Glamorgan Dspace
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Sightlines
No full textResearch ContextThis work develops an ongoing exploration into the relationship of lens –based media to the plastic arts and the camouflaging or obscuring of the central subject placed in front of the camera lens. The “monocular” vision of the camera in relation to our human binocular vision is explored and extended through further investigations into senses other than that of sight. The camera prioritizes vision over the other senses and through the introduction of a hand painted surface the sense of touch is brought directly to the surface of the image. Research ImperativesQuestions concerning the unique object and the copy are fore-fronted both in photographic terms and in relation to mass production in consumer culture (the birds are mass produced in the far east and are modelled and painted to depict western bird species) as are notions of identity as through the obscuring of the face of the woman and the gaze of the sitter and the observer. The spectator of the photograph is unable to know the sitter’s identity, in a similar way that she/he can’t know the identity of the person(s) who hand-painted the bird. The two eyes of the sitter are replaced with one painted eye of the china bird
Children of God
No full textResearch ContextThe research context for this project is built upon a dialogic approach to the form and themes of documentary practice that embraces the notion of praxis – the act of engaging, applying, realizing ideas through a ‘making action’. This body of praxis-based research emphasises the importance of ‘documentary for use’ and engagement with social reality, lived experience and the human condition, underpinned by flexible approaches to documentary storytelling, modes and forms – an on going creative agenda to redefine and counter restrictive notions of documentary film practice. The wide-ranging documentary practice encompasses documentary drama, altered realities, ‘real people’ commercials, promotional materials and party political broadcasts across radio, television, online and cinema.Research Imperatives“Children of God” builds on a body of research into the nature of childhood initiated through documentary practice outputs since the 1990s. Within this context, a specific focus on child evangelism was previously expressed in two television documentaries: The Hallelujah Kid (BBC 1995) and Everyman: The Hallelujah Kids (1 x 50 minutes, BBC 2001).These previous works brought the camera to focus on one specific family story with no attempt to place them in their wider historical, social or cultural context. Audio documentary was used as a mode of inquiry to research, write and present “Children of God”, exploring key concepts and thematic concerns in a global context, for an international audience
Inside the View
No full textThis is the first monograph of Helen Sear’s works selected from the 1980’s to the present day, drawing together themes which challenge the dominant view of photography as a documentary medium and questioning relationships between the eye and its surrogate, the camera lens. Focussing on both the human and animal body and the representations of landscape, the bodies of work are interwoven with a text by artist and poet Dr. Sharon Morris from UCL Slade School. Professor David Chandler of the University of Plymouth writes a text that contextualizes Sears practice over the last 25 years and its influence in relation to other key practitioners in the field
The development of unfired clay building materials for sustainable building construction
No full textCurrently there is a growing pressure on energy efficiency for new buildings in the UK
and worldwide. This has arisen partly due to the increasing awareness of the public for
sustainable building construction. In addition, there is pressure on building materials
manufacturers, due to new government regulations and legislations that are targeting
energy usage and carbon dioxide emissions in new buildings. This research work reports
on unfired clay building materials (unfired clay bricks) technology for sustainable
building construction. The technology aims at the reduction of the high energy input,
especially that arising from firing clay bricks in kilns. The research has investigated the
use of lime or Portland cement as an activator to an industrial by-product (Ground
Granulated Blastfurnace Slag-GGBS) to stabilise Lower Oxford Clay (LOC). Portland
cement was used in the formulation of the unfired clay brick tests specimens
predominantly as a control. The development of an unfired clay brick in this current
work is considered by the researcher as a significant scientific breakthrough for the
building industry. Another breakthrough is the fact that only about 1.5% lime was used
for GGBS activation. This is a very low level of usage of lime that is not comparable to,
or sufficient for, most road construction applications, where far less strength values are
needed and where 3-8% lime is required for effective soil stabilisation. Hence, the final
pricing of the unfired clay brick is expected to be relatively low. Industrial scale brick
specimens were produced during two separate industrial trials. The first trial was at
Hanson Brick Company Ltd, Bedfordshire, UK, while the second was carried out at PD
Edenhall Ltd, Bridgend, South Wales, UK. The results clearly demonstrate that all key
parameters such as compressive strength, thermal properties and durability were within
the acceptable engineering standards for clay masonry units. From the environmental
and sustainability analysis results, the unfired clay material has shown energy-efficiency
and suggests a formidable economical alternative to the firing of clay building
components. This study is one of the earliest attempts to compare fired and unfired clay
technology, and also to combine energy use and CO2 emission for unfired clay bricks
relative to those bricks used in mainstream construction. This is an attempt to come up
with one parameter rating. The overall results suggest that the spinoff from this
technology is an invaluable resource for civil engineers and other built environment
professionals who need quick access to up-to-date and accurate information about the
qualities of various building and construction materials
The roles of festivals and special events in rural areas: the Welsh Experience
No full textThis paper explores the potential roles of festivals and events in economic and social development activities in Wales, examining in particular rural/urban differences. The potential use of festivals and events in economic and social development processes is then explored, both in the literature, and via a survey of the activities of the 22 Unitary Authorities in Wales regarding festivals and events. The results highlight that the vast majority of festivals and events are local in scope, and focus on social capital building. They are also strongly correlated with self employment and rurality. In terms of resourcing local (entrepreneurial) resources may also be supplementing or replacing those from unitary authorities. There is a need to evaluate festivals and events in more sophisticated ways than the traditional economic impact or marketing focus. It may be possible to develop approaches to maximize the social capital building aspects which are most suited to social and general entrepreneurial activity
Researching counter productive behaviours in the workplace international approaches and perspectives
No full textInspiratory resistive loading improves cycling capacity: a placebo controlled trial
No full textAbstract Background: Respiratory muscle training has been shown to improve both its strength and endurance. The effect of these improvements on whole-body exercise performance remains controversial. Objective: To assess the effect of a 10 week inspiratory resistive loading (IRL) intervention on respiratory muscle performance and whole-body exercise endurance. Methods: Fifteen apparently healthy subjects (10 men, 5 women) were randomly allocated to one of three groups. One group underwent IRL set at 80% of maximum inspiratory pressure with ever decreasing work/rest ratios until task failure, for three days a week for 10 weeks (IRL group). A second placebo group performed the same training procedure but with a minimal resistance (PLA group). IRL and placebo training were performed at rest. The remaining five control subjects performed no IRL during the 10 week study period (CON group). Cycling endurance capacity at 75% V?o2peak was measured before and after the intervention. Results: After the 10 week IRL intervention, respiratory muscle strength (maximum inspiratory pressure) and endurance (sum of sustained maximum inspiratory pressure) had significantly improved (by 34% and 38% respectively). An increase in diaphragm thickness was also observed. These improvements translated into a 36% increase in cycling time to exhaustion at 75% V?o2peak. During cycling trials, heart rate, ventilation, and rating of perceived exertion were attenuated in the IRL group. No changes were observed for the PLA or CON group either in the time to exhaustion or cardiorespiratory response to the same intensity of exercise. Conclusion: Ten weeks of IRL attenuated the heart rate, ventilatory, and perceptual response to constant workload exercise, and improved the cycling time to exhaustion. Familiarisation was not a factor and the placebo effect was minimal