1993 research outputs found
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The Role of Dogs in Medieval Wales
Get PDFThis thesis explores the role of dogs in medieval Wales. References to dogs can be found in sources such as the law codes and the Mabinogion and other forms of literature, including hagiography and poetry, providing a wealth of material for understanding what kinds of dogs there were, what they did, who owned them, and how they were viewed. It is helpful to examine these sources in three ways, and thus, the thesis is divided into three chapters: the law codes, hunting, and literature. The law codes give many details about societal expectations of dogs while representations in story or poetry reflect how dogs performed their tasks, particularly that of hunting, and how society’s views of them could be used for literary effect. It is argued that dogs were ubiquitous in medieval Wales, serving a variety of functions from herding and guarding to acting as pets. However, the dogs that receive the most attention are hunting dogs because of their essential role in an important aristocratic pastime. This is what appears most in the law codes and the literature, and such dogs are generally the ones to appear with admirable characteristics to emulate. While other dogs do not possess great value, hunting dogs are often praised for their tenacity and ferocity in the hunt as well as for their faithfulness to their masters. It is also these dogs who take on otherworldly and magical characteristics in literature
The Role of Emerging Advanced Technologies in Facilitating the Remanufacture and Upgrade of End-of-use Electro-Mechanical and Mechanical Equipment, Tooling and Assets. How Successfully are These Emerging Advanced Technologies Contributing to the Adoption of Advanced Methods of Remanufacturing.
Get PDFWith the accepted need for a sustainable approach to manufacture with consideration for increasingly limited natural resources, the application of ‘remanufacture’ is becoming an increasingly important route for end-of-life whole vehicles, assemblies, tools, or materials. We can define the term in many ways but ‘remanufacture’ can be usefully described as ‘ a process of returning a used product back to at least as-new condition’ (Scottish Institute for Manufacturing), and Ijomah et al, 2005 gives us a good basis for consideration of the process
(Appendix 15).
If we couple this increasing scrutiny on resource use to the spreading digitisation within manufacturing, following advanced technology advancing control, automation and data handling methods, then we would seem to have two potentially divergent themes, sustainable use of resource against the rising cost, resource and energy demands of the new technologies, techniques and approaches. Costs could indeed increasingly outstrip any advances we can make in the already successful re-use of materials by remanufacture.
This research will undertake a literature review to set out some current themes in remanufacture, and current thinking within remanufacture as advanced manufacturing techniques and advances are improving efficiency in the traditional remanufacture processes. Having defined the current situation, the research will then extend into a critical view of comparative paths of improvement of remanufacture, or otherwise, in adopting the advanced manufacturing techniques.
The themes of carbon reduction and energy efficiency within manufacturing are likely to impact on future business thinking on advanced manufacturing methods – but can degrees of adoption be raised by easing the barriers to re-manufacture, increasing the sustainability of advanced manufacturing technology advances from introduction to wider take-up within any business? Are view will be made on the effects of common global and UK Government support and how this might promote -or deter – re-manufacture using advanced manufacturing across the UK.
To research the current reman uptake across manufacturers and professionals in industry, I engaged in some primary research to seek their views, take-up of reman and advanced technologies, and their wider opinions on remanufacturing. This was informative and pivotal to my full understanding of the impact – or otherwise – of advanced technology on the take up of reman across industry.
A view will be taken on how business models are changing due to emerging remanufacture opportunities and will need to evolve further as reman develops to match new capabilities becoming available to reman practitioners. Processes are emerging that may be financially viable, or acceptable viable in resource or other considerations, due to the introduction of advanced manufacturing technologies.
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds can change nothing”
Ref: George Bernard Shaw 194
An Analysis of Duan Yucai’s Theory of Shengyi tongyuan in his Annotations to the Shuowen jiezi
Get PDFMy dissertation studies the work of an eminent Qing dynasty (1644–1912) philologist
Duan Yucai 段玉裁 (1735–1815). Duan is renowned for his annotations to the
Shuowen jiezi 說文解字 (Explaining Simple Graphs and Analysing Compound Characters),
titled the Shuowen jiezi zhu 說文解字注 (Annotations to the Explaining Simple Graphs and
Analysing Compound Characters) or the Duanzhu 段注 (Duan’s Annotations). The Shuowen
is the earliest systematic Chinese character dictionary from the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220),
compiled around 100 CE by Xu Shen 許慎 (58–147). In his annotations to the Shuowen,
Duan demonstrated insights into the relationship between the sound and meaning of Chinese
characters. He proposed that sound and meaning spring from the same source (shengyi
tongyuan 聲義同源 ) and explored the significant implications of this finding. This
dissertation aims to explore how Duan engaged with the Shuowen, and how he proposed and
applied his principles in solving exegetical problems.
Firstly, this dissertation provides an overview of related scholarship, especially focusing
on the relationship between sound and meaning in Western and Chinese philology. Secondly,
it contextualises Duan and his work, the Duanzhu, against the background of 18th
-Century
scholarship to evaluate Duan’s significance in the intellectual developments of Qing China.
Thirdly, it focuses on Duan’s approach to the Shuowen, providing a comprehensive analysis
and relevant examples of Duan’s principles regarding the relationship between sound and
meaning. Fourthly, it offers an application of Duan’s principles in word glosses and solving
exegetical problems, primarily presented in his annotations to the Shuowen. Lastly, it
evaluates Duan’s accomplishments and limitations within the context of a historical perspective and modern scholarship, delineating the disparity between Duan’s work and contemporary
scholarship
Awareness of Alzheimer's disease and Dementia among young adults: A Systematic Literature Review
Get PDFBackground: Alzheimer's disease and dementia are both classified as severe brain disorders (AD), which pose substantial challenges to public health. A synthesis of research findings has examined the degree of cognisance among young adults worldwide. This literature review aimed to identify and synthesise existing research to identify any overarching trends among young adults in Asia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and various other countries.
Methods overview material: An electronic database search of PubMed, Google Scholar and ProQuest from 2018 to 2021 was conducted using the Population, Intervention ( Issue ), Comparison (Context), Outcome (PICO) framework through September 2023. Disease search terms included awareness, Alzheimer's disease, Dementia and young adults. 13 quantitative studies by the Coughlan, Cronin, and Ryan Framework, which measures awareness with descriptive statistics using surveys, experiments, and questionnaires, were evaluated using quality, research credibility, and practice relevance. Thematic analysis is used to identify themes in young adult Alzheimer's disease research articles.
Results: In these 8 Canadian studies,44% had high Alzheimer's disease awareness. Two studies found self-knowledge that 49% of young adults in the US and 44% of non-North Americans perceived self-knowledge. This rate is far lower than literature's 62%. The comprehensive literature evaluation identified existing research and combined data to identify regional adolescent patterns. In Canada, the UK, and the US, most young adults know of Alzheimer's disease and believe it has no treatment. Whites are more aware of education, information, family history, and cognitive activity protection than blacks. Families significantly affect Alzheimer's diagnosis and therapy. The report recommends concentrated education, support networks, and research and studies to raise young people's understanding of Alzheimer's and public health.
Conclusions: The prevalence of awareness of Alzheimer's disease and dementia among young adults was conducted worldwide and revealed an alarming lack of information and understanding of these disorders. These findings highlight the need to enhance awareness and understanding of these diseases and impact public health policy, education, and research. Young people may not have had Alzheimer's or dementia; thus, knowledge is crucial. The study highlights the need for more significant research on factors affecting young people's comprehension and knowledge of these illnesses
Factors influencing the prevalence rate of ASD amongst children, a systematic review.
Get PDFThe aim of this SLR is to examine the factors influencing the prevalence rate of ASD amongst children. To obtain literature for this SLR a search strategy was formulated to ensure that relevant, credible and current information was acquired. Using the PEO framework and the relevant Boolean operators’, key words were generated to be used in the search for literature. To obtain the relevant literature for this research a search of the PubMed database using the search term ‘Children AND factors AND autism’ was conducted resulting in forty five studies to be used in this SLR. A PRISMA flowchart (see appendix 3) displays how this search was conducted along with the inclusion and exclusion criteria used. The selected studies were then subject to critical appraisal via the Coughlan, Cronin and Ryan (2007) tool in which information regarding the studies is visually displayed to further ensure the research free from bias, credible and presents valid arguments (see appendix 1). With the appropriate studies selected, thematic analysis of the chosen studies took place using the Braun and Clarke method in which the themes and subthemes are created. Air pollution, hereditary influences, chemicals and external factors were identified as themes along with the subthemes of F.A and multivitamins. Examining these themes it was identified that the main themes, air pollution, hereditary influences, chemicals and external factors negatively contributed to the prevalence rate of ASD whilst the subthemes of F.A and multivitamins, particularly vitamin D positively impacted ASD development. This SLR concluded that the increased prevalence rate of ASD is not a result of one factor but aa result of multiple factors working together to increase this rate
“From the cabinets of mere vertuosi into the busy world”: Thomas Pennant’s natural philosophical networks and the creation of British zoology, 1752–1766
Get PDFThe essay investigates the work of the Welsh natural historian Thomas Pennant from 1752 up to his 1765 tour of Continental Europe and the completed publication of his first major scientific work, British Zoology, a year later. It focuses thereby on a time when Pennant actively sought correspondences with naturalists within Britain and abroad and created an extensive network that included figures such as Benjamin Stillingfleet, Emanuel Mendes da Costa, and Carl Linnaeus. Working with rich metadata drawn from Pennant’s correspondence, the essay seeks to gain a deeper understanding of how the epistolary medium fed into his scientific oeuvre and contributed to establishing his name on the Continent as a British virtuoso of the highest rank. Light is thrown on the etiquette and practicalities of specimen exchange against the backdrop of European wars, the roles played by British and European learned societies, and the importance of book exchange, including the effort to expand the boundaries of knowledge through the acquisition of new publications
From suffering to salvation: making sense of religious experiences
No full textThe diverse nature of religious and spiritual experiences (RSEs) eludes easy comparison or conceptualization. Here we explore the phenomenological, situational and conceptual principles that connect eighty-two diverse RSE reports from the Hardy Database (https://alisterhardytrust.uwtsd.ac.uk/). We tentatively suggest that in addition to being unexpectedly significant and imbued with social percepts, messages and emotions, a variety of diverse RSEs might share a temporal trajectory; namely, a sudden, unexpected or drastic shift from a negative to a positive cognitive-emotional state. This transition can reflect an actual sequence of unexpected and meaningful events, or the trajectory of an altered state of consciousness (ASC) catalyzed by stress, fatigue or other triggers that promote shifts in focus. The cognitive-emotional trajectory of RSEs maps onto the trajectory of psychedelic and certain psychotic-like experiences, and fits conceptually with religious notions of miracles, salvation and revelation
Categories of Mystical Experience in The Voice of the Silence by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.
Get PDFThe Voice of the Silence (1889), compiled by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, is widely regarded as one of her most influential works, yet it has been relatively overlooked in academia. This dissertation seeks to fill this gap by identifying, classifying, and establishing the categories of mystical experience found in this book. Additionally, it aims to compare and contrast these categories with the four marks of religious experience established by James to determine if any new categories emerge.
To achieve these objectives, the applied thematic analysis (ATA) methodology was employed, utilising qualitative and quantitative approaches to identify themes in the data. The qualitative approach used word frequency counters and NVIVO analysis software to identify five primary themes: Way, Soul, Self, Light, and Heart. These themes were then thoroughly examined through a detailed analysis of the raw data, revealing instances where they were utilised. An analytical-interpretive approach was used to explore these emerging themes further and uncover potential connections and meanings between them.
This study identified six categories of mystical experience: noetic quality, ineffability, passivity, transiency, indifference to sensory stimuli, and belief. These categories were compared and contrasted with James' four marks of religious experience. This analysis led to the discovery of two new categories, indifference to sensory stimuli and belief, which contribute to our understanding of religious experience within esoteric currents like the Theosophical Society and the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
Learner experiences of low attainment groups in the context of a rights approach to education
Get PDFParticipation is seen as an important right for learners, though there is lack of evidence to understand learners’ views on classroom practice. This includes decisions about grouping learners, for example, in terms of their prior attainment or perceived ‘ability’. This research took place in Wales where children’s rights are strongly promoted as an educational approach, but where there is also evidence of widespread attainment grouping in schools. Focus groups and interviews were carried out with secondary school learners in lower attaining groups (n = 70) and teachers and teaching assistants (n = 10) to understand experiences of learning support. Findings suggest strong learner satisfaction with groups, but also lack of movement between groups that reinforced ability hierarchies in schools and supported the development of negative identities for some learners. There was a lack of consensus among educators about the purpose of attainment grouping, with some seeing it as a way of addressing systemic issues within the school
Investigation of the Prevalence and factors Influencing Tobacco and Alcohol use among Adolescents in Nigeria: A systematic literature review
No full textThe increase in tobacco and alcohol prevalence among Nigerian teenagers necessitates the need to understand the factors influencing use. The aim of this systematic literature review was to synthesis evidence from studies on tobacco and alcohol use among Nigerian adolescents and young adults in order to determine factors influencing tobacco and alcohol use. Six databases MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were used to search for peer-reviewed articles reporting the prevalence and predictors of tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents/youths published between 2010 to 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guided this review.
From our search, twelve articles from the 6 geopolitical zones within Nigeria were included. The high prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use among Nigerian adolescents necessitates the need to understand the factors influencing use. A high prevalence rate was recorded among the male gender. Gender, age, and curiosity appear to place adolescents at extra risk for tobacco and alcohol use. Lack of parental monitoring, peer influence, low socio-economic status, low education level, stressful life events, advertisements, availability, and accessibility are factors identified to influence adolescents’ alcohol and tobacco use. Alcohol and tobacco use remains a major public health problem as it continues to contribute largely to the growing burden of diseases globally. Our review showed that adolescents’ alcohol and tobacco use behaviour is triggered by various factors on the personal, interpersonal, organisational, community, and policy levels, and these factors are understood to predict or protect against alcohol and tobacco use
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