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Researching sensitive topics with children and young people: ethical practice and blurry boundaries
Get PDFDespite representing a vast and global concern, the narratives of children who experience child sexual exploitation (CSE) and access associated services are marginalised within research. As an outcome, relatively little is known about how children cope with the impact and consequences of their experiences. This paper draws together methodological insights from researchers reflecting upon three distinct pieces of qualitative fieldwork conducted with children and young people considered ‘vulnerable’ to, and ‘at risk of’, CSE. In doing so, we seek to recognise the challenges encountered when conducting research with vulnerable populations and explore the ‘blurry boundaries’ that researchers tread in order to balance competing power dynamics. This paper will discuss potential safeguarding concerns that arise when conducting sensitive research and will share our experiences of supporting young people to take part in research around child sexual exploitation. We will reflect upon the research process to highlight some of the strategies adopted to enable young people to engage in data collection safely. We consider the dynamic ethical practices that take place in the moment of research encounters, alongside the framework of procedural ethics, to conclude that both are fundamental to enable meaningful participation in research
Language assessment accommodations:Issues and challenges for the future
No full textIn this concluding piece to the special issue, we attempt to tease out and comment on some themes that have emerged from the six published papers. Some of these themes highlight potential avenues for further theoretical and empirical investigation, and may assist in mapping out a coherent research agenda on the topic for language testers and assessment specialists in the future
3D study of the vibrational behavior of lithic flint blades
Get PDFStone Age sites are well known to often contain many lithic flint blades and flakes, which may provide important information about early European Stone Age cultures and their environment. Understanding the mechanical behaviour of lithic flint blades represents an important problem for scientists in general and archaeologists in particular. In this study, the structural behaviour of lithic flint blades is studied. Ten specimens with different geometric shapes (tilted, curved, with bumping surfaces) were studied and tested. Their natural frequencies, damping ratios, and mode shapes (that is how the specimen deforms under any external excitation) are estimated using two models: an analytical model that accounts for the specimen's curvature and a 3D Finite Element (FE) method. Advanced experimental methods, including ultrasound techniques, were used to measure the mechanical properties of the specimens. The experimental set-up was built around a laser vibrometer that measured the specimen's displacement. The model predictions were compared with the experimental data to validate their effectiveness. A good agreement is observed between the models and the real data. It is particularly observed that despite their complicated geometries, the specimens still follow a structured pattern in their dynamic response. The presented study supports the use of acoustic methods as an effective tool to characterize and detect submerged prehistoric materials. This work contributes to the dynamic characterization of submerged Stone Age materials
International investment law and indigenous peoples:a methodology for the analysis of the rights of indigenous peoples
No full textThis article will set out to highlight some of the important aspects of a methodology regarding the rights and interests of indigenous peoples in the context of analysing the rules of international investment law. The approach to the rights of indigenous peoples that will be adopted here is a legal positivist approach, although such an approach, it will be argued, is also based upon the standing and the importance of the rights and interests of indigenous peoples to lands and natural resources in international law. Of particular importance in the context of the rules of international investment law, it will be pointed out that a methodology for approaching the rights of indigenous peoples must be based on equal concern for the protection and promotion of the rights and interests of indigenous peoples to land and resources
Exploring the speaking construct in academic settings in a digital age
No full textThis study explored language functions and skills utilised in technology-mediated academic speaking contexts, which is timely given the increasing prevalence of digitally-mediated communication in higher education settings and the recent introduction of IELTS Indicator featuring a video-call mode in the Speaking Test. Using an embedded mixed-methods approach, the research involved: 1. language function analysis of spoken communication and simultaneous written chat contributions in online taught classes and supervision meetings 2. thematic analysis of students’ and lecturers’ understandings of distinctive features of online academic speaking and what constitutes successful online speaking interaction in those contexts. We analysed a total of over 40 hours of recordings, consisting of 17 video-recorded classes from four undergraduate and postgraduate units in an Australian University, and 23 video/audio recordings of online PhD supervision meetings from a UK university. This was followed by the administration of a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with selected participants. In order to examine the construct of online academic communication, we adapted O’Sullivan et al.’s (2002) language function checklist for our purposes. Following the identification of language functions and skills observed in real-life online academic settings, we explored the synergy between the functions observed in online teaching and learning contexts and those elicited in the video-call IELTS Speaking Test (Nakatsuhara et al., 2021). Analyses of questionnaire and interview data helped us understand the skills perceived to be important for successful online interaction. The report concludes with a discussion on the multimodal construct of speaking in digitally-mediated academic contexts and the ways in which the findings of this study can be useful in informing the future development of IELTS Speaking Test tasks so that they remain representative of the reality of academic speaking in the digital age
Transforming faces for the screen: horror and romance in the 1920s
No full textThis book brings together research from medical and film archives to illustrate the cultural impact of film and literature in its relationship to the discourse of plastic surgery in the 1920s. This different take on reading the body after the First World War enables students of multiple disciplines, and readers interested in both Hollywood and post-war culture, to understand some of the complexities of medical interventions gained after the First World War and the way in which they filtered into the world of Hollywood film making. It also allows readers who may not be familiar with these two 1920s stars to access the films of Lon Chaney and the books and films of Elinor Glyn and gain new insights into 1920s visual culture. For ease of readership, the book is organised so that each of the main chapters focuses on a particular film (either Lon Chaney or Elinor Glyn). This is particularly useful for use in the classroom or for online education. Readers can refer to the film directly, aided by illustrations of frames from the films. This book tells the story of how two stars of Hollywood film transformed their character’s faces on screen through a close reading of three films in the 1920s. It reveals how they applied their embodied knowledge of surgery and surgical procedures to broaden their audience’s emotional and intellectual understanding of the treatment of deformity and disability.</p
Strategies to improve the magnetic resonance imaging experience for autistic individuals:a cross-sectional study exploring parents and carers’ experiences
Get PDFBackground: Autistic individuals encounter numerous barriers in accessing healthcare, including communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, and a lack of appropriate adjustments. These issues are particularly acute during MRI scans, which involve confined spaces, loud noises, and the necessity to remain still. There remains no unified approach to preparing autistic individuals for MRI procedures. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with parents and carers of autistic individuals in the UK to explore their experiences, barriers, and recommendations concerning MRI scans. The survey collected demographic information and experiential accounts of previous MRI procedures. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, while key themes were identified within the qualitative data through inductive thematic analysis. Results: Sixteen parents/carers participated. The majority reported difficulties with communication, inadequate pre-scan preparation, and insufficient adjustments during MRI scans for their autistic children. Key barriers included an overwhelming sensory environment, radiographers’ limited understanding of autism, and anxiety stemming from uncertainties about the procedure. Recommended improvements encompassed accessible communication, pre-visit familiarisation, noise-reduction and sensory adaptations, staff training on autism, and greater flexibility to meet individual needs. Conclusions: There is an urgent need to enhance MRI experiences for autistic individuals. This can be achieved through improved staff knowledge, effective communication strategies, thorough pre-scan preparation, and tailored reasonable adjustments. Co-producing clear MRI guidelines with the autism community could standardise sensitive practices. An individualised approach is crucial for reducing anxiety and facilitating participation. Empowering radiographers through autism-specific education and incorporating insights from autistic individuals and their families could transform MRI experiences and outcomes.</p
Photorealistic true-dimensional visualization of remote panoramic views for VR headsets
Get PDFVirtual Reality headsets have evolved to include unprecedented display quality. Meantime, they have become light-weight, wireless and low-cost, which has opened to new applications and a much wider audience. Photo-based omnidirectional imaging has also developed, becoming directly exploitable for VR, with their combination proven suitable for: remote visits and realistic scene reconstruction, operator's training and control panels, surveillance and e-tourism. There is however a limited amount of scientific work assessing VR experience and user's performance in photo-based environment representations. This paper focuses on assessing the effect of photographic realism in VR when observing real places through a VR headset, for two different pixel-densities of the display, environment types and familiarity levels. Our comparison relies on the observation of static three-dimensional and omnidirectional photorealistic views of environments. The aim is to gain an insight about how photographic texture can affect perceived realness, sense of presence and provoked emotions, as well as perception of image-lighting and actual space dimension (true-dimension). Two user studies are conducted based on subjective rating and measurements given by users to a number of display and human factors. The display pixel-density affected the perceived image-lighting and prevailed over better lighting specs. The environment illumination and distance to objects generally played a stronger role than display. The environment affected the perceived image-lighting, spatial presence, depth impression and specific emotions. Distances to a set of objects were generally accurately estimated. Place familiarity enhanced perceived realism and presence. They confirmed some previous studies, but also introduced new elements
Enhancing 5G-enabled robots autonomy by radio-aware semantic maps
No full textFuture robotics systems aiming for true autonomy must be robust against dynamic and unstructured environments. The 5th generation (5G) mobile network is expected to provide ubiquitous, reliable and low-latency wireless communications to ground robots, especially in outdoor scenarios. Empowered by 5G, the digital transformation of robotics is emerging, enabled by the cloud-native paradigm and the adoption of edge-computing principles for heavy computational task offloading. However, wireless link quality fluctuates due to multiple aspects such as the topography of the deployment area, the presence of obstacles, robots' movement and the configuration of the serving base stations. This directly impacts not only the connectivity to the robots but also the performance of robot operations, resulting in severe challenges when targeting full robot autonomy. To address such challenges, in this paper, we propose a framework to build a semantic map based on radio quality. By means of our proposed approach, mobile robots can gain knowledge on up-to-date radio context map information of the surrounding environment, hence enabling reliable and efficient robotics operations
National health services of Western Europe: Challenges, reforms and future perspectives. By GuidoGiarelli, MikeSaks (Eds.), London: Routledge. 2024. £130.00; hardback. ISBN: 9780367689599
No full textreview of National health services of Western Europe: Challenges, reforms and future perspectives. By Guido Giarelli, Mike Saks (Eds.), London: Routledge. 2024. £130.00; hardback. ISBN: 978036768959
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