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The case for equine-assisted interventions (EAI) for children and adults with specific needs
Get PDFThis review paper explores the validity of using therapeutic equine-assisted interventions in supporting individuals with specific disabilities, mental health needs and progressive medical conditions
‘Speculative Slipstreaming’: The Impact of Literary Interventions within Contemporary Science Fiction
Get PDFMargaret Atwood and Jeanette Winterson are two canonical writers participating in a ‘literary slipstream’ through their ventures into science fiction, creating crossover texts that confuse the boundaries between the literary and the popular. This interface is exemplified through the awards received by these writers, which help to bring literary credibility and integrity to the genre. Atwood’s first speculative novel, The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), went on to win the Arthur C. Clarke Award and was nominated for a Nebula award and the Booker Prize, whilst her MaddAddam trilogy (2003–2015) was followed by the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society in 2015. Winterson was awarded an OBE for her services to literature in the same year that she published The Stone Gods (2006), whilst her most recent novel Frankisstein (2019) was longlisted for the Booker Prize. This article explores the extent to which distinctions between the popular and the literary are reliant upon notions of inferiority and superiority, and the problematics of a desire to frame genre fiction according to perceived notions of literary value
Performance Evaluation for End-to-End Slice Management in 5G/B5G Cellular Networks
Get PDFEnd-to-End (E2E) virtual networks represent a key technology in future cellular networks. Generally, the E2E connection means each slice has an independent part of the RAN, User Plane Function (UPF) and the 5G Core. Within each slice, a subscriber may have one or more Quality of Service (QoS) flows. These flows only exist within the slices. According to the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS), it could be at most eight Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Informations (S-NSSAIs) in the Allowed list. Requested NSSAIs sent in signalling messages; registration request, accept and respectively; between the user and the network. These messages allow the network to select the serving Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), network slices and Network Slice Instances (NSIs)for the user. The research idea is to improve the Quality of Service (QoS) and the Quality of Experience (QoE) for the user when connecting to different slices on the 5G systems. The slice performance for one slice should not be affected by other slice traffic. This paper evaluates the performance of E2E 5G slicing in terms of throughput, jitter, reliability, transmission rate and mobility under different circumstances. In the proposed system, the performance of the slice is checked when the user connects to eight slices or more at the same time. In addition, we propose a slice termination and connection algorithm that allows the user to register new slices. Moreover, the algorithm allows users who are already registered to be released after using slices, enabling more effective use of the network resources
Facilitative practices to promote migrant children’s agency and hybrid integration in schools. Discussing data from Italy, Poland and England.
Get PDFThis paper discusses the interactional construction of personal trajectories of migrant children with a focus on its implications for the enhancement of children's agency. The discussion is supported by the analysis of three extracts transcripts of audio or video-recorded classroom activities that illustrate the main forms of facilitation of migrant children's agency as authorship of narratives of personal trajectories of migration, also showing that facilitation is influenced by children's language proficiency. The construction of narratives can be context for the negotiation of hybrid integration, at the intersection between forms of facilitation, social and cultural contexts and personal trajectories and experiences
Later Prehistoric and Norse Communities in the Northern Isles: multi-proxy environmental investigations on Orkney
Get PDFLittle is known about the impact that Norse communities had on the landscape of Orkney. To redress this, a palaeoenvironmental investigation was conducted from the infilled Loch of Tuquoy, a basin located close to the high-status Norse farmstead and Crosskirk at Tuquoy on Westray, Orkney. Pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, microscopic charcoal, sediment geochemistry and mineral magnetic measurements were performed on a 2.25 m core. The results suggest that a cultural landscape had already been established before the Loch's record commenced. The landscape was subsequently characterised by the near-continuous activity of a mixed agrarian economy that intensified from c. 900–150 cal. BC, and between cal. AD 700 and 1550, the latter encompassing the Norse occupation of the Tuquoy farmstead. Palynological evidence suggests that the land was used for pasture and to cultivate cereals. While the landscape was largely treeless from 900 cal. BC onwards, minor woodland/scrub clearance occurred in both periods. The Norse palaeoeconomy seems to have been a continuation of earlier practices but caused a significant change in the source of sediments deposited into the loch. Whilst the sediment geochemistry revealed little evidence for ironworking, lead concentrations show a series of peaks during the Iron Age on Orkney indicative of regional-scale pollution
Empowering education professionals with twenty-first century skills through Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work
Get PDFThis paper aims to explore the potential role of Master’s of Education dissertation/thesis work in developing twenty-first century skills. A total of 600 education professionals studying Master’s of Education programmes in five countries – Poland, Portugal, England, Latvia, and Romania – were surveyed. The findings have revealed that participants recognise the usefulness of twenty-first century skills for their (future) professional practice, and perceive dissertation/thesis work as a valuable foundation for developing these skills. This study offers practical implications for designers of Master’s of Education programmes and contributes to our understanding that this assignment is not only a formal requirement for obtaining a degree, but that it also serves as a pathway towards deepening students’ professional learning
Helpful post-diagnostic services for young onset dementia: Findings and recommendations from the Angela project
Get PDFThere is a significant lack of evidence regarding optimum models for service provision in young onset dementia (YOD). Our study aim was to gather detailed information about services experienced as helpful by those with YOD and family carers. The objective was to identify the core features of these services to inform service design, delivery and improvements. A qualitative approach based on appreciative inquiry was used, posing open-ended questions about services experienced as helpful, as part of a national UK survey of people with YOD and carers. We used inductive thematic analysis to analyse the free-text responses. The resulting template was used as a basis for analysis of in-depth follow-up interviews, conducted to acquire greater in-depth understanding. Two hundred and thirty-three survey respondents provided 856 examples of helpful support. Twenty-four follow-up interviews were conducted (two with dyads, so 26 participants in total: 8 with people with YOD, 14 with carers, 2 with dyads). Twelve themes capturing the features of helpful services were clustered into three super-ordinate themes. 'Person-centredness' reflects micro levels of person-professional interaction (positive attitude, flexibility, collaborative, user-friendly materials, and in-person). 'Functional consistency' captures the meso level, demonstrating that services were helpful when organised consistently with needs (age-appropriate, holistic, responsive, and accessible). 'Organisational coherence', at the macro level, emphasises the need for service integration, specialist services and service continuity. Key conclusions are that the needs for flexibility and a collaborative stance may be particularly important for those under 65 years with dementia, who have full lives and are used to being in control; to be age-appropriate, helpful services need to provide activities and opportunities suitable for active middle-aged people; and to be holistic, services need to provide for needs associated with rare dementias and be family-centred. Specialist services need to be commissioned and arrangements need to be stable over time to enable continuity
Printability and microstructure of directed energy deposited SS316l-IN718 multi-material: numerical modeling and experimental analysis
Get PDFIn the present paper, the interrelated aspects of additive manufacturing-microstructure-property in directed energy deposition of SS316L-IN718 multi-material were studied through numerical modeling and experimental evaluation. The printability concept and solidification principles were used for this purpose. The printability analysis showed that the SS316L section is more susceptible to composition change and lack of fusion, respectively due to the high equilibrium vapor pressure of manganese and the more efficient heat loss in the initial layers. However, the IN718 section is more prone to distortion due to the formation of a larger melt pool, with a maximum thermal strain of 3.95 × 10-3 in the last layer. As the process continues, due to heat accumulation and extension of the melt pool, the cooling rate decreases and the undercooling level increases, which respectively result in coarser microstructure and more instability of solidification front in the build direction, as also observed in the experimental results. The difference is that the dendritic microstructure of the IN718 section, due to the eutectic reaction L → γ + Laves, is formed on a smaller scale compared to the cellular microstructure of the SS316L section. Also, the decrease in cooling rate caused the secondary phase fraction in each section (delta ferrite in SS316L and Laves in IN718) to increase almost linearly. However, the hardness calculation and measurement showed similarly, even though with the transition from SS316L to IN718 the hardness is significantly increased due to higher yield strength of the matrix and the presence of Laves intermetallic phase (~ 260 HV0.3), the hardness in each section decreases slightly due to the coarsening of the microstructure from the initial layer to the final
Analysing the Elements that Affect People's Behavioural Intention to Adopt Autonomous Vehicles
Get PDFIn order to get fresh insights into how behaviour is accepted at the individual and organisational levels, psychologists and sociologists have been studying the user acceptability of information technology for decades. Several techniques are used in the research's pragmatic approach, which is carried out in the phases that follow. In phase I, a preliminary survey with 408 individuals was used to identify the important variables impacting behavioural intention to use an autonomous vehicle (AV). Experts in the fields of psychology, sociology, and computer science were questioned. Finally, the hypothesis was defined after the model had been built. In phase II, a survey research methodology was used with an additional 482 individuals to empirically validate and improve the conceptual model. A tool for information visualisation was created in phase III to fill the gap between theoretical ideas and real-world business needs. According to the results, every construct in the conceptual model has a significant impact on consumers' behavioural intentions (BI) to embrace AVs. Based on our assessment, the researcher proposes a theoretical AV technology acceptance model (AVTAM) by incorporating these determinants into the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model. This model takes into account self-efficacy, perceived safety, trust, anxiety, and legal regulations. The conclusion shows that the adoption of AV technology will be influenced by a number of factors, including the price of the equipment and the legal implications
Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) Evaluation – Health Outcomes (Part 1)
Get PDFThe proportion of Community Sentences Treatment Requirements (CSTRs), especially Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs), as part of Community Orders has been very low. This coupled with significant mental health needs of offenders alongside rising concerns about the effectiveness of short-term sentences establishes the importance of offering a positive alternative to address underlying needs. There is limited evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of MHTRs at improving health outcomes to reduce likelihood of reoffending. This Policy Brief explores health outcomes for individuals who complete a mental health intervention as part of a MHTR. It summarises health outcomes and measured change using a range of psychometric measures
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