Type D individuals have reported mixed findings, potentially due to the social aspect of the stress task. The present study, therefore, examined whether blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol responses in 130 Type D and non-Type D students differed according to a social-evaluative or non-social version of the stress task. Within the social stress condition individuals with Type D personality had the greatest blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol stress responses (p < .05). Further, within the non-social stress condition, Type D individuals appeared to demonstrate lower stress responses. This study is important in highlighting individuals with Type D personality only have large physical stress reactions under socially stressful conditions, and this may lead to heart disease.

In order to implement reliable, safe and smooth human-robot object handover it will be necessary for service robots to identify non-verbal communication gestures in real-time. This study presents an analysis of the relative information content in the gestural features that together constitute a ...
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In order to implement reliable, safe and smooth human-robot object handover it will be necessary for service robots to identify non-verbal communication gestures in real-time. This study presents an analysis of the relative information content in the gestural features that together constitute a communication gesture. Based on this information theoretic analysis we propose that the computational complexity of gesture classification, for object handover, can be greatly reduced by applying attention filters focused on static hand shape and orientation.

This poster displays the results of the 'CONNECTIONS:Communication in Ancient Egypt' exhibition organised from January to June 2012. The project involved 12 students, staff members and alumni from Egyptology at the University of Birmingham coming together to create a ground breaking exhibition about...
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This poster displays the results of the 'CONNECTIONS:Communication in Ancient Egypt' exhibition organised from January to June 2012. The project involved 12 students, staff members and alumni from Egyptology at the University of Birmingham coming together to create a ground breaking exhibition about a topic rarely approached within the discipline. All 12 contributors used objects from the Eton College Joseph William Myers Collection of Egyptian Antiquities on loan to the university to create a small display about a specific sub-topic within the main theme of communication. This research was further exemplified by an online exhibition catalogue of essays available at www.birmingham.ac.uk/connections. The project also involved exhibition creation and management workshops at The Herbert Art Gallery and Museum Coventry, and photogrammetry workshops by the College of Arts and Law. Contributors gained skills in these career specific subjects, as well as experience in editing work and submitting papers for publication - alongside the challenge of thinking outside the box to display objects to a chosen audience. The project was kindly funded by the University of Birmingham College of Arts and Law Postgraduate Research Development Fund.

There been much interest in the collaboration between local governments in Thailand and indeed in the international context for decades. In Thailand, since there are a large number of small local governments, i.e. 5,693 units with population in many units is less than 5,000, which seem to lack capac...
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There been much interest in the collaboration between local governments in Thailand and indeed in the international context for decades. In Thailand, since there are a large number of small local governments, i.e. 5,693 units with population in many units is less than 5,000, which seem to lack capacities in delivering efficient services because they have been challenging with limited financial resources and equipment, and unqualified staffs to provide some services in efficient ways (Krueathep, 2004, 2006; College of Local Government Development, 2009; Department of Local Administration, 2008), therefore to respond to these issues, collaboration between local governments has been introduced as a potential mechanism for enhancing the capacities of local governments in delivering efficient services to citizens in Thailand for decades (Krueathep, 2006). In practice, however, there has been little progress in implementing collaboration in Thailand because of key significant reasons. Firstly, since existing studies in this area in Thailand are scarce, local governments tend to lack knowledge to implement this policy in effective ways. Secondly, although there are some local governments which have implemented this mechanism, there are many challenges that they face when implementing collaborative approach. In this respect, it is considered that the British local governments also have been facing the challenge of providing more complex services within tight financial constraint and therefore collaboration has been recommended as a new way of working for enhancing the capacity of local government in delivering improved services for decades (Sullivan and Skelcher, 2002).Obviously the UK has much long experiences of implementing collaborative approach. Moreover, there are a large number of studies on the experiences of local government collaboration in the UK. Therefore, studying the UK experiences of collaboration between local governments can benefit the implementation of this policy in Thailand. In essence, the findings of this study can help policy-makers to develop effective methods of collaboration for encouraging local government to implement collaboration approach. Moreover, it may benefit policy in practice because the findings of this research may help practitioners to implement collaboration policy in effective ways. Since the study aims to explore the possible models of local government collaboration for implementation in Thailand by studying the UK’s experiences, comparative case studies design, i.e. the comparative study between Thailand and the UK cases, will be used to achieve the objective. In essence, to achieve the objective, the research questions need to be addressed as follows: 1. Why collaboration between local governments has happened in Thailand and the UK? 2. What forms of collaboration have been used in Thailand and the UK? 3. What factors promote and inhibit collaborations between local governments in Thailand and the UK? 4. What are possible models of collaboration which can be used in Thailand? And how can the lessons from the UK can be implemented in Thailand? Then, to address the first three questions, documentary analysis will be first used since it allows researchers to gain initial key conclusion on Thai and the UK cases in terms of the motivation to collaborate, models of collaboration, and the factors promoting and prohibiting collaborative working. Then, to gain in-depth and richer information on collaboration between local governments that have been implemented in Thailand and the UK, semi-structured interviews will be conducted with policymakers, senior staffs and politicians in local governments which have been implemented collaborative working. Finally, after developing the possible models of collaboration, focus group will be employed in Thailand to gather viewpoints and suggestions about how each models of collaboration which were developed will be efficiently implemented in Thailand.

Connectivity is embedded into our modern day society. Devices rely increasingly on permanent network connections, people keep connected through social networks and technological advances allow everyday objects to become part of large networks of interconnected entities. Within these networks connect...
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Connectivity is embedded into our modern day society. Devices rely increasingly on permanent network connections, people keep connected through social networks and technological advances allow everyday objects to become part of large networks of interconnected entities. Within these networks connectivity allows for the design of novel interaction methods by utilising the digital input and output capabilities of connected entities. However, when specifically designing for interaction, entities become entangled and remain oblivious of each other’s features. This poster presents the current progress in opening up the space of connectivity in order to reveal and make use of the available technological capabilities. Identifying communities of objects, people and devices and provide the means to discover, and make use of the technological properties of each element, treating them as an interacting ecosystem of complex adaptive systems and networks in physical spaces.

It is an expected view that all deputy and assistant head teachers continue their journey into Headship within schools in England, with the notions of role progression, aspiration and performance development at the heart of the process, but in reality this may not the case. For reasons unknown Heads...
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It is an expected view that all deputy and assistant head teachers continue their journey into Headship within schools in England, with the notions of role progression, aspiration and performance development at the heart of the process, but in reality this may not the case. For reasons unknown Headship is no longer the preferred choice of many deputy and assistant head teachers in England, hence there is now a national headship shortage. It is important to ascertain why this is so, in particular in secondary schools in Birmingham. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore and elicit the reasons as to why 20 deputy and assistant head teachers do not want to enter into the headship role in secondary schools in the Birmingham area. Very little literature has been found about the specific role of the assistant head teacher so it is assumed that the assistant headship role is similar to that of the deputy headship role with a variation of some of the overall responsibilities depending on the school structure and with the responsibilities undertaken when the Head teacher is absent. The following questions will be used to gain further insight into this area: 1. What are the views of deputy and assistant head teachers on why they do not want to become head teachers? 2. What are the perceived barriers and hindrances experienced by deputy and assistant head teachers to becoming head teachers? 3. Which management/training strategies can be used to address these perceived “barriers” and “hindrances” to headship? After reviewing other methodological choices and reflecting on the purpose of the research, the multiple case study deemed most appropriate in the suitability of generating data in order to effectively elicit the reasons as to why assistant and deputy head teachers did not want to enter into headship. A purposive sample size of 20 deputy and assistant head teachers was used, applying a predominantly qualitative approach, in order to delve deep into the perceptions and experiences of educational leaders. Semi-structured interviews along with closed-ended questionnaires were the methodological tools used to gather data for the study. Due to this study being based on the individual interpretations of the lived experience in the deputy and assistant head teacher role, an epistemological stance linked to an interpretivists perspective was applied. This perspective supports the understanding and acceptance of “multiple realities” which would lean towards elements of subjectivity when examining life histories. The Deputy and Assistant Head teacher interviews have revealed a contentment and mastery within the role albeit being a role of many responsibilities and challenges; however the headship role is not favoured as a career aspiration. The research presents both overt and covert barriers and hindrances, which have affected the career journey of deputy and assistant head teachers in their ‘expected pursuit’ of headship. Further examination into management strategies to address the internal and external barriers and hindrances to headship are addressed. I conclude that a holistic approach in understanding the career journeys of teachers needs to be considered in the teaching role with the implementation of a clear, ongoing career structure at all stages within the role. Ongoing support through mentoring and coaching could affect the decision-making process of potential deputy, assistant and head teachers in the future when considering headship. With the national headship crisis at the forefront of the education agenda, this research provides regional insight into the personal accounts and experiences of deputy and assistant headship in Birmingham schools along with recommendations for future management strategies with the aim of informing educational policy regarding the development of future leaders.

An individual’s personality is often seen to be composed of varying levels of positive and negative characteristics; these can in turn influence numerous aspects including how we respond to mental stress. Exaggerated cardiovascular reactions, namely heart rate and blood pressure responses, have been...
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An individual’s personality is often seen to be composed of varying levels of positive and negative characteristics; these can in turn influence numerous aspects including how we respond to mental stress. Exaggerated cardiovascular reactions, namely heart rate and blood pressure responses, have been associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure) and further cardiovascular disease outcomes. Similarly, exaggerated cortisol (a hormone released during stress) reactivity has been associated with anti-social disorders and increased disease susceptibility. Recent research, however, demonstrates low reactivity is associated with a range of adverse outcomes including depression, substance addiction, and disordered eating. Given the detrimental health and behavioural associations, the aim of the present study was to determine whether different personality traits affect how we perceive and biologically respond to a stressful experience. 352 middle aged Dutch men and women were exposed to three tasks designed to create mental stress; Stroop task (color-word conflict challenge), mirror tracing (a star had to be traced that could only be seen in mirror image), and a speech task (defending themselves against a shoplifting allegation). Heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol were measured at rest and in response to the stressful experiences. Individuals subsequently completed the Big Five Inventory to assess their levels of five key personality traits: 1 negative trait- neuroticism (tendency to experience negative emotions), and 4 positive traits- agreeableness (willingness to be helpful and social towards others), openness to experience (tendency to be creative and imaginative), extraversion (inclination to be energetic and sociable), and conscientiousness (related to high determination and self-discipline). Those scoring higher in neuroticism actually demonstrated lower heart rate, blood pressure, and cortisol stress responses, despite reporting greater perceptions of task stressfulness and difficulty, and lower feelings of control. Conversely, individuals who were more agreeable and open had greater heart rate and cortisol reactions, despite more open individuals reporting greater control and lower levels of stressfulness and difficulty. These results suggest that the level of stress we may actually feel is not always reflected in our physical responses. A possible reason for this is because over time, if we consistently report greater stressfulness levels such as those individuals with high neuroticism, the body may actually adapt to respond less; a process known as allostatic load. Accordingly, this may protect the individual from the harmful consequences of exaggerated physical responses which have been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and their related deaths. Conversely, it would appear that those with a negative set of personality traits, i.e. high neuroticism, and low agreeableness and openness, demonstrate lower biological stress responses. These findings further support a growing body of evidence which suggests that blunted stress reactivity may be maladaptive, and possibly reflect emotional and motivational dysregulation in the brain. The results suggest it may be possible to identify individuals characterised by a personality profile which renders individuals vulnerable to adverse health and behavioral outcomes, thus allowing individual support to be provided to prevent such negative consequences. Future research aims to determine additional health and behavioural outcomes which may be characterised by this blunted stress reactivity.

Aim: To select and internally validate candidate variables for a risk prediction algorithm to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care. Background: COPD is vastly under-diagnosed in primary care and a variety of case finding and screening tools have been proposed to hel...
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Aim: To select and internally validate candidate variables for a risk prediction algorithm to detect chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in primary care. Background: COPD is vastly under-diagnosed in primary care and a variety of case finding and screening tools have been proposed to help identify patients with undiagnosed disease. Risk prediction algorithms have been developed for a variety of diseases but the development and use of such models for identification of COPD in the UK is currently limited. We used routine primary care data to identify and internally validate candidate variables for inclusion in a risk prediction model for COPD in primary care. Method: We performed a literature search to identify potential risk factors associated with COPD. We then extracted data on 17,719 patients with an incident diagnosis of COPD (from 1st January 1990 to 31st March 2006) and 35,944 age-, sex-, and practice-matched controls from the General Practice Research Database and randomised them in a 2:1 ratio to form derivation and validation samples, respectively. The prevalence of a variety of clinical risk factors in the derivation sample (recorded at least 60 days prior to the diagnosis of COPD or equivalent matched time point for controls) was summarised. The unadjusted association between COPD and these risk factors was assessed using fixed effects conditional logistic regression. Candidate predictors were initially scoped from the literature search and then selected for a combined model based on the difference in prevalence between cases and controls, clinical face validity, and the size and statistical significance of their unadjusted odds ratios (ORs≥1.5 with p<0.05). The adjusted ORs were then estimated from a random intercept model. This model was used to formulate a risk prediction algorithm and was tested on the validation sample to assess its accuracy as measured by the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC or c-statistic) and calibration slope. Analyses were performed using Stata version 10.1. Results: The mean age in the derivation sample was 69.7 years (SD 11.0) and 51.8% were male.Smoking status, salbutamol prescriptions and dyspnoea were the strongest predictors of COPD. Altogether nine variables were included in the combined risk prediction model including symptoms of wheeze and cough, previous diagnosis of asthma and lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), and prescriptions of prednisolone and antibiotics for a chest infection. When tested on the validation sample this risk prediction algorithm had an AUC of 0.875 (95% CI 0.87 to 0.88). A cutpoint of 0.3 yielded a sensitivity of 86.6% and specificity of 70.1%. The algorithm performed good estimates against risk group deciles with a calibration slope of 0.98 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.10). Conclusions: A risk prediction algorithm that includes smoking status, history of asthma and LRTI, symptoms of dyspnoea, wheeze and cough and prescriptions of salbutamol, antibiotics for respiratory infections and prednisolone appears to be highly predictive of incident COPD in primary care. This model, combined with age and sex, will be further developed and externally validated in a large screening trial for COPD in primary care (Birmingham Lung Improvement Studies, TargetCOPD). An externally validated risk prediction algorithm with sufficient sensitivity and specificity could be used to identify patients in primary care who might benefit from spirometry testing to detect COPD.

The study of lesbian pulp fiction is an integral aspect of working against what Adrienne Rich calls ‘Compulsory Heterosexuality.’ Society has a tendency to assume an individual’s identity in heterosexual terms: assuming that a community is comprised of heteropatriarchal family structures. Using alte...
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The study of lesbian pulp fiction is an integral aspect of working against what Adrienne Rich calls ‘Compulsory Heterosexuality.’ Society has a tendency to assume an individual’s identity in heterosexual terms: assuming that a community is comprised of heteropatriarchal family structures. Using alternative definitions of community, my research investigates the formation of lesbian community around the readership of lesbian pulp fiction and lesbian periodicals published between 1950 and 1970. As a proto-political group, the lesbian communities that formed in the United States were able to access a sense of self and community – in part – because of lesbian publications. Through sociological and historical methods, I investigate both historical communities and the portrayal of lesbian community in genre fiction. In order to do so, I have consulted sociological texts for a working definition of ‘community.’ As these definitions lack cohesion and assume heterosexuality in all members of society, I have consulted the work of lesbian separatist groups in the 1970s. These groups – such as The Furies and Radicalesbians – and feminist sociologists and philosophers produced work that helped to question heteropatriarchal definitions of ‘community.’ While an anachronistic approach, using 1970s feminism and subsequent Queer Theory into a redefinition of community is vital to counteracting compulsory heterosexuality. The objective of my research is to incorporate Queer and Feminist (and ‘queer feminist’) concepts of community and individuality into the analysis of Lesbian Pulp Fiction. While anachronistic to a historical study of 1950s and 1960s lesbian communities, using more contemporary theories would address the role that lesbian pulps once held in lesbian community formation. Moreover contemporary feminist and Queer Theory could figure the analysis of how lesbian pulp fiction is read both inside and outside present-day lesbian communities. Thus far, I have found that the definition of community need not adhere to the confines of geographical space. Through epistolary contact and mass-produced publication --lesbians reading pulp fiction and lesbian-produced magazines (such as The Ladder)--allowed for individuals to be part of a community. For the purposes of my study, community has come to mean: a network of individuals who provide emotional guidance and support for others; a group that helps the individual feel less isolated and alone in the face of adversity. Using this definition, I will be able to conduct further textual analysis on the portrayal of lesbian community and the characterization of lesbian identity in my primary texts. Additionally, I will be able to investigate the function of space (or lack of space) in lesbian pulp fiction and other lesbian narrative disseminated during the 1950s and 1960s.

In British English the term 'accent' refers to systematic variations in pronunciation, often associated with particular geographic regions. Accent is one of the most frequently cited causes of variability in speech. The problem of accents is becoming more important with the advancement of computeris...
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In British English the term 'accent' refers to systematic variations in pronunciation, often associated with particular geographic regions. Accent is one of the most frequently cited causes of variability in speech. The problem of accents is becoming more important with the advancement of computerised services and Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems. Speech recognition technology is used in a wide range of applications and services such as health care, education, automated call centres, authentication and information services. In many of these applications accents and foreign languages posed a problem for speech recognition developers because, if the people using the system could not be understood, they might become frustrated and stop using the system. For example, a recent news story reported that an automated phone system deployed by Birmingham City Council could not cope with ‘Brummie’ accents [1]. This research investigates how we can exploit the knowledge of accents to obtain both rapid and robust ASR systems for British accented utterances using only 30 seconds of speech. When we hear another person’s speech for the first time, we quickly establish a 'profile' of that person based on his or her speech, in terms of factors such as gender, age, accent, and social group. It is possible that we use this characterization to adapt very quickly to that person’s speech. Current ASR systems typically differentiate between genders, but otherwise tend to ignore important factors including accents. Additionally, conventional adaptation techniques for ASR require a substantial amount of training material from each individual to be able to adapt the system in order to have a more user specific system. Now the question is whether the concept of ‘regional accent’ is useful to overcome these two problems. The first section describes the techniques used to visualise the space where accent recognition is performed, otherwise known as the ‘accent recognition’ space, and show the extent to which the emergent structure is consistent with subjective notions of accent. The two techniques used are Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). We then interpret speech recognition results on accented speech from 14 different British regions, analysed in terms of their structure in the ‘accent recognition’ space. Following this we present results on accent adaptation using conventional adaptation techniques such as MAP (Maximum A Posteriori Adaptation) and MLLR (Maximum Likelihood Linear Regression). We use these accent adaptation techniques along with the knowledge from accent recognition techniques, such as the ACCDIST accent recognition measure, to provide an accent robust, rapid speaker adaptation system. 1. “Brummie accents baffle automated phone system ... at Birmingham City Council”, Daily Mail, 5th November 2012.

Introduction: The aerodynamic drag of a cyclist in time trial (TT) position is strongly influenced by the torso angle (Underwood et al. 2011). To minimize drag, cyclists lower their torso angle. Along with the drag the cyclists’ peak power output decreases. There should be a trade-off between the lo...
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Introduction: The aerodynamic drag of a cyclist in time trial (TT) position is strongly influenced by the torso angle (Underwood et al. 2011). To minimize drag, cyclists lower their torso angle. Along with the drag the cyclists’ peak power output decreases. There should be a trade-off between the loss in power output and drag as function of cycling velocity. This hypothesis is supported by the energy expenditure which is a function of the workload divided by the gross efficiency (GE). The workload to overcome drag decreases with smaller torso angles, while the GE decreases accordingly. Previous literature suggested that the aerodynamic losses outweigh the loss in power output (Lukes et al. 2005). However, these statements are only valid for elite TT cycling velocities, e.g. > 45 km/h. To our best knowledge, there is no published prediction at which speed the aerodynamic power loss starts to dominate. Therefore the aim of this study is to predict the optimal TT cycling position as a function of velocity to improve the performance of non-elite cyclists. Methods: Two models were developed to determine the optimal torso angle of TT cyclists: a ‘Power Output Model’ and a ‘Metabolic Efficiency Model’. The Power Output Model predicts the optimal cycling position by maximizing the peak power output minus the power losses due to drag and roll resistance. The Metabolic Efficiency Model minimizes the required cycling energy. Model input parameters were experimentally collected of 19 trained competitive time trial cyclists (Fintelman et al. 2012). The main input variables were the power output, frontal area and GE of the cyclists in different torso angle positions (0,8,16 and 24°). The optimal cycling torso angle was predicted for speeds between 18-50km/h. Results and discussion: For both models, the optimal torso angle is dependent on the cycling velocity, and the torso angle exhibited a sigmoid-like shape, with decreasing torso angles at increasing velocities. The Power Output Model curve was shifted to a higher velocity, which could be explained by the different approach of the models. The aerodynamic losses outweighed the power losses for velocities above 45km/h, which goes in line with the literature. For cycling velocities below 30km/h the power loss and gross efficiency due to position change were dominant. Furthermore, it is shown that a fully horizontal torso is not optimal. Conclusion and recommendations: It is suggested that despite some limitations, the models give valuable information about the optimal TT cycling position at different speeds for non-elite cyclists. This study showed it is beneficial to ride in a more upright TT position when velocities are below 30km/h, while at speeds above 45km/h an almost flat back is optimal. Furthermore, for speeds between 32-40km/h in an endurance event it is advisable to lower the torso despite the fact that the power output in a more aerodynamic position is decreased. In contrast, in sprinting or in variable conditions (wind, undulating course, etc) at these speeds it is more beneficial to ride in a more upright TT position. Our future research will attempt to measure the aerodynamic drag of all participants in a wind tunnel, to implement a more valid drag coefficient and thus improving the validity of the models. Furthermore, to increase the ecological validity the effect of crosswind will be implemented in future. References: Fintelman, Highton, Adams, Sterling, Hemida, Li (2012) ECSS annual conference. Lukes R, Chin S, Haake S (2005). Sports Eng., 8(2): 59-74. Underwood L, Schumacher J, Burette-Pommay J, Jermy M (2011). Sports Eng., 14(2): 147-154.

Background: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is an aggressive and incurable inflammatory bowel disease that affects young people typically in their teens and early twenties. The symptoms of UC include, bloody diarrhoea, incontinence and intractable fatigue that can be difficult to treat. There are almost 250...
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Background: Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is an aggressive and incurable inflammatory bowel disease that affects young people typically in their teens and early twenties. The symptoms of UC include, bloody diarrhoea, incontinence and intractable fatigue that can be difficult to treat. There are almost 250, 000 patients with UC in the UK alone. Patients with UC for more than 8 years have a ten times increased risk of bowel cancer and undergo regular endoscopic surveillance of their large bowel. Unfortunately almost 50% of cancers are missed even in patients on surveillance. Furthermore cancer can develop in between surveillance episodes. There is a clear need to develop improved ways of predicting cancer in such patients. Pilot data: DNA methylation is a key early event in many cancer types including bowel cancer. DNA methylation of genes involved in the Wnt pathway have been investigated previously by our group and shown to be silenced as a result of methylation. These events occur early in UC bowel cancers. Methylation of Wnt genes occurs not only in the cancer but also in surrounding bowel tissue suggesting that such changes may be ‘gatekeeper’ events for neoplastic transformation to occur. Methods: This study aims to investigate the timeline of Wnt gene methylation and determine if these can be used within a clinical setting to PREDICT cancer in UC patients. To do this, 55 archived cancers from patients with UC will be analysed including colonic biopsies of the same patients taken up to three years before the development of cancer. DNA methylation changes will be analysed in all samples and will be compared to biopsies of UC patients that have similar disease parameters but no cancer. This study will help determine if such biomarkers can predict the onset of cancer in UC patients and if so determine the clinical lead-time that can be achieved through using this analysis as an adjunct to current surveillance strategies. Outcomes: The outcome of such a study could lead to the development of a DNA based test that could enhance cancer risk stratification of UC patients. This could prevent hundreds of cancers each year in this young population.

There is mounting evidence that sedentary lifestyles can seriously impact on health, contributing to obesity, cardiovascular problems and early mortality. At the same time, the increasing ownership of smartphones equipped with sensors that can accurately detect sedentary patterns presents an opportu...
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There is mounting evidence that sedentary lifestyles can seriously impact on health, contributing to obesity, cardiovascular problems and early mortality. At the same time, the increasing ownership of smartphones equipped with sensors that can accurately detect sedentary patterns presents an opportunity for pervasive technological interventions that target sedentary behaviour. Several approaches have been developed within the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field of persuasive technology. However, such approaches tend to overlook existing research from psychology that demonstrates that strongly habitual behaviour is relatively impervious to interventions that simply provide information and feedback. This poster explores the application of habit formation and dual process theories to the practical development of effective pervasive persuasive sedentary behaviour change interventions. It explores theoretical underpinnings of why people develop sedentary habits, how technology could help to break these habits and form healthier ones, the expected difficulties that need to be overcome, and the proposed methodological approaches to evaluating such interventions.

This paper is a preliminary exploration of the role that conflict-generated diaspora communities can play in transitional justice and processes of reconciliation. The aim is to consider what potential there is for tapping into diaspora communities and the possible benefits this could have on diaspor...
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This paper is a preliminary exploration of the role that conflict-generated diaspora communities can play in transitional justice and processes of reconciliation. The aim is to consider what potential there is for tapping into diaspora communities and the possible benefits this could have on diasporas themselves and on peacebuilding processes in the homeland. The goal is also to explore and reflect on ways in which reconciliatory attitudes can be encouraged among diaspora communities, as well as their participation in transnational activities. The paper begins by providing a brief overview of diasporas, followed by a discussion on relationships and attitudes within conflict-generated diaspora communities in the aftermath of violence. The paper then explores the various roles that diasporas can play in transitional justice, such as providing input to strategies and participating in established mechanisms; or mobilizing on their own to push for transitional justice measures. This is followed by a brief look at diaspora involvement in other processes of reconciliation, including dialogue and media initiatives. The paper then discusses how integration policies and outcomes in the hostland can influence the views of diasporas and their involvement with the homeland. The paper concludes with challenges related to diaspora participation and some overall reflections.

Electrodialysis (ED), an electrochemical membrane technique, prolonged and enhanced the production of biohydrogen and purified organic acids (OAs) via anaerobic fermentation of glucose and food wastes. In this extractive fermentation, pH was precisely controlled by the regulated extraction of acidic...
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Electrodialysis (ED), an electrochemical membrane technique, prolonged and enhanced the production of biohydrogen and purified organic acids (OAs) via anaerobic fermentation of glucose and food wastes. In this extractive fermentation, pH was precisely controlled by the regulated extraction of acidic products. The solid particles and inorganic salts present in real wastes were not problematic when hydrothermal pre treatment was incorporated. The selective separation of OA from waste-fed fermentations provides a nitrogen free carbon source for further biohydrogen production in a parallel photofermentation. H2 yield could be up to 10 fold enhanced by combining extractive fermentation and photofermentation. Therefore, ED provides the key link in an integrated process (IP) for efficient bioH2 production from organic wastes.

The scope of the JISC/HEA funded DELILA Project http://delilaopen.wordpress.com/ includes improving the hosting of Learning Objects in the University of Birmingham’s UBIRA Institutional Repositories. This has led to a number of improvements in the display of repository items - inspired in part ...
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The scope of the JISC/HEA funded DELILA Project http://delilaopen.wordpress.com/ includes improving the hosting of Learning Objects in the University of Birmingham’s UBIRA Institutional Repositories. This has led to a number of improvements in the display of repository items - inspired in part by the design of the HumBox Project http://humbox.ac.uk/ .

Research suggests that schooling can dictate both opportunity and performance levels (Bailey et al, 2010), and that whilst there is an assumption that the type of school attended has an effect on sporting opportunity Rowley, 1993), much of this evidence is anecdotal. This work explores the effect of...
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Research suggests that schooling can dictate both opportunity and performance levels (Bailey et al, 2010), and that whilst there is an assumption that the type of school attended has an effect on sporting opportunity Rowley, 1993), much of this evidence is anecdotal. This work explores the effect of schooling on playing level and performance post compulsory physical education. After ethical approval an online questionnaire collected retrospective recall data on the sport practice patterns of people raised and schooled in the UK. 1,006 individuals provided information about their schooling along with their sport participation between 16 and 18 years old. There was a significant association between type of schooling and the highest playing level achieved aged 16 to 18, 2(8) = 29.1, p<0.001. Individuals who received state schooling were less likely to play at national level than those who received grammar (0.94 times) and private (0.34 times) schooling. This pattern continued at the representative level (grammar, 0.73 times; private, 0.34 times) and school level (grammar, 0.43 times; private, 0.19 times). Compared to not playing at all individuals at private schools were more likely to play at national level (2.78 times), representative level (2.13 times), club level (1.67 times) and school level (2.25 times) than individuals at grammar school. In terms of overall sports participation individuals aged 16-18 at private schools were 2.7 times more likely to play sport than those at state schools a similar pattern was seen between grammar and private schools (2.5 times more likely to play sport). The data suggest that there is a clear need to explore and address the imbalances in playing performance and participation created within the current UK schooling system. Such imbalances surely serve to undermine an individual’s opportunity for both sporting achievement and participation.

This essay investigate the returns to education in China using pooled CHNS (China Health and Nutrition Survey) dataset before 2000 (including 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1997) and after 2000 (including 2000, 2004 and 2006). Based on the standard Mincerian human capital earning function, we adopt the OLS an...
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This essay investigate the returns to education in China using pooled CHNS (China Health and Nutrition Survey) dataset before 2000 (including 1989, 1991, 1993 and 1997) and after 2000 (including 2000, 2004 and 2006). Based on the standard Mincerian human capital earning function, we adopt the OLS and IV models to see the difference of controlling endogeneity of schooling or not. Education is measured in two ways: years of schooling (input) and highest educational qualification (output, 5 categories of educational levels). We find that OLS estimate of the returns to schooling and education levels in the 2000s is higher than before, and higher education, higher return. In addition, if we do not control for endogeneity bias of schooling, the OLS estimates of the returns to schooling will be underestimated, especially before 2000.

Firm’s proper acquisition size is still an unresolved question. The extant literatures mention little about the determinants of firm’s acquisition size at micro economic level. With recent available data of acquisitions in Chinese stock market (Shanghai and Shenzhen) during 2003-2008, we estimate th...
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Firm’s proper acquisition size is still an unresolved question. The extant literatures mention little about the determinants of firm’s acquisition size at micro economic level. With recent available data of acquisitions in Chinese stock market (Shanghai and Shenzhen) during 2003-2008, we estimate the effect of institutional ownership on firms’ acquisition size controlling financial and governance characteristics. In an industry fixed effect model, firms’ acquisition size is significantly and positively associated with firm size, Tobin’s Q, leverage ratio, cash holing level and internal capital expenditure. Acquisition size is positively related to some governance characteristics of firms such as board size, independency of board and activity of board, but negatively related to the duality of chairman and CEO. However, annual dividend, management holding, intangible asset, ownership concentration and the identity of ownership seems unrelated to acquisition size. The monitoring effect of different institutional ownership including qualified foreign institutional investors (QFII), social security fund (SSF), security firms (SF) and security investment funds (SIF) on the acquisition of listed firms are investigated. We find that QFII and SIF increase acquisition size of those over-acquisition firms while only SSF have significant monitoring effects on those under-acquisition firms.

This essay investigate the returns to schooling in urban China using pooled CHNS (China Health and Nutrition Survey) dataset of the 1990s (including 1991, 1993 and 1997) and the 2000s (including 2000, 2004 and 2006). Based on the standard Mincerian human capital earning function, we adopt the OLS an...
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This essay investigate the returns to schooling in urban China using pooled CHNS (China Health and Nutrition Survey) dataset of the 1990s (including 1991, 1993 and 1997) and the 2000s (including 2000, 2004 and 2006). Based on the standard Mincerian human capital earning function, we adopt the OLS and IV models to see the difference of controlling endogeneity of schooling or not. Education is measured in two ways: years of schooling (input) and highest educational qualification (output, 5 categories of educational levels). We find that OLS estimate of the returns to schooling in the 2000s is higher than the 1990s. The returns to “college and above” and “professional school” increase across time, while the returns to “upper and lower middle school” decrease from 1990s to 2000s. In addition, if we do not control for endogeneity bias of schooling, the OLS estimates of the returns to schooling will be underestimated, especially in the 2000s.

Biography introducing this seminar presentation. Professor David A. Booth has research doctorates in biochemistry and in psychology. A main area of his research since 1964 has been the neural, digestive, metabolic, sensory and social influences on, and effects of, choices and intakes of foods ...
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Biography introducing this seminar presentation. Professor David A. Booth has research doctorates in biochemistry and in psychology. A main area of his research since 1964 has been the neural, digestive, metabolic, sensory and social influences on, and effects of, choices and intakes of foods and drinks, and how all these causal processes interact in the individual’s life. One major effort in this area has been to characterise and to measure the least fattening customs of eating within local environments. This talk highlights a pilot study conducted in the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition in McGill University that is now being extended by a nutrition graduate and obesity dietitian from Mexico who is studying for a research degree in Psychology with David Booth and colleagues at the University of Birmingham.

Precirculated abstract. In 1888-9, E.H. Weber discovered one of the first basic principles of Experimental Psychology: equal ratios of the quantity of stimulation to the senses were rated as equally different in intensity, when the levels of input were moderate. This semilog linear range of an input...
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Precirculated abstract. In 1888-9, E.H. Weber discovered one of the first basic principles of Experimental Psychology: equal ratios of the quantity of stimulation to the senses were rated as equally different in intensity, when the levels of input were moderate. This semilog linear range of an input/output function for physical or chemical stimuli is plain linear when the stimuli are symbolic such as quantitative descriptions. This discriminative sensitivity of an output can therefore be used as a scaling unit for quantities of any input. Furthermore, inputs that are treated as the same by an output will summate in discrimination units from the level to which the person or animal has learnt: that is, an information-transmitting channel through an adapted intelligent system constitutes a mental dimension. If two transforms operate over different channels, then their interaction is orthogonal. Hence the simplest account of a mind is as a Euclidean hyperspace of distinct causal processes. When two outputs are observed from one input, two distinct ways of processing the input may be distinguished. With sufficiently independent multiple inputs tested on specific outputs as well as on an overall output of interest, the set of possible processes and their interactions can be tested against each other on the individual’s multiple discrimination performance in acting on variants of a specific situation (Booth & Freeman, 1993; data-analytic program in Java: ‘Co-Pro’, 2006). Several examples of such cognitive diagnosis will be given: empathy, sympathy and compassion; emoticons; craving fior chocolate; appetite for foods in pictures. An argument offered for discussion -- made in a response to EC FP5 Models of Consciousness 2003 in an MS now on epapers.bham.ac.uk -- is that the development of intelligent robots needs to include a science of artificial performance, analogous to this psychological science of natural performance – i.e., ‘POEMS’, Psychology Of Emerging Machine Souls / Sentients / Symbolisers / Subjectivities!

This paper considers evidence on the impact of ICT on demand for different types of workers, focusing in particular on the age dimension. It first examines data from EUKLEMS using regressions standard in the literature and suggests ICT may have adversely affected older workers, in particular high sk...
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This paper considers evidence on the impact of ICT on demand for different types of workers, focusing in particular on the age dimension. It first examines data from EUKLEMS using regressions standard in the literature and suggests ICT may have adversely affected older workers, in particular high skilled males aged 50 and over. The paper then uses data from the UK Labour Force Survey, linked to EUKLEMS, to examine whether the observed differences by worker type could be due to variations in on the job training. It shows that training linked to ICT use can explain some of the wage variation and that reluctance by older men to undertake training has a role as well as lower offers of training by firms.

Skill premium in the United Kingdom has increased substantially since the 1970s. This paper analyzes the link between institutions and the skill premium in the UK controlling for other explanatory variables such as market conditions, international trade and skill-biased technology. For the privat...
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Skill premium in the United Kingdom has increased substantially since the 1970s. This paper analyzes the link between institutions and the skill premium in the UK controlling for other explanatory variables such as market conditions, international trade and skill-biased technology. For the private sector, institutions are more important for the unskilled baseline group than the skilled groups. The trade union decline after 1979 brings different effect on wages of skilled and unskilled workers and pushes the skill premium up. We find that the trade union decline in unskilled workers can explain about one third degree premium increase over the period 1979-1998. The overall effect of trade union in all workers can explain about 13.34 percent of degree premium increase during the same period. Our results are insensitive to skill group categorization. Moreover, we find that minimum wages can only decrease skill premiums of high skilled workers rather than low skilled workers. The increase of unemployment benefit over the period 1979-1998 reduces the increasing the skill premium by about 13.6 percent. But, the mark-up effect of taxation increase skill premium by about 8.26 percent. We find no significant associations between above institutions and skill premiums in the public sector.

Psychology is the systematic empirical study of the mechanisms of objective achievements by a human being or member of another species. These mental processes include intentions / actions, percepts / sensations, thoughts / solutions, emotions / cooperations, communications etc. - whatever the task ...
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Psychology is the systematic empirical study of the mechanisms of objective achievements by a human being or member of another species. These mental processes include intentions / actions, percepts / sensations, thoughts / solutions, emotions / cooperations, communications etc. - whatever the task that the individual successfully performed, and by what mental/behavioural causation. Psychological knowledge is not based on subjective contents of a private world, neural causation or brain activity, societal causation or cultural functions, bodily movements or physical dynamics and cannot be reduced to environmental or/and genetic origins. As I understand it, God is the sustainer of all things, the biosphere, human society, and the cultural, physiological and mental life of each of us. God upholds the mechanisms of physics, politics and mind. God does not put the atoms in their places; rather, God keeps creating the same causal powers - ‘laws’ of nature, including red in tooth and claw, and‘laws’ of society, including powers of this dark world. To deal with all of this, human beings have been given the biosocial capacity to take complementing roles in a shared task - that is, to be loving.

Abdominal fatness, like IQ, is predominantly a moderately heritable polygenic trait. Furthermore, human genetic structure is masked by many regulatory genes. Hence environment is likely to specify any obesigenic pattern of metabolism, movement or ingestion. The least fattening patterns of behaviour ...
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Abdominal fatness, like IQ, is predominantly a moderately heritable polygenic trait. Furthermore, human genetic structure is masked by many regulatory genes. Hence environment is likely to specify any obesigenic pattern of metabolism, movement or ingestion. The least fattening patterns of behaviour therefore need to be identified in a culture’s own categories. The times at which an individual carries out such an eating or exercise custom detect a sustained change in its frequency, after which any change in weight is tracked to asymptote. The closest published approximation to this psychosocial approach to weight control was around Birmingham (England) in the late 1980s, cf. Appetite 43, 277-283 (2004). While the obesity research community continues to refuse support, a pilot study of the simplest effective design has been run in French Canada. In that culture, individual differences in eating vegetables and in avoiding calories, low-calorie meals or fruit and salad fairly consistently correlate at present with decline in weight over 2-4 weeks. Cross-lagged correlation shows when change in frequency of a custom one week causes subsequent change in weight, rather than weight change precipitating behaviour change. Effects of eating customs on weight emerge from 1970s calculations of energy exchange regulation (since replicated and extended by four other groups) but may be undetectable as sensory, digestive or social influences on states of appetite and its sating.

This article engages with scholarship on the sexualisation and queering of public spaces, drawing on ethnographic research carried out in LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer) commuities in Turin in 2006, the year in which the city hosted ‘Pride Nazionale’. In the Italian context, problema...
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This article engages with scholarship on the sexualisation and queering of public spaces, drawing on ethnographic research carried out in LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer) commuities in Turin in 2006, the year in which the city hosted ‘Pride Nazionale’. In the Italian context, problematically heteronormative forms of sexuality are ever-present in the media, while sexual minorities face a hostile climate in which their rights are not yet fully recognised. I argue that this climate has been mitigated by activist initiatives, and forms of inhabiting and occupaying space, from everyday socialising, to participation in specific cultural activities, to large-scale demonstrations, which all contribute to ‘queerings’ of space. The article further suggests that the queering of space enables community building, increases the visibility and status of minority populations, and is a vital means to achieving greater livability. However, this queering is often temporary, amounting only to a ‘tactic’ rather than a ‘strategy’, to use de Certeau’s terminology.

The aim of this study was to examine the stability or otherwise of the avoidance of flesh foods and of its motivation in some young women at a British university in the mid-1990s. In 1993/94 and again in 1995, 40 female undergraduates in the U.K. were asked about foods they avoided and their reason...
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The aim of this study was to examine the stability or otherwise of the avoidance of flesh foods and of its motivation in some young women at a British university in the mid-1990s. In 1993/94 and again in 1995, 40 female undergraduates in the U.K. were asked about foods they avoided and their reasons for and any changes in this avoidance. Most (29 out of 40) of these students maintained the same pattern of avoidance for 18-24 months, although about 66% (19 out of 29) of them changed their primary reason for not eating flesh. Also, most (8 out of 11) of those students who had changed their pattern of avoidance reported a different motive. Those women who became less strict (n = 8) accepted more poultry and/or fish or even beef or lamb. Only 3 students became stricter in their avoidance of animal species. Some students ate more variedly at home, because of more money and time, but also to conform to the family’s eating patterns. Most family members and friends (meat eaters) responded favourably to those who became less strict. However, more extreme peers (vegetarians) reacted negatively. Thus, although meat avoidance was sustained by many for at least 18 months, the range of avoidance and its reasons varied over time and with context.

Comment by JN Birdsall, on the text of the New Testament and the legitimacy of other biblical texts, such as the Gnostic Nag-Hammadi codices and the Gospel of Thomas. Birdsall also questions claims made by Morton Smith of a 'Secret Gospel of Mark' made available in 1973. Birdsall also expounds the v...
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Comment by JN Birdsall, on the text of the New Testament and the legitimacy of other biblical texts, such as the Gnostic Nag-Hammadi codices and the Gospel of Thomas. Birdsall also questions claims made by Morton Smith of a 'Secret Gospel of Mark' made available in 1973. Birdsall also expounds the variant forms for 'hyssop' in John 19.29 rationalising that we must resort to its symbolic allusions.

A paper delivered at Tyndale House in 1979, and to the Graduate Seminar at Birmingham in 1970. It comments on the work of a textual critic, with reflection on Birdsall's own work and the crossing of the two disciplines of patristics and philology. There are discussions of cruces such as the end of M...
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A paper delivered at Tyndale House in 1979, and to the Graduate Seminar at Birmingham in 1970. It comments on the work of a textual critic, with reflection on Birdsall's own work and the crossing of the two disciplines of patristics and philology. There are discussions of cruces such as the end of Mark.