26729 research outputs found
Sort by
The rise of the pro-Putin “Revival” party in Bulgaria
No full textThe Bulgarian far-right Revival present themselves as “the only patriotic party” in Bulgaria. However, a review of their public discourse uncovers a rather disturbing fabric of their patriotism – a strange mix of anti-NATO rhetoric, unrefined populism, xenophobia, and profanity. Their sudden electoral success raises many suspicions
Exercise training mode effects on myokine expression in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis
Get PDFBackground: The benefits of exercise are well known; however, many of the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Skeletal muscle secretes myokines, which mediate muscle–organ crosstalk. Myokines regulate satellite-cell proliferation and migration, inflammatory cascade, insulin secretion, angiogenesis, fatty oxidation, and cancer suppression. To date, the effects of different exercise modes (namely, aerobic and resistance exercise) on myokine response remain to be elucidated. This is crucial considering the clinical implementation of exercise to enhance general health and wellbeing and as a medical treatment.
Methods: A systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science in April 2023. Eligible studies examining the effects of a single bout of exercise on IL-15, irisin, SPARC, OSM, and decorin were included. A random-effects meta-analysis was also undertaken to quantify the magnitude of change.
Results: Sixty-two studies were included (n = 1193). Overall, exercise appeared to induce small to large increases in myokine expression, with effects observed immediately after to 60 min post-exercise, although these were mostly not statistically significant. Both aerobic and resistance exercise resulted in changes in myokine levels, without any significant difference between training modes, and with the magnitude of change differing across myokines. Myokine levels returned to baseline levels within 180 min to 24 h post-exercise. However, owing to potential sources of heterogeneity, most changes were not statistically significant, indicating that precise conclusions cannot be drawn.
Conclusion: Knowledge is limited but expanding with respect to the impact of overall and specific effects of exercise on myokine expression at different time points in the systemic circulation. Further research is required to investigate the effects of different exercise modes at multiple time points on myokine response
Insurgent feminisms – women writing wars: mapping gendered trauma, un/learning generative utopias and the intersectional imperative
Get PDFIn seeking gender justice, the approach to inclusivity involves an imperative to intersectionality so other ‘minoritised’ groups and their values matter in shaping experiential analyses to bridging academic and activist interventions and seeking more communities of practice to emerge as possibilities for change. Thus, linking the materialities and embodiments of practitioner and activist work with transformative feminist and intersectional scholarship is the nexus that brings the nodes of theory, practice and activism together to set out an agenda for researching, writing and addressing trauma.
This intervention has two key sections, the one following situates gendered trauma as a process of unlearning in order to co-produce possibilities of generative utopias, taking memory in its intersectional context as a new sociological imagination; the second section then links these insights to the work of women scholars writing about war to make concluding arguments about the conceptual and political value of such interventions as blueprint to future work in trauma and (civil) war studies
Explainer: The UK’s ECHR record: how common are Rule 39 orders and how often is the UK found to have violated rights?
No full textUsing the latest figures, Joelle Grogan and Alice Donald examine the UK’s relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) system. It reveals how often and for what reasons the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) issues ‘Rule 39 orders’ or urgent injunctions against the UK.
It also explains how frequently the ECtHR finds that the UK has violated human rights and on what issues, and how far the UK complies with those rulings. It compares the UK’s record with other European states
Before solidarity: the process politics of relationality, receptivity and attunement
No full textThis article critically considers the notion of solidarity in times of division, marked by a neoliberal competitive environment alongside rising neo-nationalisms and identity politics. Concerned with a politics of equality, it asks what forms of solidarity might support a social justice agenda. Rather than considering where solidarity has already manifest, the enquiry pursues a processual approach in exploring what might come before solidarity and may lead to its emergence. It critically considers the ethics and politics of relationality in socio-political and philosophical terms, examining the ways in which relating per se can create concrete alternatives to individualism, further exploring the notions of receptivity and attunement. In thinking with and through the practice of British performance artist Jamal Harewood who creates audience-led performances, the article further considers the ways in which performance practice can contribute to the creation of more equitable futures
Music devised for the film Viva Voce by Keith Piper
No full textI was asked by Keith Piper to provide some musical material for the film, Viva Voce. He and I then shared ideas about the music of the 1920s that could have been heard by the frequenters of the Gargoyle Club of which Rex Whistler was a member. The heyday of the US ragtime craze had passed by this time but left influences in the music of a number of touring bands one of which was the Plantation orchestra with American jazz singer and dancer, Florence Mills whose song I’m a Little Blackbird, Looking for a Bluebird was a hit, and has since been seen as a plea for racial equality.
Keith Piper’s Viva Voce film, 2024 is installed in the old member’s dining room, Tate Britain. In Viva Voce, Keith Piper stages an imagined conversation between artist Rex Whistler and a fictional academic, Professor Shepherd, who asks Whistler about his 1927 mural 'The Expedition in Pursuit of Rare Meats', challenging him on its racist narrative and imager
Innovation forge: a hybrid review about resilience and technology readiness in the manufacturing sector
Get PDFThis study addresses the gap in the comprehensive literature on the intersection of readiness technology and changes in the manufacturing sector. This study employs a hybrid review (bibliometric analysis and conceptual framework) to offer a panoramic overview of the field. We scrutinised 77 publications from peer-reviewed journals, from 2005 to 2023, using methodological lenses such as keyword co-occurrence networks and thematic maps. The review reveals the major contributors (publication trends, themes, and topics) to integrating 3D printing, additive manufacturing, Tech Competition and Lifecycle Assessment in Manufacturing, and Smart Manufacturing Strategies. Based on these insights, we advocate a focused research agenda to expand scholarly contributions to this field. We introduce a framework that offers a theoretically robust tool for scholars and practitioners studying the impact of technology readiness in the manufacturing sector. Consequently, this study not only distils the existing literature, but also sets the stage for future research. This study places significant emphasis on the implementation of technological solutions as a means to improve production operations. Additionally, this research emphasises the significance of ensuring that investment strategies follow the organisation’s technological preparedness. An additional crucial implication concerns the cybersecurity protocols. This is consistent with the research’s emphasis on investigating cybersecurity concerns in the manufacturing industry
Evaluation of a Health Education England simulation initiative in the Department of Adult Child Midwifery
No full textThis report presents the findings from an evaluation of a Health Education England (HEE) funded project to develop and deliver simulated learning to PRE_REGISTRATION NURSING students at Middlesex University.
Simulation is “an educational method which uses a variety of modalities to support students in developing their knowledge, behaviours and skills, with the opportunity for repetition, feedback, evaluation and reflection to achieve their programme outcomes and be confirmed as capable of safe and effective practice.” (NMC, 2023)
The evaluation which used a mixed methods design (student pre and post survey, focus groups with staff and students and observation of staff and students) found considerable evidence of progress towards most of the stated objectives during SIMS week. There is strong evidence from all data sources that students found SIMS week to be a safe learning environment and that they were immersed in the scenarios. Survey, focus group and observation data provide strong evidence that students improved their clinical skills, and their confidence generally across SIMS week and there was some evidence that decision-making skills were also developed. Observations show strong evidence that emotions and feelings were present in learning in the scenarios and the debriefing sessions were effective in encouraging exploration of feelings, emotions and learning. The observations of the debriefing sessions suggests that these were successfully used to encourage and facilitate links between theory and practice
The Charmers: Not to Be Found
No full textFour track EP vinyl record released on Dimple Discs 2024.
Composer of all four pieces on EP, designer of cover and author of cover text. This artefact is part of a larger art project - 'The Charmers'
The impact of LMX and job stress on service quality of police personnel through the mediating role of job satisfaction and moderating role of social support
No full textThis study examines how leader–member exchange (LMX) and job stress affect the calibre of service provided by police personnel, considering the mediating effects of job satisfaction and the moderating effects of social support. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse data from 1,273 people from North India and 552 police personnel. According to the findings, job satisfaction acts as a buffer between job stress and the good effects of LMX on service quality. Particularly at moderate and higher levels, social support reduces the mediation effect of job satisfaction between LMX and service quality as well as between job stress and service quality. This study offers insights to improve service quality for Indian police personnel through the presentation of a comprehensive framework that tackles job stress, job satisfaction, LMX and social support