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Multimodal MEG and microstructure-MRI investigations of the human hippocampal scene network
Full text linkMusic, Play, Games and Education
Full text linkA significant body of recent music scholarship has sought to emphasize the playfulness of music. Many of these discussions have occurred with reference to music in digital video games. This chapter investigates how an awareness of music and play, particularly informed by the findings from the context of video games, might inflect teaching. By considering the fundamental aspects of play – the components of rules, creativity and fun aesthetics, fusing ludus and paidia – we not only recognize elements that motivate and reward engaging with music generally, but we can turn some of these qualities to educational ends. The chapter considers three dimensions of music, video games and play: i) the role of interfaces in scaffolding musical creative processes, ii) interactivity and musical-dialogic teaching and iii) participatory culture as a type of informal learning that provides musical specialization and technical expertise. The chapter concludes with an outline of planned lessons for a term’s music teaching. This overview suggests just some of the ways that these ideas might be implemented in a school music curriculum
Translating environmental DNA for monitoring nature: species, ecosystems, policy and practice
Full text linkThe unprecedented biodiversity loss driven by human activity is pushing ecosystems toward collapse, threatening global economies, human health, and essential natural systems that sustain life on Earth. Restoring nature requires decisions grounded in science and evidence, gained through monitoring practices. Monitoring ecosystems is essential for guiding environmental management, but traditional biomonitoring often falls short due to time-consuming, labour-intensive methods reliant on bio-indicators and limited by an underpinning of ecosystem function and services. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is revolutionising our ability to efficiently assess biodiversity, from a single species to whole communities across the Tree-of-Life. While eDNA research is advancing rapidly, its uptake in applied sectors is lagging, where it could significantly enhance the scale, speed and sensitivity of biomonitoring. This thesis explores the gap between research and application through stakeholder engagement, develops practical guidance, and conducts primary research on policy-relevant monitoring targets, including invasive species and pathogens. Stakeholder interviews across policy, industry and academia highlight the need for improved communication tools, robust validation and standardisation of methods. These views were considered during the development of guidance for DNA monitoring with citizen science. These insights also shaped the development of a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for detecting the invasive Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), which demonstrates rigorous experimental validation using a standardised scale. Enhanced ecological assessments should integrate the suite of eDNA tools, from species to whole communities, as the efficiency of eDNA pipelines enables sampling across the continuum of eDNA to host-tissue, as explored by literature review. The molecular detection of the parasite Bonamia ostreae in native and invasive oysters will aid the Solent Oyster Restoration Project by furthering the understanding of disease spread. In summary, this thesis provides a framework for integrating enhanced eDNA-based ecological assessments into policy and practice, providing tools to inform environmental management and nature restoration
Attachment and Caregiving in the Context of Parental Learning Disabilities.
Full text linkParents with learning disabilities are subjected to discriminatory judgements and ableist treatmentwhilst navigating the daily pressures and demands inherent to caregiving. A particularly marginalisedpopulation, families with parental learning disabilities are at higher risk of child welfare serviceinvolvement, and of child removal. Research and professional practice within this area is dominatedby measuring parenting capacity and evaluating practical caregiving skills. However, much lessprominence is placed on understanding the attachment and relational aspects of their caregiving.Through a qualitative study grounded in the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment, this studyaddressed three research questions. Firstly, a single case study formulated the attachment strategiesof a sibling group revealed through the Child Attachment and Play Assessment. Their narratives wereinterpreted alongside their mothers’ The Meaning of the Child caregiving interview. Secondly, reflexivethematic analysis was applied to four The Meaning of the Child interviews administered with motherswith learning disabilities, alongside the accompanying analytical framework. Six themes weregenerated relating to parenting and caregiving with learning disabilities. A common theme revealedprevalent narratives of endangered childhoods, coupled with corrective parenting intentions,alongside vulnerabilities in their intimate adult relationships. A prominent theme was that motherswere parenting under surveillance and perceived external judgement from professionals and society.Interlinked were additional themes of idealising their child and minimising the struggles ofparenthood, amongst their reduced mentalising and reflections. A final theme derived from the datawas the mothers’ tendency to express attachment in concrete and objectified terms. Lastly, theapplication of The Meaning of the Child interview protocol was examined to investigate its accessibilityand feasibility for use with parents with learning disabilities, given the lack of accessible and validatedassessments for this population. Implications for both research and clinical settings are discussed
Adult belief change: New theoretical and empirical perspectives.:Special issue introduction
Full text linkBelief change in later life is understudied as it goes against the well-established idea that political attitudes are formed early on in life and remain mostly stable thereafter. Recently, some studies have emerged that address adult belief change. However, these studies are mostly descriptive and offer relatively little insight into how, for whom, and under which conditions adult belief change takes place. This special issue on adult belief change addresses new theoretical and methodological perspectives and sets the agenda for future research on this highly relevant theme. Together, the special issue contributions provide robust evidence for changing beliefs well into adulthood. This implies that attitudes are not as fixed or settled as previously thought. A better understanding of the processes of adult belief change is vital to understand the social and psychological aspects of national and international political developments, especially in the current context of ongoing political change. The works presented in this special issue form an important starting point for further advancing research in this direction
Orthogonal Chirp Division Multiplexing for High-Speed Terahertz Wireless Systems
Full text link6G systems are expected to operate in the THz bandto support ultra-high data rates. However, severe propagationimpairments in THz channels pose significant challenges. Thispaper presents a new channel model and numerical analysisof a THz system using orthogonal chirp division multiplexing(OCDM). The system includes chirped waveforms at 300 GHz,minimum mean square error (MMSE) equalization, amplitudemodulation, and three ray-tracing-derived indoor environments:spacious hall, long corridor, and empty room. Results showOCDM enhances resilience to multipath effects, especially forlower-order modulations. The findings highlight OCDM withenvironment-aware techniques as a robust solution for futureTHz communication
Protecting Public Interest in Sovereign and Municipal Restructurings
Full text linkThis paper explores the intersection of public interest and debt restructuring frameworks for sovereign and municipal debtors. The analysis underscores the need for legal systems to prioritize transparency, service continuity, and equitable burden-sharing among stakeholders, especially in the context of rising fiscal pressures and governance deficits
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