34028 research outputs found
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Arthur in English and Irish Literature, 1920 to the Present
No full textThis chapter provides a panoramic shot, an overview of how and where the Arthurian myth surfaces in texts in English in Great Britain and Ireland from 1920 to the present. Additionally, it provides close-ups, more detailed readings of selected works that capture the critical concerns of modern artists and their audiences. The discussion breaks materials into broad categories that are loosely determined by form—poetry, prose, and drama—groupings which allow for easy movement between the panoramic (survey) and close-up (thematic) shots. Foundational works appear alongside newer ones, but this is not an exhaustive survey, and, inevitably, some items will be favoured at the expense of others. Where possible, the discussion foregrounds Arthuriana that has previously received little or no attention, especially works by women. In doing so, it hopes to encourage others to delve into and uncover the importance of these narratives to the Arthurian tradition.</p
Perfectionism and Well-Being: An Investigation into the Mediating Role of Eudaimonic Motives
No full textResearch suggests that perfectionistic concerns are associated with lower levels of well-being while perfectionistic strivings are associated with higher levels of well-being. While characteristics such as unrealistic expectations and a fear of failure help to explain why perfectionistic concerns are associated with lower levels of well-being, it remains unclear why perfectionistic strivings are associated with higher levels of wellbeing. To address this issue, the present research utilised a cross-sectional design and an opportunity sample of undergraduate psychology students (N = 218; mean age = 18.7 years; 34 male, 209 female, 1 non-binary, 1 gender-neutral, 2 missing) to investigate the possibility that eudaimonic motives mediate the relationships between the two forms of perfectionism and both hedonic (positive affect, life satisfaction) and eudaimonic (meaning in life, subjective vitality) forms of well-being. The results showed that eudaimonic motives fully mediated the positive relationships between perfectionistic strivings and positive affect, meaning in life, and subjective vitality. Eudaimonic motives also fully mediated the negative relationship between perfectionistic concerns and meaning in life, and partially mediated the negative relationships between perfectionistic concerns and both positive affect and subjective vitality. These findings suggest that eudaimonic motives play an important role in explaining why some forms of perfectionism are beneficial to well-being while other forms of perfectionism are harmful to well-being.</p
"It's not just somebody that's had a stroke... it's a person that had a life before": a figurational study of physical activity for older adult stroke survivors
No full textStroke is amongst the most prevalent long-term health conditions globally, and older adults (OAs) are at greater risk of stroke occurrence. Stroke can have a life-altering impact for individual stroke survivors (SSs) and those around them. Physical activity (PA) can prevent recurrent strokes and improve rehabilitation outcomes, yet in
the UK opportunities are limited. Within community stroke rehabilitation, policy/guidance recommends rehabilitative support from professional multidisciplinary teams, friends, and family. Recommendations for PA specifically tailored to OA SSs are sparse, despite the unique challenges OAs face in maintaining an active lifestyle. In this thesis, figurational sociology was selected to help investigate how the intended actions of individual people can, over time, unintentionally influence the PA support offered to, and received by OAs in community stroke rehabilitation.
Findings from an initial scoping review indicated that OAs’ PA needs are under-acknowledged in guidance. Few long-term stroke-specific PA programmes were identified, and scant sources were later-life specific. Conceptualisations of PA-based information were largely underpinned by biomedical perspectives focusing on improved function and independence, rather than PA needs and experiences.
Importantly, the review recognised the salience of professionals' PA knowledge and referral practice, and input from family/friends, in facilitating provision and support.
Two qualitative studies, analysed using a figurational sociological framework, involved 12 semi-structured interviews with professionals supporting PA post-stroke.
A figurational mapping activity helped identify bonds of association between professionals, services, guidance, SSs, and their families. Eight interviews were then
conducted with OA SSs and two of their partners, applying a biographical mapping tool to explore changes to relationships, and embodied PA experiences post-stroke.
Data were analysed via reflexive thematic analysis.
Five overarching themes were abductively developed from the professionals’ data, representing how professionals enter their roles, and the hierarchies that exist within the stroke rehabilitation figuration. The consequences of collaborative and contested relationships within and between professionals, family members, and
external elements such as stroke rehabilitation policy/guidance, were apparent. Professionals’ conceptualisations of PA emphasised how social structures surrounding stroke rehabilitation underpin OA SSs’ experiences of PA through the body after stroke. The emphasis on self-management of PA after stroke highlighted how professionals remain interdependent with SSs when providing them with support. Three overarching themes were identified from the SS interviews, presenting key interdependencies present within the stroke rehabilitation journey and how these influence PA provision and experience. Participants’ embodied experiences of navigating PA post-stroke influenced PA engagement, as did perceptions of habitus pre- and post-stroke.
The thesis findings highlight how interdependent individuals involved in the stroke rehabilitation journey strongly influence both PA provision and experiences via
intended actions, which can also lead to unintended consequences. Unequal balances of power exist within stroke rehabilitation figurations, which shape professional
practice and SSs’ experience surrounding PA. The use of figurational sociology offers novel theoretical insights about how relationships within community stroke
rehabilitation influence PA provision and experiences of support, and how habitus influences OA SSs’ long-term commitment to re-engage with PA immediately post-stroke and beyond. Such findings may help practitioners to implement support more appropriate for OA SSs PA needs.</p
Human and Environmental Factors Shape Tree Species Assemblages in West African Tropical Forests
No full textAim: This study investigated how human activities and local environmental variables shape tree assemblages (species composition in a defined location), comparing their effects on edible and inedible tree species. Three hypotheses were tested: (1) Environmental filtering impacts spatial beta-diversity more than dispersal limitation; (2) human activities significantly influence
regional tree beta-diversity; and (3) predictors of beta-diversity differ between edible and inedible species.
Location: Tropical forest in Nigeria and Cameroon in West and Central Africa.
Methods: Tree data were collected between 2002 and 2019 from 66 forest plots. Species were categorised as edible and inedible by humans using interviews and online databases. Pairwise beta-diversity
(partitioned into total beta-diversity and turnover)
between plots was analysed using Generalised Dissimilarity Models (GDMs) with geographical distance, plot-specific variables (forest composition, climate, elevation, stem density, human influence indicators), and human influence indicators (distance to closest human presence [DCHP], and nearest anthropogenic edges [DNAE]) as predictors.</p
Clandon Park House wallpaper Report
No full textReport on wallpaper schemes at Clandon Park House based on site visit and historic reports.</p
Alignment of 3D point clouds without overlap
No full textAlignment of two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D) point clouds often requires overlapping the datasets, as the alignment algorithms utilise the data in the overlapped area to perform iterative closest point registration. However, in some applications, datasets are from different objects and have no inherent overlapping regions, making existing alignment algorithms inapplicable. In this paper, we present a novel method for aligning 2D and 3D point clouds without overlap. The distances from each point in the first dataset to all points in the second dataset are first calculated. The minimum distances can then be determined. The process is then repeated to calculate the minimum distance for all other points. The mean of the minimum distances is then calculated. An iterative optimisation process is established to minimise the mean value. As the two datasets are intended to have no overlap, a nonlinear constraint is introduced in the optimisation process to ensure that none of the points in the first dataset are within the mesh (2D) or volume (3D) of the second dataset. This constraint can ensure the optimisation process is performed within the purpose of alignment without overlap and minimising the distance. The proposed method was implemented in MATLAB using the optimisation toolbox, and its effectiveness was demonstrated through simulations (2D data) and actual 3D measurements. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective, offering a promising solution to align 2D and 3D point clouds without overlap. </p
Low-cost micro electro-mechanical system (MEMS) acoustic sensors for detecting bedload transport in mountain rivers
No full textMeasurements of bedload transport play an important role in river monitoring and management, particularly in mountain rivers where predictions of bedload dynamics are subject to large uncertainties under supply-limited sediment regimes . Bedload instrumental monitoring remains limited, also for the high costs of the equipment. Here we report on flume and field tests carried out to assess the potential use of low-cost (~ € 200) MEMS-based microphones mounted under steel plates to detect bedload transport. The results show that the MEMS-based acoustic system can be used efficiently to detect the timing and occurrence of bedload events, although quantitative impact mass estimation is not currently achievable with such low-cost instrumentation.</p
Transnational Television Caricature: The global spread of Spitting Image 1984 - 1994
No full text
This article examines the transnational journeys of the popular puppet caricature sketch programme Spitting Image (1984-96) at a moment of change in the global television industry. Satirical programming, which tends to be rooted in a specific time and place, is not an obvious candidate for the global television trade. Nevertheless, Spitting Image travelled, both in the sense of direct export of the series and as a television format, franchised across the globe. The article explores the origins of the series at a transitional moment in UK broadcasting, as a rare case of an independent co-production within the ITV network in the early 1980s. It traces the difficulties faced by its producers when attempting to export the series to the US market, with content deemed too ‘parochial’ for the American audience. It examines the series as a (qualified) television ‘format’, via the cases of the official Italian remake Teste di gomma (1987-88) and the French Les Guignols de l’info (1988 – 2018), informally inspired by Spitting Image. Finally, it details a failed attempt to remake the show in Post-Soviet Russia, and the political problems encountered by the puppet satire Kukly (1994-2002). </p
A critical review of research concerning the gut microbiome in dogs and its relationship with behaviour
No full textThere is growing interest in how the complex assembly of microorganisms (the microbiome) in an animal’s gut
influences various aspects of the host’s health, physiology, and behaviour. However, the microbiome itself is
shaped by a range of factors and so the direction of causal effects is difficult to determine. Given growing interest
in the interaction between the microbiome and behaviour in dogs, we sought to provide a rapid and accessible
introduction to the topic, focused on key concepts and considerations. We start by critically reviewing the scientific
literature on the factors affecting the composition of the gut microbiome in dogs. This provides the context
for our subsequent assessment of studies that have specifically examined the relationship between the gut
microbiome and behavioural traits and related cognitive capabilities in dogs. Emerging evidence suggests a link
between gut microbiome composition and behavioural and cognitive outcomes, including anxiety, stress responses,
and learning abilities. However, given the relative immaturity of this field, there is little replication and
studies are not easily comparable. Accordingly, specific associations and mechanistic explanations need to be
treated with caution at this time. Our findings underscore the need for comprehensive, standardised research
methodologies, including data sharing, and the need for consistent reporting that clearly recognises and acknowledges
the wide range of influential factors (and thus limitations) in proposed control/reference populations.
Therefore, claims relating to the influence of the gut-brain axis in dogs need to carefully expressed and
nuanced.</p
Customer Incivility, Person-Organization Fit and Psychological Well-Being in Healthcare: Does Ethical Leadership Matter?
No full textDrawing on expectancy violations theory (EVT), this study aims to identify a linking mechanism and a boundary condition of the association between customer incivility (CI) and employees’ psychological well-being in healthcare organizations. Specifically, the study examines the mediating role of person-organization fit (PO fit) on the CI-psychological well-being link, and the moderating role of ethical leadership on this mediated relationship.</p