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Narrative enquiry into the physical literacy journeys of further education young ambassadors
Get PDFThe benefits of physical literacy are widely acknowledged, with advocates recognising the importance of its development throughout the life course. Whilst the link between physical activity, health and physical literacy is well researched, there is a noticeable lack of young people’s voices in the literature. This research aims to explore the physical literacy journeys of further education young ambassadors at a 6th form college in Southwest Wales, offering holistic and valuable insights into young people's unique experiences. Qualitative semi-structured interviews provide voices and perceptions, helping to contribute to a better understanding in this context. The narrative data obtained from the interviews underwent thematic analysis, facilitating the identification of emergent key themes. As a result of the coding framework, the researcher categorised themes as, 'desire for significance,' 'personal reward,' 'significant others,' 'imagining future self,' and 'environment’. The ambassadors' desire for significance emphasises the importance of early execution of fundamental movement skills for success and sustained participation. Yet re-defining success criteria will be beneficial in fostering feelings of pride and success in all individuals. The ambassadors clearly relished personal benefits from physical activity. Thus, physical education should prioritise autonomy and choice, focussing on personal reward and enjoyment when planning these opportunities. Various significant others played crucial roles in the ambassadors' lives, with teachers and family responsible for activity levels and peer groups acknowledged as strong determinants in activity choice and frequency. Promoting adult activity therefore provides relatable role models for young people to aspire to. The ambassadors’ keen sense of improving prospects highlights the need for universities to facilitate personal development and establish systems for mentoring students. Additionally, diverse student physical activity programs enhance the appeal of the institution. The scope of environmental influences ambassadors encountered gives prominence to the need for local authority providers to create safe and accessible opportunities. Furthermore, increasing knowledge of engagement in outdoor pursuits available locally is necessary to increase physical literacy
An Indian Ocean global revolution (300 BCE to 100 CE)?
No full textThis chapter investigates the question of whether a global revolution occurred across the Ancient Indian Ocean world during the final centuries BCE. A revolution not defined by a single event (or series of interconnected events), but rather by a long-term transformation that culminated in a highly interconnected ancient world, one which was increasingly discernible by the start of the first millennium CE
Multimodal representation and translation of the official UK tourism website into Chinese
Get PDFThis thesis investigates the online multimodal representation of tourism destinations, and examines how these representations are communicated in a different locale through translation and localisation processes.
It takes the official UK tourism website VisitBritain as a case study. Visual and textual data collected from both English and Chinese editions of VisitBritain are analysed to investigate how multiple modes on tourism destination websites combine and interact in communicating meanings and shaping the destination image. The qualitative approach of multimodal discourse analysis is employed to elucidate the organisational dynamics of visual elements (layout, hyperlinks, typography, colour, photographs) in conveying ideational, interpersonal and textual meanings. A quantitative corpus-based analysis is adopted to identify the content and linguistic style of the textual data. Additionally, sampled sentence pairs from the source text and its translated version are compared to uncover the translation and localisation strategies employed by VisitBritain.
The findings reveal that VisitBritain, whether in English or Chinese, integrates multiple modes that complement one another and enable a broad understanding of the UK destinations. Comparative analysis indicates that the Chinese edition aligns closely with the English edition, incorporating minor adaptations in content and linguistic style tailored to the interests and preferences of Chinese recipients, while effectively preserving the unique and recognisable image of the UK as a tourist destination.
The thesis then goes on to argue that because web texts are multimodal, the traditional rule of ‘translation equivalence’ needs to move beyond words, towards a more comprehensive understanding of the multimodal synergy in terms of ideational, interpersonal and textual metafunctions. Translation is effective when the target text, as a multimodal whole, resonates with the target audience. Localisation is essential to improve readability and usability. However, we argue that localisation needs to be used cautiously to avoid detrimental loss of exoticism and cultural uniqueness, which are the attractive pulling factors enhancing travel motivation of international tourists
The impact of a customised aesthetic prosthetic leg cover on social interaction cues and attitudes in the general UK population: two experimental studies.
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: The study engaged two novel experimental methodologies to explore the impact of an aesthetic prosthetic leg cover on attitudes towards individuals with lower limb amputation and associated social interaction cues amongst the general UK population.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In Study One participants (n=188) viewed one of three images of an individual: (1) wearing a traditional stem prosthetic, (2) wearing an aesthetic leg cover, or (3) as a non-amputee. They then completed an attitude scale and rated the personality of the individual using the BFI-10. Study Two (n=31) used eye tracking and facial expression software to explore gaze and facial arousal when viewing one of nine manipulated videos of the same individual talking about three different scenarios.
RESULTS: In study one the aesthetic leg cover led to significantly higher ratings of agreeableness than stem and non-amputee images, and significantly higher ratings of extraversion than the non-amputee image. Attitudes towards an individual with a prosthesis did not significantly differ depending on which image they viewed and were generally positive. In study two, all participants focused mainly on the individual’s face regardless of scenario topic or leg condition, although participants focused more around the leg cover in more active contexts.
CONCLUSIONS: Customised aesthetic leg covers may help individuals living with amputation to be perceived more positively in social situations. These experimental methodologies could be extended to explore the differential impact of context, functionality and activity of specific types of customised aesthetic prosthetics and could help inform shared decision-making processes in clinical setting
‘The Trio-Model’: a new, transformative framework for an old, broken system
Get PDFIn the light of the United Nations’ aim to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and recognizing that the international community is nowhere near to achieving this aim, this paper argues for a change in practice and perspective regarding animals used for food, particularly those animals used in the industrial animal agriculture industry, and consequently calls for a transformative change in human-animal relationships. Using the global practice of factory farming as a case study, the paper aims to show that the interests of humans, nonhumans and the environment overlap considerably, and that the current anthropocentric stance, that provides the ethical framework for the SDGs, undermines itself in its attempt to meet the needs of present and future human beings whilst considering human interests only as of direct moral concern. Drawing on the concepts of “one health” and “doughnut economics”, the paper concludes with an urgent call for a more inclusive biocentric approach to global environmental problems, health and disease. Such an approach should recognize the good of other than human beings in and of itself, and be guided by relevant anti-speciesist egalitarian principles and practices. This framework of biocentrism, doughnut economics and one health the authors term the ‘trio-model’, for short
eVTOL’s (Electric Vertical Take‐Off and Landing aircrafts) as air taxis – A realisable urban air mobility solution or An innovation overpromise on being green and sustainable – Case Study on City of London
Get PDFThe “Religio-therapeutic Dimension” of Espiritismo in Brazil and Its Place within the Study of Religions
Get PDFThe article focuses on Brazilian spiritism (espiritismo) and discusses its inclusion within the study of religions. After introducing its core features, it shifts to spiritist hospitals that are common across Brazil. The third section examines the boundary of the study of religions and the problem of defining religion. It shows how the artificial divide between religion and non-religion impacts our discipline. Ultimately, it makes the case of an expansion of our area of study to reflect what people do
Detection of Fusarium Head Blight on Wheat Spikelets Using a Multi-Scale Feature Fusion CNN Model
Get PDFFusarium head blight (FHB) is a globally significant fungal disease that severely impacts wheat crops, leading to reduced yields, degraded grain quality, and the accumulation of harmful mycotoxins. These mycotoxins pose severe threats to human and animal health and result in substantial economic losses. Accurate and efficient assessment of FHB disease phenotypes is crucial for developing resistant wheat varieties through breeding. However, current methods for collecting and analyzing wheat phenotypic data are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and often imprecise, particularly at the spikelet level, where disease symptoms are more nuanced and challenging to detect. Hence this study addresses these challenges by proposing a novel lightweight object detection model based on multi-scale feature fusion, specifically designed to detect FHB at the spikelet level in wheat. The proposed model leverages the advanced YOLOv9 framework, integrating the Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement and Fusion (MSFEF) module, to significantly enhance the accuracy of detecting small and subtle disease features in complex field environments. The performance of the developed model is evaluated using a self-constructed dataset comprising 620 annotated RGB images. Results show that the proposed model achieves a mean Average Precision (mAP) of 90.6%, outperforming state-of-the-art models such as YOLOv9-C and YOLOv10-S while maintaining real-time performance with 294 FPS.
Additionally, the model excels in detecting diseased spikelets, achieving an Average Precision (AP) of 92%, and shows high robustness in recognizing healthy
and infected spikelets. Regarding disease phenotype extraction, the model's correlation coefficients with manual detection for disease spikelet rate and FHB severity are 0.81 and 0.75, respectively, underscoring its significant potential for practical application in breeding and phenotype collection. This study introduces a novel, fine-grained detection method for wheat FHB disease and offers practical solutions to enhance the efficiency of wheat resistance breeding and plant disease management
What Implications Does the Understanding of the Governing Mechanics of the Universe Have on the Concept of Free Will?
Get PDFThe purpose of this paper is to present the thesis that free will, in its strongest sense, is not compatible with the prevailing theories of the governing mechanics of the universe. Consequentially, the concept of free will must be revised in order to be reconcilable with these scientifically demonstrable theories. Free will is often understood in terms of agency, which is a product of an actor’s volitions. These volitions, in turn, are thought to be the product of the mind and conscious experience of the actor. Depending on the theory, the mind and conscious experience are believed to be rooted in the physical human body, often leading to discussions surrounding the relationship between the mind and body. As a result, it is easy for the topic of free will to become subsumed into these areas. By allowing the discussion on free will to be led by the governing mechanics of the universe, the free will discussion should remain unobscured. The governing mechanics of the universe are logical and coherent theories that have been established and supported by the scientific method. By adhering to these scientific theories, any model of free will that is discussed must also be in keeping with the spirit of the scientific method and, as a result, the governing mechanics of the universe. Discussions on the mind and consciousness will inevitably form due to the topics being inextricably linked. When introduced, the purpose of these theories will be to add value and build upon the free will debate. Similarly, the above methodology means that incompatible theories can quickly be discounted if they are not in keeping with the scientific method. Consequentially, the paper should lead towards a holistic conclusion on the implications of the governing mechanics of the universe for the concept of free will
Sensorial Materiality: A Sensorial and Material Reanalysis of Elite Pazyryk (600200 BCE) Textiles from Pazyryk Barrow Number Five.
Get PDFThe Pazyryk (600-200 BCE) represents a uniquely preserved and mysterious Scythian group culture, that has been subject to academic debate since its discovery. The exquisite material culture has enamoured scholars from around the world, and display some of the most dynamic, animated, and symbolic textiles of their time discovered globally. However, there is a stagnation that looms over the study of Pazyryk materials, with an academic prominence on textual evidence and a dissociation from the vibrant matter that enraptures them. Pazyryk barrow five held captivating textiles that have been subject to limited empirical analysis since their uncovering by S.I Rudenko in the 1940’s. This study aims to reanalyse the elite textiles of Pazyryk five with a hybridized approach rooted in sensorial and material scholarship offering an alternative method of engagement. The application of a sensorial-material framework examines the multifaceted ability of Pazyryk textiles extending agency, control space, mediate socio-mythological worlds, aid in memorial function and instigate the metamorphosis of borders. The Pazyryk creation of hybrid beings and adaptation of foreign motifs, was to challenge temporal identities in an epoch of heightened mobility, which the entanglement of socio-political networks followed. To examine the textiles, a dataset of four textiles was assembled from Pazyryk barrow five to offer an in-depth assessment of their material properties and the sensorial experiences they project. The discussion while a theoretical engagement, reveals the negotiated identity, personhood, and relationships of the Pazyryk elite through material and sensorial arbitration of both material and immaterial realms. Pazyryk textiles were created to evoke the senses, and such engagements should not be denied to them
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