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Moral development of first-year pharmacy students in the United Kingdom
No full textObjective. To investigate the moral development of pharmacy students over their first academic year of study at a university in the United Kingdom.Methods. Pharmacy students completed Defining Issues Test (DIT) at the start of their first year (phase 1) and again at the end of their first year (phase 2) of the program.Results. Pharmacy students (N=116) had significantly higher moral reasoning at the beginning of their first year than by the end of it. Scores differed by students’ gender and age; however, these findings differed between phase 1 and phase 2.Conclusion. First-year pharmacy students in the United Kingdom scored lower on moral reasoning than did pharmacy students in the United States and Canada
Academic staff performance and workload in higher education in the United Kingdom: the conceptual dichotomy.
No full textHigher education in the United Kingdom (UK) is under increasing pressure to manage the workload of its academic staff in a way that maximises the outputs from teaching and research. The emergence of this can be traced back to 1989 through government legislation that introduced neo-liberal managerialism into the sector mirroring the laissez-faire approach to the economy that was prevalent. This paper examines the literature surrounding workload management and staff performance in the sector to try to establish whether the two have been conceptually linked. A desk-based narrative literature review was executed in order to scrutinise the literature and attempt to answer the main question; what does ‘performance’ mean in relation to an academic role and how is this related to an academic’s workload within the post-92 higher education1 sector? The results of the review show that the literature is dichotomous both in terms of the two areas being discrete and also in the conceptual stance taken by writers in each area. Whilst there are inferred links between workload management and performance, these have not been explored. The paper concludes by outlining what further research is needed on the linkages between workload management and staff performance specifically, using socially-critical methodology
An investigation into circle dance as a medium to promote occupational well-being.
No full textCircle dance, which derives from the tradition of folk dances, is a popular form of dance and is practised worldwide. As a form of meaningful physical and leisure activity, circle dance can be explored in the context of occupational therapy principles and practices to promote health and well-being. However, to date, the synergy between circle dance, occupational therapy and well-being has yet to be explored. This research develops an understanding of the complexity and meanings attributed to circle dance and its impact on occupational well-being and considers how pedagogic practice might facilitate a sense of well-being in participants.Using a constructivist approach to grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006), thirty nine in-depth interviews with participants, teachers and coordinators of teacher training programmes from the circle dance network in the United Kingdom (U.K.) were undertaken. The process of simultaneous data collection and analysis culminated in the development of three major categories, representing the meanings and experiences of circle dance participants, teachers and training coordinators. From the intersection of the three major categories, a core category was generated and named by an in-vivo code “There is a place for everybody”. The findings of this study suggest that engagement in circle dance creates meaning and can influence people’s health and well-being; they also highlight the important role that pedagogical practice plays in enriching the experience of the participants and in sustaining occupational engagement and continued involvement.This investigation provides a detailed knowledge of the process of being engaged in circle dance, whilst informing occupational therapy practice and advancing occupation-based knowledge in the field of leisure, physical activity and wellbeing. It also makes a unique contribution in relation to the pedagogy of circle dance and informs teachers from within the U.K. network offering a comprehensive understanding of the benefits of circle dance
Children’s perception of uncanny human-like virtual characters
No full text•We examine children’s perception of the Uncanny Valley in human-like characters.•Nine- to 11-year-olds do experience the uncanny in human-like virtual characters.•Uncanniness was exaggerated in characters with a lack of upper facial expression.•A startled facial expression was more prone to uncanniness than a happy expression.The Uncanny Valley phenomenon predicts that humans will be less accepting, to the point of rejection, of synthetic agents with a human-like appearance. This is due to a perception of a strangeness or difference in how those characters look and behave from the human norm. Virtual characters with a human-like appearance are increasingly being used in children’s animation and video games. While studies have been conducted in adult perception of the Uncanny Valley in human-like virtual characters, little work exists that explores children’s perception of “uncanniness” in human-like virtual characters. Sixty-seven children between 9 and 11years of age rated humans and human-like virtual characters showing different facial expressions for perceived strangeness, friendliness, and human-likeness. The results showed that children do experience uncanniness in human-like virtual characters, perceived as stranger, less friendly, and less human-like than humans. This perception of the uncanny was exaggerated further in human-like characters with aberrant facial expression. That is, when showing a startled expression and/or happiness with a lack of movement in the upper face including the eyes, eyebrows, and forehead. The possible implications of including human-like virtual characters in animation and video games for this age group are discussed
Thermal insulation of polymeric composites using surface treatments
No full textFibre-reinforced polymeric composites for structural applications are required to conform to specific fire performance requirements and to retain their mechanical integrity after exposure to heat/fire. Many polymeric composites will lose their structural integrity when exposed to temperatures close to the glass transition temperature of the resin matrix. The most effective technique of protecting these materials against heat and fire is the use of surface coatings, which can inhibit or reduce the heat transfer from the fire/heat source to the underlying structure. In this PhD, novel thermal barrier coatings and techniques of their application on the surface of glass fibre-reinforced epoxy (GRE) composites were developed. These include: (1) commercially available intumescent coatings applied by paint brush and roller (2) nanoclays, dispersed in a solvent and sprayed on plasma activated GRE laminate surfaces (3) ceramic nano/microparticles dispersed in a flame retardant resin, applied by painting or K-bar application and (4) chemical coating obtained by applying phosphorus containing monomers (vinyl phosphonic acid) on a GRE surface by paint brush and polymerisation using UV radiation.Surface characterisation was carried out on each coating by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a water drop test. These results showed that the application method used plays an important role in determining the uniformity of the coating. Plasma treatment increased the hydrophilicity of the GRE composite surface, while in the presence of a resin binder, the coating established a hydrophobic surface. The effect of these coatings on the flammability of the composites was studied by a cone calorimeter at different heat fluxes, and the thermal barrier effect of the coatings was measured by insertion of thermocouples into the laminate during the cone experiments and measuring the time for the back surface temperature to reach the glass transition temperature of the resin. Intumescent coatings, as expected, showed the best performance and were used to set a benchmark for the performance of the other coatings. The nanoparticle and micro-ceramic particle coatings can act as thermal barriers. However, their concentration on the surface of laminates was not high enough to provide effective thermal protection for an extended period of time. The chemical (poly (vinyl phosphonic acid)) coating provided the best thermal barrier of the coatings due to its ability to form an intumescent char.Three point blending flexural and impact tests were used to study the effect of the coatings on the mechanical properties of the laminates. The contribution of the coating to the impact and flexural modulus of the laminates is related to the thickness of the coating and its mechanical properties. Thus, thin coatings showed better results than thick coatings. Each coating had a minimal effect on the mechanical properties of the GRE composite, while they improve the retention of mechanical property after exposure to heat, with the chemically coated samples performing the best, due to the formation of a thick intumescent char.A tape pull was performed to study the adhesion of the coatings on the GRE surfaces. All coatings containing resin binder or polymerized on the GRE surfaces were durable and did not peel off. The durability to water was tested by a water soak test. The nano/micro particulate ceramic coatings showed the best performance, whereas the chemical coatings showed the worst behaviour due to the highly hydrophilic nature of the poly (vinyl phosphonic acid)
Hierarchical structuring and evaluation of risks, uncertainties and technical challenges faced by building refurbishment contractors.
No full textThe UK is believed to have some of the oldest buildings in Europe and these aged buildings are constantly growing in number while there is a concomitant growing pressure to maintain their utilitarian values in the face of changing technology, legislation and sustainability issues. Wholesale demolition of these buildings is believed to be unhealthy from an environmental protection perspective as it causes heavy pollution as well as placing more demand upon depleting resources. The need for alternatives to demolition and new-build is therefore imperative. Refurbishment is one such and a well-established alternative to demolition and new-build as the schemes are adjudged to be a cost-effective way of extending the lifespan of properties as it allows the provision of modern facilities.However, dealing with an existing building is faced with various unknowns, unexpected, unpredictable and often undesirable situations which will require further attention and a mechanism to identify any source of uncertainty because when risks are unidentified and not properly managed, they consequently affect project objectives. The study investigates the factors which contribute to risks, uncertainties and technical challenges associated with building refurbishment schemes and the impact they may have in achieving project desired outcomes. The overall objective is to develop a framework that provides helpful information to refurbishment practitioners to assist in minimising level of uncertainty. Developing a framework that provides support for decision makers in pinpointing the vital elements that define the characteristics of the refurbishment projects in terms of achieving high quality standards as well as those factors which may act as barriers was chosen for this study as there is no widely used, understood and accepted refurbishment focused framewor
Resistive switching of in situ and ex situ oxygen plasma treated ZnO thin film deposited by atomic layer deposition
No full textIn situ and ex situ oxygen plasma treatment (OPT) were applied to treat ZnO thin films deposited by thermal atomic layer deposition (T-ALD), and the resistive switching (RS) behaviors of the films were investigated. For the in situ OPT, the treatment was applied after each T-ALD cycle. For the ex situ OPT, the treatment was applied on the as-grown film. The T-ALD-grown ZnO films were defect-rich and conductive with no RS behavior. After the OPT process, the resistivity of the films increased drastically, which is believed to be mainly due to the removal of hydrogen impurities, and the films showed bipolar RS characteristics. The dominant conduction mechanisms are the trap-controlled space charge limited current and ohmic behavior at different field regions. The RS behavior was induced upon the formation/disruption of the conducting filaments. Owing to the homogeneous chemical composition and fewer defects, the resistance ratio of the in situ OPT ZnO film is higher than that of the ex situ OPT film, implying that the in situ OPT method is an efficient way to fabricate resistive random access memory devices using the ALD-grown ZnO films
Antimicrobial Textiles for Health and Hygiene Applications Based on Eco-Friendly Natural Products
No full textThe paper gives a comprehensive review of antimicrobial finishing of textiles using natural products such as chitosan, natural dyes and other herbal products. The research work on antibacterial finishing of cotton textiles using the active ingredients of neem seed extract, a natural herbal product, is also presented. Neem tree, abundantly found in Indian subcontinent, is a rich source of medicinal compounds. Neem seed extract has been successfully integrated to the cellulosic substrate imparting a semi-durable antibacterial property against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
Game aesthetics and the diversity of play
No full textWhile it is uncontroversial to suggest that different players will enjoy playing different games, and that players of the same game may play it differently, the literature on games - and particularly on digital games - still has the tendency to evoke 'Grand Theories' that seek to explicate the experience of playing games in terms of an asserted essential characteristic. It is the purpose of this thesis to validate and expand upon the claims made by Roger Caillois in respect of the diversity of play, and in so doing to offer a new conception of game aesthetics as a field at the intersection of philosophy, game studies, and various empirical sciences. This concept of 'game aesthetics' entails an acceptance of the diversity of play, and critically interprets Grand Theories of play as the rhetorical products of specific aesthetic values. Additionally, a 'folk theory of play' is offered consisting of seven distinct personas, each related to different emotional experiences that can be evoked by games. On the basis of this and other player satisfaction models it can be seen that the ways that games can be enjoyed - and the aesthetic value judgements relating to play - are inherently diverse
How reliable are lower limb kinematics and kinetics during a drop vertical jump?
No full textPurpose: As drop vertical jumps (DVJ) are widely used as a screening task, the assessment of the reliability of lower-limb biomechanical parameters during DVJ is important. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the kinematic and kinetic peak values as well as of the waveforms for lower-limb parameters obtained with the Liverpool John Moores University biomechanical model (LJMU model) during performance of DVJ. Methods: The reliability was analyzed by calculating the intertrial (o¸trial), intersession (o¸sess), and intertherapist (o¸ther) errors of hip and knee joint parameters in a repeated-measures design including two therapists and a total of six sessions. Results: The results showed o¸trial that ranged from 1.1- to 3.5- for all peak kinematic parameters and from 3.6 to 12.9 NIm for all peak kinetic parameters. The o¸sess of the peak values ranged from 1.9- to 5.7- for all angles and from 5.4 to 19.8 NIm for the hip and knee joint moments in all planes. The o¸ther of the peak values ranged from 2.7- to 6.4- for all angles and from 5.8 to 22.4 NIm for all moments. Most of the kinematic and kinetic peak parameters had o¸ther-trial e 2.0- and 4.3 NIm, respectively, suggesting a small extrinsic variability. Furthermore, the entire waveforms also showed a rather high o¸trial relative to other types of variability. Conclusions: The present findings indicated that DVJ kinetics and kinematics show small extrinsic variability. The reported errors are useful for clinical interpretation processes of DVJ performance as screening task for injury risk and rehabilitation outcome taking into consideration the different types of measurement error over time