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Zooarchaeology through the lens of collagen fingerprinting at Denisova Cave
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2021Denisova Cave, a Pleistocene site in the Altai Mountains of Russian Siberia, has yielded significant fossil and lithic evidence for the Pleistocene in Northern Asia. Abundant animal and human bones have been discovered at the site, however, these tend to be highly fragmented, necessitating new approaches to identifying important hominin and faunal fossils. Here we report the results for 8253 bone fragments using ZooMS. Through the integration of this new ZooMS-based data with the previously published macroscopically-identified fauna we aim to create a holistic picture of the zooarchaeological record of the site. We identify trends associated with climate variability throughout the Middle and Upper Pleistocene as well as patterns explaining the process of bone fragmentation. Where morphological analysis of bones from the site have identified a high proportion of carnivore bones (30.2%), we find that these account for only 7.6% of the ZooMS assemblage, with large mammals between 3 and 5 more abundant overall. Our analysis suggests a cyclical pattern in fragmentation of bones which sees initial fragmentation by hominins using percussive tools and secondary carnivore action, such as gnawing and digestion, likely furthering the initial human-induced fragmentation.AAM removed and archived as the publisher has no OA policy for AAMs. VoR uploaded 15/05/202
A numerical exercise on waste incineration
Get PDFA numerical example for tutorial and possibly design exercise use is described which is concerned with the performance of household waste as a fuel in power generation.AAM removed and archived 06/11/202
A Constructive Pentecostal Theology of Dementia: Responding to Black Women Living with Dementia
No full textThis thesis examines Pentecostal theologies and their relationships to the experience of living with dementia. The increasing likelihood of developing dementia among ethnic minority people, particularly older Black women, poses an urgent challenge for the Pentecostal movement, not least to the British Pentecostal churches. The Pentecostal movement does not currently have an adequate theology of dementia that speaks meaningfully to the experience of living with dementia and, especially, the multi-dimensional experiences of Black women. Certain features identified in Pentecostalism require memory and cognitive capacity in order to participate in the practices of the Churches, but this has had profound harmful implications for persons living with dementia, particularly when they are unable to remember, to make decisions and to function independently.
This research is the first of its kind in the quest for a Pentecostal theology of dementia that seeks to eliminate malignant structures that cause suffering to Black women with dementia. Womanist theology provides the lens with which to examine Pentecostal theology. As a theoretical tool it allows us to centralise the liberation of Black women and, in so doing, reconceptualize traditional understanding of sin. It names as social sin, any structure or system that contributes to the marginalisation, dehumanisation and suffering of Black women. Using this lens to deconstruct Pentecostal theology, highlighted doctrinal themes and practices that have harmful implications for persons with dementia including: the expectation to participate in church practices which require the use of memory; the requirement of cognition in order for the Holy Spirit to communicate with human beings and for human beings to interpret and share what the Holy Spirit revealed. Furthermore, it is necessary for individuals to be conscious of sin in order to repent, and repentance leads to relief from suffering, healing and future salvation. A reconstructed theology responding to dementia re-imagines suffering as inclusive of the experience of Black women with dementia and opposes all forms of discrimination whether theological, political, environmental, or socio-economic. It demonstrates that not all people will be healed, and that salvation can be enjoyed in the present time from the care and love expressed to persons with dementia rather than only at some future realised eschatology. A Pentecostal theology of dementia establishes the belief that God is not limited to the intellectual capacity of human beings and will minister to persons with dementia through the Holy Spirit, irrespective of their capacity to remember or understand
Does sexual identity and religious practice have implications for individual’s subjective health and wellbeing? Secondary data analysis of the Community Life Survey
Get PDFThe health and wellbeing of LGB individual’s has gained attention in recent years, with increased recognition of the unique stressors associated with physical and psychological health concerns. Religious status and psychological health have been explored in the general population, however, few studies have explored sexual identity and religious status for implications on mental health and wellbeing. A secondary data analysis was performed on the Community Life Survey (Department for Culture, Media & Sport, 2019). A multivariate interaction was found between age, religious practice and sexual identity when considering four scores for wellbeing. An ANOVA of the Combined wellbeing scores revealed significant difference between sexual identity groups with the LGB group scoring lowest for combined wellbeing score and highlighted a significant interaction between religion and sexual identity. General health scores revealed significant difference between groups for religious practice. The implications of these findings for policy and practice are discussed, emphasising the importance of understanding and challenging cultural norms in service settings. There is a need to understand LGB individuals’ experiences and access to services to support mental health and wellbeing as key groups, such as LGB, are at greater risk of lower levels of wellbeing and increase levels of dissatisfaction
Geography and Virtual Reality
Get PDFThis is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Bos, D. (2021). Geography and virtual reality. Geography Compass, 15(9), e12590], which has been published in final form at [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gec3.12590]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.Whilst virtual reality (VR) has a long history, recent technological advancements, increased accessibility and affordability have seen its usage become widespread within western consumer society. Despite the relevance of VR to Geography, these more recent developments have escaped scholarly attention. This paper takes a critical perspective on the development of VR and its varied applications, and how emerging theoretical debates within cultural and digital geography can critically attend to the social and cultural implications of VR technologies. The paper begins by considering how VR spaces are imagined and communicated to publics in ways that promote popular understandings of, and desires for, virtual spaces. Next, the paper critically addresses the cultural politics of VR content, particularly drawing attention to the socio-spatial differences evoked through VR. The paper goes on to argue for the need to consider VR through the concept of interface as a way of critically attending to the broader techno-socio relations and the embodied spatial encounters they produce. Finally, some methodological implications for thinking with and through VR are outlined
Falling into an abyss: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the lived experiences of the parents of autistic daughters in the UK
Get PDFWhilst research increasingly focuses on autism in girls, there is a dearth of literature around the experience of parenting an autistic daughter in the UK, with the few studies that do focusing only on mothers. The data was gathered through in-depth semi-structured interviews that explored the lived experience of parenting an autistic daughter for six mothers and two fathers, from their first concerns, through to the diagnosis, with life in-between and beyond. Their daughters were aged between eleven and seventeen at diagnosis and were diagnosed within the UK. IPA was used to analyse the data. Five superordinate themes were identified: Journey to diagnosis; Negotiating systems; Psychological impact; Living with an autistic daughter; and Reflections. The research demonstrates that the parents of autistic daughters find themselves seeking professional advice and support for a pervasive condition that, whilst better known for its familiar male presentation, appears invisible in its female form to all but those in their close family. The impact of the ensuing struggle to have their concerns believed and to obtain her autism diagnosis often has profoundly negative consequences, leaving families in crisis, chaos in daily life, and parents’ mental and physical health compromised. The subsequent delay in diagnosis means that their daughter remains unsupported in her education and social life, with the adverse ramifications of this reverberating throughout her family. The findings of this study have implications for parents, professionals, and the field of research in terms of the need for a better recognition and understanding of female autism, an apposite educational setting, and a holistic approach to family support.Author requested thesis be made OA on 30/10/2023. Checked and authorised 31/10/2023 ED. Thesis made OA 31/10/2023 E
An investigation into intellectual disability nursing interventions and their impact
No full textThis is a presentation that was delivered at the IASSIDD Europe Congress 6-8 July 2021, Amsterdam, Netherlands.Aims
To identify nursing-led and / or nursing centred interventions that are in place to address the challenging and changing needs of people with intellectual disabilities (IDs).
To identify areas of good care delivery, innovative practices, and possible gaps in the provision of care for individuals with IDs.
Research questions
The research sought to answer the following questions;
What nursing led / nursing centred interventions are in place to respond to the changing needs of people with ID in the UK?
Are there examples of service redesign to meet future needs?
How could ID nurses better contribute to these interventions?
Where in the UK are these interventions taking place?
What is the impact of these interventions?
Impacts of ID nursing interventions
We used Braun and Clarke (2006)’s framework to analyse the data and we identified 13 themes of these impacts;
Having a voice.
Increased independence and choice.
Improved health and quality of life.
Improved access to health and social care services.
Improved standards, quality of care, and patient experience.
Improved awareness of the needs of people with intellectual disabilities.
Reduced health inequalities and risks.
Making reasonable adjustments.
Improved transitions.
Improved family life.
Improved healthcare outcomes.
Increased community presence and inclusion.
Improved mental health and reduced challenging behaviour.
Conclusions
ID nurses implement a wide range of emerging interventions working in multi-disciplinary teams. They practice in a wide range of settings in the UK and other countries.
More work is needed in order to better understand the reasons for the limited involvement of ID nurses with pregnant women with IDs and in end-of-life care.
The variation in understanding the interventions undertaken by ID nurses between countries need to be further investigated
The Nineteenth-Century prostitute: how the sexual ‘other’ reclaimed power through deliberate dressing
Get PDFThe paper argues that nineteenth-century prostitutes reclaimed power through deliberate dressing. It explores how the dominant social body in England relied on clothing as a means of identification. As the public gaze formed identity, dress supposedly betrayed class status and moral standing. The paper argues that clothing served as a preventative social tool as it was used to identify sexual ‘Others’. Exploring the social obsession with sexual categorization, it reviews the clothing stereotypes used to identify prostitutes. To escape condemnation, prostitutes avoided typecasts and assumed the guise of ‘moral’ women. By misinforming the public gaze, they evaded the confines of their ‘deviant’ status. Constructing their own identity through deliberate dressing, they reclaimed power from the dominant social body. Able to move undetected through ‘moral’ hierarchies, they threatened the stability of the social order. To explore how stereotypes became embedded in cultural ideology; the paper draws upon streetwalker depictions from Oliver Twist (1838) by Charles Dickens and Mary Barton (1848) by Elizabeth
Gaskell. It examines how fashion journals and ‘moral’ commentators also perpetuated typecasts. Although stereotypes pertaining to prostitutes have been identified by scholars, they have overlooked how streetwalkers exploited this practice. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates how clothing stereotypes have been used by sexual ‘Others’ to subvert identity. It reveals how individuals can disrupt the power of the dominant social body through deliberate dressing. Although this study focuses on nineteenth-century prostitutes, the argument can be applied to any era. As dress is used to construct identity, the process of stereotyping can be manipulated for personal gain
Basement membrane ligands initiate distinct signalling networks to direct cell shape
Get PDFCells have evolved mechanisms to sense the composition of their adhesive microenvironment. Although much is known about general mechanisms employed by adhesion receptors to relay signals between the extracellular environment and the cytoskeleton, the nuances of ligand-specific signalling remain undefined. Here, we investigated how glomerular podocytes, and four other basement membrane-associated cell types, respond morphologically to different basement membrane ligands. We defined the composition of the respective adhesion complexes using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. On type IV collagen, all epithelial cell types adopted a round morphology, with a single lamellipodium and large adhesion complexes rich in
actin-binding proteins. On laminin (511 or 521), all cell types attached to a similar degree but were polygonal in shape with small adhesion complexes enriched in endocytic and microtubule-binding proteins. Consistent with their distinctive morphologies, cells on type IV collagen exhibited high Rac1 activity, while those on laminin had elevated PKCa. Perturbation of PKCa was able to interchange morphology consistent with a key role for this pathway in matrix ligand-specific signalling. Therefore, this study defines the switchable basement membrane adhesome and highlights two key signalling pathways within the systems that determine distinct cell morphologies. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD017913
At the Painting’s Edge: A Practice-Based Investigation into Liminality, Inside-outness and the Painting as a Quasi Person
Get PDFThis research project is driven by a motivation to better understand the effect of painting’s internal and external space when interrupted by objects placed at its periphery. The research consists of two strands of exploration. Firstly, through the practice of painting and secondly, through theoretical research in support of that painting practice. By moving between painting and writing, it examines how phenomena such as the act of making, memory and object-agency can coalesce to form complex, new objects.
The project places to the fore the importance of hand making and acknowledges how handmaking is central to the creative process of the painter, whilst engaging with how the presentation of the resultant work affects the generation and transmission of meaning.
Another strand of this investigation calls upon how the evocation through practice and acts of remembering and forgetting can communicate autobiographical experience, to form dialogic relationships, via the making process. This is a circular process involving myself as maker, the painted picture plane, placed objects and the viewer. It also explores how painting embodies memorised data within its materiality and is additionally provoked by the effect of ‘trigger objects’.
In addition, the thesis addresses how the painting object becomes imbued with the artist’s intention and how the mnemonic faculties of the human mind are prompted by sub-semiotic signs contained within the material of the picture plane, to generate the attributes of a ‘quasi-person’ (Graw, 2018). How this occurs and interacts with the picture plane, contributing to the painting’s status as a ‘subjectobject’ (Joselit, 2016) and the production of intended and unintended meaning (Alexander, 2010) is also considered.
Through the practice of painting, the research explores how dialogue is formed between placed objects and the painted picture plane, and how objects of personal interest can in turn, steer subliminal conversation and how they thereby metaphorically ‘reach out’ and commune with the audience (Gell, 1998).
Finally, the research interrogates the external edges of the picture plane, understood in terms of the parergon (Derrida, 1987) and the otherness of heterotopian spaces (Foucault, 1967). Such spaces share common characteristics of transition, uncertainty, between-ness and unknown-ness, all encountered at the periphery of the painting, the place where internal and external dynamics meet. This research encourages the viewer to adopt new viewing strategies, proposing this less certain space to be a desirable location in which to take the time to pause and consider
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