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Innovating European defence
Get PDFIf war is inherently a social act, the same must be said of military innovation. Even
narrowing down the key terms and definitions reveals this. The subject of this chapter
is the innovation of European defence, but the literature on military change has been
referred to as ;revolution; (as in the Revolution in Military Affairs), ‘transformation’
(as in military, martial or force transformation), ‘innovation’, ‘adaptation’ and ‘change
in military praxis’ (see Grissom, 2006
THE EFFICACY OF PLANTS TO REMEDIATE INDOOR VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND THE ROLE OF THE PLANT RHIZOSPHERE DURING PHYTOREMEDIATION
Get PDFA wide range of volatile organic compounds (VOC) are released from building materials, household products and human activities. These have the potential to reduce indoor air quality (IAQ), poor IAQ remains a serious threat to human health. Whilst the ability of the single plant species to remove VOC from the air through a process called phytoremediation is widely recognised, little evidence is available for the value of mixed plant species (i.e. plant communities) in this respect. The work reported herein explored the potential of plant communities to remove the three most dominant VOCs: benzene, toluene and m-xylene (BTX) from indoor air. During phytoremediation, bacteria in the root zone (rhizosphere) of plants are considered the principal site contributing to the VOC reduction. This project explored BTX degrading bacteria in the rhizosphere through culture-dependent and independent approaches.
This research revealed that mixed plant culture could remove low and high concentrations of BTX from the air. Interestingly, 100 ppm BTX removal rates by single plant species were higher than the removal rate observed for mixed plant species in all cases. At the low concentration (10 ppm), all plants showed higher removal rates of benzene and toluene than m-xylene. Some bacteria in the rhizosphere utilised gaseous BTX as their sole carbon and energy sources were isolated on minimal salt agar. The majority of isolated bacteria were Gram-positive and belonged to the phylum Actinobacteria. Most of the identified bacteria belonged to the genera Microbacterium, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter and Pseudomonas. In considering the impact of BTX upon the rhizosphere microbiome, it was shown that overall there were little compositional and functional changes following exposure to 10 ppm gaseous benzene. Findings from this work enhanced our understanding of the benefit of indoor plants in relation to VOC remediation and the consequent improvement of phytoremediation systems for the protection of public health
Positive local externalities of immigration on entrepreneurship: Evidence from the UK East Midlands region
Get PDFThis article examines the effects of immigration on entrepreneurship, making a distinction between the individual level and the neighbourhood characteristics. The study combined individual level drawn from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data with neighbourhood level data for the English Index of Multiple Deprivation East Midlands region in the UK and applied a maximum likelihood logit model to test the hypotheses. The empirical evidence suggests that there is no direct link between the internal immigrants and start-ups on the one side; yet, there is direct link between the external immigrants and start-ups on the other side. However, the findings point to the importance of indirect effect of neighbourhood characteristics, as external immigrants have a significant effect on an individual’s perception of new entrepreneurial opportunities which predicts start-up activity. Their presence in the neighbourhood has a positive monotonic effect on individual entrepreneurship. Therefore, the critical factor is not that external immigrants come with unique knowledge and skills they utilise in the creation of their own businesses, instead they produce positive local externalities enabling others to start-up businesses
THE INTRODUCTION OF A NEW THEORETICAL LENS THROUGH WHICH TO FURTHER DEVELOP LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE
Get PDFThis thesis outlines my contribution to knowledge. I have
established a common ground in the field of organisational change;
further developed change readiness theory;
expanded understanding of organisational change in higher education;
explicitly linked organisational change to leadership and ethics and reimagined the understanding of leadership.
Further developing my contribution to leadership as a utilitarian consequentialist process - emphasising the consequences of any action, and on achieving the best possible outcome for the largest number of people/stakeholders - I am conceptualising the Telos Leadership Lens through which existing leadership theory and practice can be reframed and further developed with a focus on doing (utilitarian consequentialism) rather than being (virtue ethics) and establish leadership as the shared pursuit of delivering on purpose rather than as a relationship between leaders and followers. The Telos Leadership Lens is supported by three principles:
1) Leadership is a verb;
2) Leadership is the shared pursuit of delivering on purpose;
3) Purpose to be driven by internal goods such as sustainable development
Virtual Guidance using Mixed Reality in Historical Places and Museums
Get PDFMixed Reality (MR) is one of the most disruptive technologies that shows potential in many application domains, particularly in the tourism and cultural heritage sector. MR using the latest headsets with the highest capabilities introduces a new visual platform that can change people’s visual experience.
This thesis introduces a HoloLens-based mixed reality guidance system for museums and historical places. This new guidance form considers the inclusiveness of the necessary and optimised functionalities, visual and audio guiding abilities, essential roles of a guide, and the related social interactions in the real-time.
A mixed reality guide, dubbed ‘MuseumEye’ was designed and developed for the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, to overcome challenges currently facing the museum, e.g. lack of guiding methods, limited information signposted on the exhibits, lack of visitor engagement resulting in less time spent in the museum compared to other museums with similar capacity and significance. These problems motivated the researcher to conduct an exploratory study to investigate the museum environment and guiding methods by interviewing 10 participants and observing 20 visitors. ‘MuseumEye’ was built based on a literature review of immersive systems in museums and the findings of an exploratory study that reveals visitor behaviours and the nature of guidance in the museum.
This project increased levels of engagement and the length of time visitors spend in museums, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo in particular, using the mixed reality technology that provides visitors with additional visual, audio information and computer-generated images at various levels of details and via different media. This research introduces the guidelines of designing immersive reality guide applications using the techniques of spatial mapping, designing the multimedia and UI, and designing interactions for exploratory purposes. The main contributions of this study include various theoretical contributions: 1) creating a new form of guidance that enhances the museum experience through developing a mixed reality system; 2) a theoretical framework that assesses mixed reality guidance systems in terms of perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, interactivity, the roles of a guide and the likelihood of future use; 3) the Ambient Information Visualisation Concept for increasing visitor engagement through better presenting information and enhancing communication and interaction between visitors and exhibits; and a practical contribution in creating a mixed reality guidance system that reshapes the museum space, enhances visitors’ experience and significantly increases the length of time they spend in the museum.
The evaluation comprised of quantitative surveys (171 participants and 9 experts) and qualitative observation (51 participants) using MuseumEye in their tours. The results showed positive responses for all measured aspects and compares these to similar studies. The observation results showed that visitors who use MuseumEye spent four times the duration visitors spent without guides or with human guides in front of exhibited items. The quantitative results showed significant correlations between the measured constructs (perceived usefulness, ease of use, enjoyment, multimedia and UI, interactivity) and the likelihood of future use when the roles of guide mediate the relations. Moreover, the ‘perceived guidance’ is the most influential construct on the likelihood of future use of MuseumEye. The results also revealed a high likelihood of future use, which ensures the sustainability of adopting mixed reality technology in museums.
This thesis shows the potential of mixed reality guides in the museum sector that reshape the museum space and offers endless possibilities for museums and heritage sites
Design of a dispersion-engineered broadband Ge11.5As24Se64.5-Si3N4 strip–slot hybrid waveguide with giant and flat dispersion over 350 nm for on-chip photonic networks
Get PDFWe propose a new strip–slot hybrid waveguide with extreme large and flat dispersion over broad wavelength range. The strong resonance coupling between the strip and slot modes has been employed to obtain a high dispersion at desired wavelength. The properties of dispersion are analyzed using the finite-difference time-domain method. All numerical simulation results reveal that for the optimized waveguide structure, a maximum dispersion of ps nm km and dispersion full width at half-maximum of 2.5 nm at m are obtained. By cascading the strip–slot hybrid waveguides with varied width and height, a large and flattened dispersion of ps nm km covering 350 nm is achieved. Moreover, dispersion compensation of 100 Gbit/s return-to-zero on-off-keying optical-time-division-multiplexing signals after 50-km single mode fiber transmission, and after 7-km hollow-core photonic band-gap fiber transmission are demonstrated, separately. Such a waveguide will find widespread applications in on-chip all-optical signal processing
“The Support Continuum” Exploring how support workers understand their role in supporting adults with learning disabilities to use the internet for personal and sexual relationships Jason Lines
Get PDFWith internet use prominent in daily life, research investigating how adults with learning disabilities are accessing and using the internet is increasingly relevant. Three papers are presented in this thesis which aimed to provide additional understanding about this research topic.
The first paper outlines a review of the literature regarding what factors influence how adults with intellectual disabilities access and use the internet. The existing literature suggests a shift in the technology used to access the internet, from computers to smartphones. It also shows a shift in the purpose of internet use, from only using the internet for emails, to multi-platform usage, mainly social media. Significantly, it highlighted how important it is for some adults with learning disabilities to have access to support to assist with using the internet; in addition, the perceptions of those supporting impacted on how much support a person would receive.
The second paper details the empirical research that was undertaken in response to findings from the literature review. Eight support workers took part in this qualitative study which looked at how support workers understand their role supporting adults with learning disabilities to use the internet for personal and sexual relationships. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The themes of ‘Social and Organisational dilemmas’ with subthemes ‘Role and Moral positioning’, ‘Expectations of Support’ and ‘Protected and Reflective space; ‘Policy dilemmas’ and ‘Power and position’ were found and discussed. This research highlighted the current gap in training and guidance available for support workers regarding supporting people to use the internet for personal and sexual relationships – suggesting more must be done to develop these training opportunities.
The final paper is an executive summary which condenses the empirical research and presents it in a format accessible to adults with learning disabilities, support workers, and organisations employing support workers
Being a young adult with Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy: wellbeing and priorities for an adult life
Get PDFThis thesis was completed as part of the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Staffordshire University, completed by the first author. The topic originated from the personal experiences of the first author, and an interest in the relationship between physical and mental health, particularly at developmentally significant times like the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Muscular Dystrophy (MD) is a degenerative condition that causes progressive levels of disability and limits life expectancy. Chapter One systematically evaluated the current literature on the wellbeing of adolescents and emerging adults with MD. Nine papers were critically reviewed, and results suggested that the wellbeing of this population is reliant on supportive relationships, autonomy, and a maturing sense of self-acceptance, and they are at an increased risk of mental health difficulties. While the quality of the research varied and conclusions were interpreted with caution, the review highlighted a need for earlier psychological support with a focus on systemic, collaborative working. Chapter Two investigated what emerging adults with Duchenne’s MD (DMD: the most common form of this genetic condition), primary carers, and healthcare professionals value for a positive and autonomous adult life with DMD. A Q-method study was used to explore whether these three expert stakeholder groups prioritise similar goals when engaged in transition-based care. Results of the factor analysis found two different views of how to facilitate a positive adult life in society; one that valued taking on a more adult role within their existing system, and another that believed adulthood was enabled by breaking away and accessing new experiences. The mix of expert stakeholders within factor one, and combination of one emerging adult and three healthcare staff in factor two, suggests that transition planning should be held with these different value-bases in mind; potentially guiding exploratory conversations about how to best support the adult life valued by the individual. Chapter Three is a summary of the empirical research, for dissemination to young people with DMD and their families, as well as healthcare staff
“A Jill Sandwich”. Gender Representation in Zombie Videogames.
Get PDFFrom Resident Evil (Capcom 1996 - present) to The Walking Dead (Telltale Games 2012-4), women are represented in zombie games in ways that appear to refigure them as heroines in their own right, a role that has traditionally been represented as atypical in gaming genres. These women are seen as pioneering – Jill Valentine is often described as one of the first playable female protagonists in videogaming, whilst Clementine and Ellie from The Walking Dead and The Last of Us (Naughty Dog 2013) are respectively, a young child and a teenager undergoing coming of age rites of passage in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Accompanying them are male protagonists who either compliment these roles, or alternatively provide useful explorations of masculinity in games that move beyond gender stereotyping. This chapter examines how these forumulations have developed in videogames, and suggests ways in which players have repurposed their conceptions of these characters over time
Labour exploitation as corporate crime and harm: outsourcing responsibility in food production and cleaning services supply chains
Get PDFThe exploitation of workers can be understood on a spectrum of 'less severe' to 'severe' acts or omissions, where less severe exploitation can create conditions for severe exploitation to develop. Exploitation is not an isolated phenomenon perpetrated solely by 'criminals', but is closely related to developments in the economy, labour markets and society at large. Exploitation is enabled through otherwise legitimate business practices that disadvantageously affect vulnerable workers in product and labour supply chains. In this article, labour exploitation - and ultimately human trafficking - is framed as a form of corporate crime due to the significant role that businesses and supply chains have in facilitating exploitation. This corporate crime lens therefore argues that labour exploitation is driven by common market factors and business processes, which are closely associated with inadequate regulatory oversight of exploitation in local supply chains. The article draws on qualitative, semi-structured interviews conducted with workers and supply chain stakeholders in the UK agri-food industry, as well as the Finnish cleaning industry. Through thematic analysis, the dynamics of industry, labour subcontracting, and a lack of regulatory oversight are discussed, which are framed as key factors that enable exploitation to occur. Ultimately the corporate crime lens emphasises the economic, political and societal context in which exploitation takes place, and by doing so, uncovers the structural nature of such crimes
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