19684 research outputs found
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Criminalising Dissent:Lèse-majesté and the Path to Autocracy
No full textThis book addresses one of the oldest political offences in the European continent, lèse-majesté, in light of its historical evolution and the threat it poses to a democratic public sphere in modern-day Europe. The Republic of Turkey, which serves as the focal point of this book, epitomises the “chilling” (ab)use of lèse-majesté laws due to the sheer number of criminal investigations on the basis of lèse-majesté as well as the relatively low threshold for permissible criticism in defamation cases concerning the head of state. In this regard, through a comparative analysis encompassing multiple European jurisdictions and international human rights law, this work illustrates that the excesses in Turkey should not be treated as an alien practice, but rather as a caution for liberal political systems in Europe in view of the Western European origins of Turkish lèse-majesté and the erosion of the rule of law. Thus, the volume stands as both a warning and a call for the abolition of lèse-majesté laws as a democratic necessity beyond their inherent contradiction with state obligations stemming from international human rights law.As a comprehensive work on European lèse-majesté, this book will function as a point of reference for legal scholars and practitioners alike, as it offers a historical and theoretical background in addition to its rich commentary on how lèse-majesté cases are assessed by domestic criminal courts and international human rights bodies. The book will also be of use to political scientists and journalists who wish to learn more about how heads of state can effectively become immune to criticism through the use of criminal law, and what can be done when faced with a lèse-majesté charge for doing one’s job
The Development and Psychometric Validation of Culture of Patient Safety Scale Under Rasch Objective Measurement Theory
No full textBackground: Assessing the culture of patient safety in healthcare settings is pivotal for continuously reinforcing effective, safe and quality patient care. However, most of the rating scales lack evidence of objective validation of the measuring instruments. Aim: To determine the psychometric properties of culture of patient safety scale under the Rasch objective measurement theory. Method: The validation of the culture of safety scale was underpinned by the four stages of rating scale development in Rasch objective measurement theory. The first stage involved literature review to shortlist items considered theoretically relevant to culture of patient safety in hospital settings. In the second stage, a panel of academic and practitioners individually reviewed the selected items to give external face validity based on professional experiences. In the third stage, 967 participants from public maternity settings in Nigeria voluntarily accessed the nine items forming the culture of patient safety scale online over 8-week period. Ethical approval was given by the nurses’ association and University of Huddersfield. Subsequently, all the data were exported to SPSS and Winsteps Version 5.0.0.0 for evaluation of the psychometric assumptions. Essential psychometric properties evaluated are dimensionality, category functioning, item difficulty/agreeability, local independence, reliability and item validity. In the fourth stage, problematic items were identified and moderated based on the outcome of the measurement assumptions. Consequently, final decisions made included retention, modification or expulsion of items, making no meaningful contribution to the variable measurement. Conclusion and Implication: The culture of safety scale has excellent psychometric properties and therefore recommended for use among practitioners and researchers. No direct contribution from the public or patients required in this study.</p
Modelling the Constitutive Behaviour of Recycled PET for the Manufacture of Woven Fabrics
No full textRecycling polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) from packaging materials consumes a vast amount of energy and incurs significant economic and environmental costs. This study proposes directly recycling rPET into woven fabrics to eliminate reprocessing while still preserving the mechanical performance of the material. The mechanical properties of rPET were tested along two orthogonal directions, and the resulting test data were used to calibrate an elasto-plastic model in order to capture the constitutive behaviour of the material. Additionally, the virtual weaving of rPET fibres into fabrics was modelled using finite element analysis (FEA) to replicate the actual manufacturing process. The results show that rPET that is directly recycled into woven fabrics exhibits superior performance to the same material derived from reprocessing. A strong anisotropy of rPET materials was observed, with distinct elastic and ductile behaviours. The FEA simulation also revealed the critical role of the ductility of rPET fibres when used as warp yarns. The process parameters to achieve a successful weaving operation for different yarn configurations, taking into account the motion and tension of the fibres during manufacture, were also identified. A further sensitivity study highlights the influence of friction between the fibres on the tension force of warp yarns. The virtual manufacture-by-weaving model suggests that utilising rPET with a simplified recycling approach can lead to the sustainable manufacture of fabrics with broad industrial applications
Additional accommodative controls in near heterophoria targets do not improve accommodative responses in young adults
No full textPurpose: This study evaluated newly designed tests to measure near heterophoria, comparing them to the Maddox Wing and Howell card, and assessed whether accommodative responses differed between the different heterophoria test targets. Methods: Near horizontal heterophoria of 20 visually normal young adults was measured using the Maddox Wing, Howell Card and two versions of a newly designed Huddersfield Heterophoria Test (HHT) card. The HHT cards are based on the Prentice method, either with or without an additional spatially defined grating superimposed on the scale. The addition of a spatially defined grating has been suggested to control accommodation better. A single examiner was used to take measurements on two separate occasions, presenting each test in a random order. Monocular accommodative responses to each heterophoria target were also obtained in a separate session by another examiner. Results: Heterophoria measurements between the four tests were not significantly different, neither clinically nor statistically. Differences in test–retest measurements between test and retest conditions were small and not significantly different. Mean accommodative responses were also not significantly different between the test targets. Conclusions: Differences in target configurations in the Maddox Wing, Howell card or new HHT cards did not influence accommodative responses in a sample of young adults. The newly designed HHT cards (or other variations of the Prentice method) may be used to measure near horizontal heterophoria in a young adult population either with or without additional horizontal lines superimposed on the scale.</p
Representing And Exhibiting Archaeological Findings Through Artistic Practice
No full textIn this chapter we examine two recent projects focused on Holocaust sites on which we have collaborated—Finding Treblinka and Accessing Campscapes: Inclusive Strategies for Using European Conflicted Heritage (IC-ACCESS). Through these examples, we demonstrate how artworks made in conjunction with archaeological investigations can generate new knowledge, rehumanize the victims and confront contentious issues. In doing so, we argue that transdisciplinary methodologies provide new opportunities for challenging prevailing paradigms and diversifying engagement with the material culture of difficult histories
Interleaving metasurface spectrometers to extend the high-quality measurement range
No full textMetasurfaces allow the manipulation of light without the size and weight of traditional optical elements, and offer a path to the type of ultra-compact optical systems needed if optical sensors are to be integrated within manufacturing chains without disrupting them. Here we look at the use of a spatially interleaved metasurface as a method to extend the spectral range over which high-resolution measurements can be obtained with an off-axis metasurface lens. Such a spectrometer exploits chromatic abberation to separate out different wavelengths of light, however the abberation will lead to a degredation in the resolution. By spatially interleaving two such devices the measurement range over which the abberation is minimised can be extended, leading to a more useful devic
Revisiting Women and the Electric Guitar:Why the Research Needs to be Updated and Expanded
No full textEste artículo aborda el estado de la investigación sobre las mujeres y la guitarra eléctrica y sostiene que existe una gran necesidad de realizar más investigaciones sobre el tema. Los estudios existentes se centran principalmente en los factores que inhiben a las mujeres a tocar la guitarra eléctrica y en las relaciones entre las mujeres y la guitarra offline o antes de la aparición de Internet. Asimismo, tienden a vincular la guitarra eléctrica con la masculinidad y la sexualidad masculina y a caracterizarla como una práctica dominada por los hombres. Esto significa que no se presta mucha atención a las razones por las que las mujeres tocan la guitarra eléctrica, se omite en gran medida el impacto de Internet en la práctica femenina de la guitarra y se da mínima consideración a otras formas de abordar la relación entre el género y el instrumento. Sostengo que todos estos aspectos son vitales para comprender mejor el tema, y para promover la causa de la igualdad de género en la música y, por lo tanto, son necesarias con urgencia más investigaciones.This article investigates the state of the research on women and the electric guitar and argues that there is a strong need for further research in this area. Existing scholarship primarily focuses on factors that inhibit women from playing the electric guitar, is mostly centered on offline/pre-Internet women and guitar relations and tends to link the electric guitar with masculinity and male sexuality and characterize it as a male-dominated practice. This means that the reasons why women do play the electric guitar are not given much attention, the Internet’s impact on women’s guitar practice is largely omitted, and other ways of approaching the relationship between gender and the electric guitar are given minimal consideration. I argue that all of these aspects are vital for better understanding women and the electric guitar, and for advancing the cause of gender equality in music and are therefore in urgent need of further research
Melt
No full text'Melt' was presented at the Contemporary Textiles at Fox Yard Studio Art Gallery, an exhibition that promotes textile artists and art enthusiasts who explore the versatile form of textile art through sculpture, installation, video, object, and performance. 'Melt' explores the use of rock from my local reservoir and how everyday materials such as nylon shoe laces can be melted onto it, encouraging thought around plastistone – where plastic-based materials form layers within sedimentary rock
Contemporary Textiles:Patina of Use
No full text"CONTEMPORARY TEXTILES" will be a show promoting textile artists and art enthusiasts who explore the versatile form of textile art through sculpture, installation, video, object, and performance, among other mediums. Submitted artworks will have to be based on the textile element through its concept, technique, and material used.Claire Barber will be exhibiting 'Patina of Use
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