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Beyond the Playground - Exploring the Production of Playfulness as an Embodied Experience through Personal Practice
Get PDFThe consensus amongst scholars is that playfulness is an attitude whereas play is an activity. This thesis interrogates conceptions of attitude and proposes a fresh definition of playfulness, suggesting it is a bodily attitude and not just an attitude of mind. Using personal practice to test existing and new knowledge, and drawing on embodied cognition theories, this thesis goes on to define a playground as a cognitive and physical arena in which bodies are at play or engaged with playful activities. Therefore, the role of a ‘play’ body is significant in the production of playfulness. Playfulness requires a ‘play’ body and a
playground that is either imaginary or physical. Without these elements it cannot fulfil its purpose which is to generate humour, joy, and spontaneous fun.
This thesis argues playfulness is an embodied experience and is produced with our bodies as we actively move towards something we perceive will make activity more fun. There can be a motor-intentionality towards playfulness. It starts in a playground designated for playful activities or one the body has produced, but as it continues after the activity has finished, playfulness can extend beyond the playground.
Few scholars in the field of art and design have contributed to academic research on playfulness. This thesis, which is embedded with visual work to inspire and test research questions and demonstrate gaps in academic literature, highlights the importance of the ‘play’ body in producing playfulness using a practice-led methodology.
The thesis’ argument that playfulness is embodied, encompassing the rules of a playground, is supported by an examination of theories of depiction, in particular Walton’s theory of fictional truth and mandated imagination.
This thesis proposes that when a body makes a physical orientation towards playfulness, it is also opened to wonder, serendipity, and Kairos moments which cannot always be anticipated.
Extant academic literature suggests we can frame or reframe situations to make them more amusing, but this thesis posits that our bodies, not just our minds, also achieve a spontaneous reframing by moving in such a way to inculcate playfulness. It also suggests that playfulness opens the individual to possibilities not yet considered or felt; it cultivates an environment where wonder and imagination thrive, driving creativity, and instigating humour
Editorial: Innovation, AI and the future of Education
No full textThe Centre for Research into Education, Creativity and the Arts through Practice (RECAP) is a unique hub, specialising in practice-based research and focusing on creativity, learning and the arts in professional, educational contexts.A co-authored piece with ChatGPT 3.5 for Editorial on Innovation, this piece discusses with AI, the future of Education given AIs meteoric rise and inevitable use. Focusing politically on the challenges that education might face in terms of innovation. This piece was heavily edited to create a more seamless discussion
Innovative Optimal Nonstandard Tripping Protection Scheme for Radial and Meshed Microgrid Systems
Get PDF© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The coordination of optimal overcurrent relays (OCRs) for modern power networks is nowadays one of the critical concerns due to the increase in the use of renewable energy sources. Modern grids connected to inverter-based distributed generations (IDGs) and synchronous distributed generations (SDGs) have a direct impact on fault currents and locations and then on the protection system. In this paper, a new optimal OCR coordination scheme has been developed based on the nonstandard time–current characteristics (NSTCC) approach. The proposed scheme can effectively minimize the impact of distributed generations (DGs) on OCR coordination by using two optimization techniques: genetic algorithm (GA) and hybrid gravitational search algorithm–sequential quadratic programming (GSA–SQP) algorithm. In addition, the proposed optimal OCR coordination scheme has successfully employed a new constraint reduction method for eliminating the considerable number of constraints in the coordination and tripping time formula by using only one variable dynamic coefficient. The proposed protection scheme has been applied in IEEE 9-bus and IEC MG systems as benchmark radial networks as well as IEEE 30-bus systems as meshed structures. The results of the proposed optimal OCR coordination scheme have been compared to standard and nonstandard characteristics reported in the literature. The results showed a significant improvement in terms of the protection system sensitivity and reliability by minimizing the operating time (OT) of OCRs and demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method throughout minimum and maximum fault modes.Unfunde
Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) - Kannada Version for a South Indian population
No full textBackground: At present there a few culturally adapted and validated standardised neuropsychological tests for detection of persons with dementia in low-and middle income countries. Therefore, we conducted an adaptation, validation and feasibility study of the Alzheimer’s disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) in Kannada for use among older adults.
Methods: two panels set up involving participants, subject experts and other important stakeholders. Several structured qualitative interviews informed the process of cultural adaptations (structure, content and language) the ADAS-Cog-Kannada. For the purpose of validation 120 men and women (58 of them had mild to moderate dementia and 62 of them were age and gender matched controls) were recruited. Concurrent validity was evaluated against the 10/66 Battery of Cognitive Tests in Kannada.
Results: The ADAS-Cog-Kannada demonstrated internal consistency and concurrent validity. Sensitivity and Specificity for ADAS-Cog Kannada (score>14) for diagnosis of dementia were 85% and 92% respectively. It was feasible to administer ADAS-Cog in a standardised manner among community dwelling older adults and took an average of 30 minutes to administer.
Conclusion: ADAS-Cog was adapted to Kannada and evaluated by employing robust methods resulting in an instrument that we believe is now culturally acceptable. Psychometric properties of ADAS-Cog Kannada were strong and linguistically acceptable. It can be used in clinical setting among Kannada speaking population and the culturally adapted.Unfunde
Cytotoxicity by endocrine disruptors through effects on ER Ca 2+ transporters, aberrations in Ca 2+ signalling pathways and ER stress
Get PDF© 2024 The Author(s). FEBS Open Bio published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.Concerns regarding man‐made organic chemicals pervading our ecosystem and having adverse and detrimental effects upon organisms, including man, have now been studied for several decades. Since the 1970s, some environmental pollutants were identified as having endocrine disrupting affects. These endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) were initially shown to have estrogenic or anti‐estrogenic properties and some were also shown to bind to a variety of hormone receptors. However, since the 1990s it has also been identified that many of these EDC additionally, have the ability of causing abnormal alterations in Ca2+ signalling pathways (also commonly involved in hormone signalling), leading to exaggerated elevations in cytosolic [Ca2+] levels, that is known to cause activation of a number of cell death pathways. The major emphasis of this review is to present a personal perspective of the evidence for some types of EDC, specifically alkylphenols and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), causing direct effects on Ca2+ transporters (mainly the SERCA Ca2+ ATPases), culminating in acute cytotoxicity and cell death. Evidence is also presented to indicate that this Ca2+ATPase inhibition, which leads to abnormally elevated cytosolic [Ca2+], as well as a decreased luminal ER [Ca2+], which triggers the ER stress response, are both involved in acute cytotoxicity.Unfunde
Extremal binary self-dual codes from a bordered four circulant construction
Get PDFIn this paper, we present a new bordered construction for self-dual codes which employs λ-circulant matrices. We give the necessary conditions for our construction to produce self-dual codes over a finite commutative Frobenius ring of characteristic 2. Moreover, using our bordered construction together with the well-known building-up and neighbour methods, we construct many binary self-dual codes of lengths 56, 62, 78, 92 and 94 with parameters in their weight enumerators that were not known in the literature before.Unfunde
An evaluation of dog bite mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the health and economic burden of rabies in Nepal- an effectiveness trial involving in-school children and adolescents
No full textBackground: Dog bites pose a significant public health concern, particularly in regions with high stray dog populations. In Nepal, the incidence of dog bites has remained high, affecting children and adolescents the most. Previous studies have suggested that interventions such as sterilization and education may help reduce bite rates, but their combined effectiveness had not been systematically assessed.
Rationale: This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of dog bite mitigation strategies through a Cluster-Randomized Control Trial (cRCT), focusing on school-based education and mass dog sterilization. Given the high burden of dog bites, particularly among children aged 11-17 years, understanding which interventions yield the greatest reduction in exposure is essential for shaping public health policy.
Aim: The primary objective was to assess the impact of targeted interventions—sterilisation and education—on reducing dog bite incidents, with an emphasis on children and adolescents in Kathmandu.
Design & Methods: The study was conducted across four municipality clusters, involving 2,427 children and 9,610 dogs. Baseline and post-intervention data were collected through canine population surveys and hospital records. Two interventions were applied: (1) sterilization of free-roaming dogs and (2) school-based education on dog behavior and bite prevention. The effectiveness of these interventions was measured by analyzing hospital-reported dog bite cases before and after the intervention.
Findings: The study found a 7.82% overall reduction in dog bite cases over 12 months, with the most severe bite cases (requiring vaccination, wound care, immunoglobulin, and surgery) decreasing by over 60%. The strongest effect was seen among the target age group (11-17 years), where bite incidents significantly declined (p=0.017). Education proved to be the most effective standalone intervention, leading to behavioral changes that reduced exposure risk. Regression analysis highlighted key risk factors, including past exposure, fear of dogs, and lack of knowledge about canine behavior. Interestingly, sterilization alone had a moderate effect, but its impact was less immediate compared to education. Combined interventions did not demonstrate a significantly greater effect than individual interventions.
Conclusion: This study provides strong evidence that school-based education is the most effective strategy for reducing dog bite exposure among children. While sterilization contributes to long-term risk reduction, it should be implemented alongside education rather than as a standalone intervention. These findings emphasize the need for multi-sectoral approaches to dog bite prevention, integrating behavioral education into public health initiatives to achieve sustainable impact
The influence of cultural constraints on entrepreneurial motivations: Exploring the experiences of Muslim women entrepreneurs in Pakistan
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2023.This article explores the influence of cultural constraints on entrepreneurial motivations for women entrepreneurs of the Muslim faith. A qualitative approach is taken by drawing from extraordinarily rare interviews with 17 women entrepreneurs who run businesses in the open market in the Northwest region of Pakistan. Push and pull factors were examined in the context of cultural constraints using the lens of post-materialism and dissatisfaction theories. The findings reveal that some entrepreneurs are pulled into entrepreneurship to give something back to local youths and to improve their life chances and/or reduce hardship. In relation to the push factors, some entrepreneurs decided to do something about the harsh circumstances they found themselves in to demonstrate their agency. All were aware of the cultural constraints around them and are highly motivated to overcome these as role models for future generations and to hopefully achieve parity with male peers. This research contributes to the existing literature by providing new insights to the reader in extending the post-materialism and dissatisfaction theories for women Muslim entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Furthermore, it also demonstrates how cultural constraints related to family issues motivate women in a male-dominated society to become entrepreneurs
The influence of Joe Wicks on physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic: Thematic, location, and social network analysis of X data
Get PDFBackground: Social media (SM) was essential in promoting physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially
among people confined to their homes. Joe Wicks, a fitness coach, became particularly popular on SM during this time, posting
daily workouts that millions of people worldwide followed.
Objective: This study aims to investigate the influence of Joe Wicks on SM and the impact of his content on physical activity
levels among the public.
Methods: We used NodeXL Pro (Social Media Research Foundation) to collect data from X (formerly Twitter) over 54 days
(March 23, 2020, to May 15, 2020), corresponding to the strictest lockdowns in the United Kingdom. We collected 290,649 posts,
which we analyzed using social network analysis, thematic analysis, time-series analysis, and location analysis.
Results: We found that there was significant engagement with content generated by Wicks, including reposts, likes, and
comments. The most common types of posts were those that contained images, videos, and text of young people (school-aged
children) undertaking physical activity by watching content created by Joe Wicks and posts from schools encouraging pupils to
engage with the content. Other shared posts included those that encouraged others to join the fitness classes run by Wicks and
those that contained general commentary. We also found that Wicks’network of influence was extensive and complex. It contained
numerous subcommunities and resembled a broadcast network shape. Other influencers added to engagement with Wicks via
their networks. Our results show that influencers can create networks of influence that are exhibited in distinctive ways.
Conclusions: Our study found that Joe Wicks was a highly influential figure on SM during the COVID-19 pandemic and that
his content positively impacted physical activity levels among the public. Our findings suggest that influencers can play an
important role in promoting public health and that government officials should consider working with influencers to communicate
health messages and promote healthy behaviors. Our study has broader implications beyond the status of fitness influencers.
Recognizing the critical role of individuals such as Joe Wicks in terms of health capital should be a critical area of inquiry for
governments, public health authorities, and policy makers and mirrors the growing interest in health capital as part of embodied
and digital experiences in everyday life
Vouchers for Families - Pilot Project Evaluation
Get PDFThis provides an infographic overview of the evaluation of the pilot for the vouchers for families scheme that has been implemented at West Cheshire Foodbank.West Cheshire Foodban
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