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Insights into the demographics and preferences of Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing learners of English: A multi-modal approach
Get PDFThe field of second language acquisition has seen numerous empirical studies focusing on language teaching theories and methods for specific learner groups. However, despite recent research increasingly addressing the needs of students with disabilities, deaf and hard-of-hearing students still do not receive the same level of attention as their hearing peers (Cisźer and Kontra, 2020). Deafness or hearing impairment often results in limited access to language and information. Nevertheless, with modern technical hearing aids, researchers have highlighted the bimodal bilingual capabilities of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, underscoring their potential to learn additional languages. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of multilingualism and plurilingualism, this thesis explores the demographic characteristics of Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing students as English learners andtheir multi-modal language preferences in English classrooms.
This thesis addresses three main research questions: 1) What are the demographic characteristics of Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing English learners? 2) What are the teachers' perspectives on teaching English to these students? 3) What are the preferences of deaf and hard-of-hearing students for multi-modal key words assistance during English reading tasks? To answer these questions, this exploratory research employed a mixed-methods approach, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data from a series of interconnected studies.
The thesis begins with a pilot demographic study involving fifteen deaf and hard-of- hearing high school students. This study utilized a demographic questionnaire to investigate participants' characteristics related to hearing loss, communication preferences, and experiences learning English as an additional language in a non- English-speaking country. The results revealed a heterogeneous population in English classrooms with Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing students, raising questions about how teachers manage to address the diverse language backgrounds, communication preferences, and needs of these students. Participants also reported greater difficulties in English reading comprehension.
Building on the pilot study, a semi-structured interview study was conducted with four English teachers from various training backgrounds, who taught deaf and hard-of-hearing students in different educational settings. The findings illustrate how teachers' attitudes and beliefs about the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students, as well as the English language subject, are shaped by their knowledge base, which is influenced by their prior training experiences. Due to a lack of systematic traininginspecial education, deaf education, second language acquisition, and pedagogical strategies, it is challenging to conclude that the four interviewed teachers fully addressed the diverse needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Additionally, the teachers expressed a desire for teaching and learning materials specifically designed for this student group, leading to the design of a multi-modal reading interface in the subsequent experimental study.
The third study expanded on the pilot demographic survey. With modifications tothedemographic questionnaire used in the pilot study, the expanded study involved 83deaf and hard-of-hearing students, including 39 university students and 44 high school students. The results revealed even greater heterogeneity than the pilot study. Additionally, data from this study showed a positive correlation between the perceived difficulty level in reading comprehension and vocabulary among Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing English learners.
Previous research indicates that deaf and hard-of-hearing students face particular challenges in vocabulary and reading comprehension (Perfetti and Stafura, 2014). In this third study, a reading interface was designed to provide multi-modal word assistance in English reading passages. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the multi-modal preferences of deaf and hard-of-hearing students and their acceptance of this tool as English reading support. The same participants from the expanded demographic study were invited to participate. Using a cross-design, this study collected three sets of data: the participants' mouse clicks on Chinese text translations and CSL interpretation videos, their answers on post-reading exercises, and their responses to an exit questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model. The findings reveal the multifaceted nature of Chinese deaf and hard-of- hearing English learners. First, participants preferred Chinese text translations over CSL interpretation videos, regardless of their communication language preferences. Second, although the intervention improved overall post-reading vocabulary and comprehension performance, significant differences remained between the universityand high school groups, as well as among individual students. Third, high school participants were less positive than university students about using this tool to support their language reading experience, suggesting that students' attitudes toward multi-modal learning technology could be influenced by various factors, such as social backgrounds.
In conclusion, the findings of this thesis are significant for both research and practice. They address the lack of demographic studies on Chinese deaf and hard-of-hearing English learners and emphasize the importance of considering students' subjective roles in the development of learning materials. The research highlights that designing multi modal learning tools is a complex task, requiring careful consideration of interconnected factors, such as individual differences of students. Thus, it is crucial to involve students in the process to ensure that these tools are both effective and engaging, meeting the diverse needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing learners
Dreaming of God: a critical re-evaluation of Shakespeare's theological context, with particular reference to 'Hamlet'
Get PDFDominant Material Shakespeare criticism treats religion as pre-modern and not seriously influential in the plays, beyond its political use in oppressive popular control. Postmodern and Marxist critiques detect secularity in Shakespeare and generally posit as its source Florio’s translation of Montaigne’s Essays, which could have caused a Shakespearean turn to Epicurean ‘atomism’ or Renaissance scepticism. Other critiques assume a contextual Calvinist consensus, and see in the Tragedies a theistically-eliminative defiance of a tyrannical deus absconditus, whose pre-Fall consignment of humanity to salvation or preterition renders redemptively-desperate any human free will exercise to choose or avoid sin. Christian doctrine is not frequently explored positively in relation to Shakespeare’s work.
This thesis detects, in Shakespeare’s key Tragedies, a possible sympathy with a contemporary via media Protestant theology which rebuked Reformed, soteriological orthodoxy. Exemplified by Philip Melanchthon, then Richard Hooker, this irenic strain of Christianity anticipated Arminianism by several decades. Approached from a consideration of this theology’s insistence on universally-offered salvation, life-long effectiveness of penance, and the free will of people to choose or reject moral evil, the plays reveal a seminal concern with the redemptive power of repentance, the efficacy of mercy, and that Shakespeare’s most vicious characters are least exercised by fear of damnation. This seems indicative of a theodical paradigm wherein divine judgment is contingent and people, not God, cause evil.
Hamlet is frequently offered as evidence of Shakespeare’s sceptical mindset. New Historicists make much of the Protestant rejection of transubstantiation to indicate, in Hamlet, a Shakespearean contempt for all metaphysics. Some detect in the play a Montaignian influence to Lucretian atomism or Pyrrhonic Scepticism, while Calvinist readings emphasise Shakespeare’s disaffection for orthodox, predestination doctrine which damns Claudius and dooms Hamlet. None values the Ghost. This thesis proposes readings of Hamlet emerging from a rigorous re-evaluation of Shakespeare’s post-Reformation context
Rethinking urban land grabbing: a decolonial political ecology perspective to reveal a pluriverse of alternatives
Get PDFThis thesis employs a decolonial political ecology approach to rethink the contemporary urban land-grabbing conflict on the periphery of a medium-sized city in Mexico, highlighting the defence of communal territories as evidence of the pluriverse. Drawing on the epistemological decision of what Mignolo's defines as ‘dwelling in the border’— where alternatives are possible— this thesis uses a personal reflexive process as a decolonial tool to illuminate other worlds and their territorial struggles. These struggles involve resisting, assimilating, and reproducing the modern world system amidst urban expansion while defending other ways of being, doing and thinking.
By focusing on the decolonial struggle over territory, this thesis fosters an epistemological and transversal dialogue among the different but interconnected worlds entangled in the urban land-grabbing conflict. It creates a space for co-producing knowledge and exploring alternative pathways for plural and ethical futures in this and other similar contexts, suggesting a new direction for research in this field
An investigation of the activity of α/β-Hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6) in rat brain
Get PDFThe endocannabinoid system plays a role in various physiological processes, with 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA) as key signalling molecules. Within this system α/β-Hydrolase Domain-Containing 6 (ABHD6) and α/β-Hydrolase Domain-Containing 12 (ABHD12) regulate 2-AG hydrolysis while also metabolizing other endogenous lipid substrates. ABHD6 hydrolyzes multiple lipid classes, including lysophospholipids, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP), and diacylglycerol (DAG), while ABHD12 plays a central role in the metabolism of lysophosphatidylserine (Lyso-PS). Given their involvement in diverse lipid signaling pathways, this thesis aims to investigate the activity of ABHD6 in rat brain tissue using a recently developed spectrophotometric assay based on 4-methylumbelliferylheptanoate (4-MUH) hydrolysis and to validate the selectivity and potency of ABHD6 and ABHD12 inhibitors through the Activity-Based Protein Profiling (ABPP) technique.
This study demonstrates that while the 4-MUH assay was effective in recombinant systems, complete inhibition of 4-MUH hydrolysis in rat brain tissue was not achieved, even with the selective ABHD6 inhibitor KT203. At the highest concentration tested (10 µM), KT203 inhibited 4-MUH hydrolysis but failed to fully suppress enzyme activity, with over 50% of hydrolysis still remaining in both the soluble and particulate fractions. This suggests that other serine hydrolases contribute to 4-MUH hydrolysis in rat brain tissue, limiting the specificity of this assay for measuring ABHD6 activity. In contrast, the ABPP approach allowed for the simultaneous assessment of multiple enzymes, including ABHD6 and ABHD12. Using the probes MB064 and FP-rhodamine, analysis of ABPP gels identified ABHD6 activity and confirmed KT203’s selectivity for ABHD6. Moreover, this method enabled the profiling of ABHD12 and confirmed DO264’s selectivity as an ABHD12 inhibitor. These results suggest that while the 4-MUH assay can effectively measure ABHD6 in recombinant systems, ABPP offers greater reliability for profiling multiple enzymes in complex proteomes
Investigating the evolution and application of Optiflow in managing unique patient groups in the perioperative period
Get PDFThis thesis utilises computational modelling to explore the different applications of High Flow Nasal Oxygenation, specifically, Optiflow (Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Auckland, New Zealand) device, an oxygen therapy device that delivers high-flow, humidified oxygen via nasal cannula. The thesis explores the strengths and weaknesses of Optiflow being used on a variety of patient groups including: the obese, the pregnant and the older population, and concludes that it is often beneficial and potentially superior to alternative oxygenation techniques such as traditional face mask ventilation. All of the following studies focus exclusively on supporting subjects during apnoea (i.e. cessation of breathing) in the perioperative period. All of the research presented in this thesis explore potential improvements that could be made to current pre-oxygenation techniques (i.e. administration of 100% of oxygen before the induction of anaesthesia via a tightly fitting face mask) and concludes that changes to pre-oxygenation times could offer better patient protection against injurious hypoxaemia. There is also discussion of whether Optiflow is the best technique to support patients when compared to tight fitting face masks and low flow nasal oxygenation and it is concluded that it is able to achieve equal to or better safe apnoea times and oxygenation. All investigations were conducted using the Interdisciplinary Collaboration in System Medicine (ICSM) simulation suite, developed by my supervisors and their collaborators and has already been widely validated to explore apnoea. As all data are computational in nature and so no true human data were collected, computational patients will be referred to throughout as subjects, so as not to cause ambiguity
Investigating the role of Adrenomedullin signalling during zebrafish development
No full textThe cardiovascular system is the first functional organ system to develop in vertebrates. It links all other organ systems and is essential for normal development. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly selective semi-permeable interface between blood vessels and the brain. How the selective permeability of the BBB is established during development remains poorly understood. Here, I have identified that in zebrafish, Adrenomedullin signalling via Calcrl/Ramp2 promotes the normal development of the blood vascular network. Genetic variants in CALCRL and RAMP2 and their regulatory elements are associated with predisposition to human diseases including stroke and coronary artery disease. In mice, embryonic lethality prevents detailed characterisation of the function of Adrenomedullin signalling during development. Furthermore, the roles of Adrenomedullin signalling have been disputed, with some studies reporting defective lymphatic specification and others reporting reduced vascular integrity. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms by which Adrenomedullin signalling regulates zebrafish cardiovascular development may help to improve understanding of the role of Adrenomedullin signalling during cardiovascular development. Ultimately, this may aid development of effective therapeutics targeting human cardiovascular diseases.
Zebrafish Adrenomedullin signalling-deficient mutants display widespread oedema similar to the hydrops fetalis phenotype observed in Adrenomedullin signalling-deficient mouse mutants. Adrenomedullin signalling co-ordinates multiple aspects of brain barrier formation and function in zebrafish. Zebrafish Adrenomedullin signalling-deficient mutants display defects in the establishment of the BBB in the cranial vasculature. The role of Adrenomedullin during neurovascular development is dose-dependent. Low levels of Adrenomedullin signalling are required to promote vascular integrity within the cranial vasculature and higher levels of Adrenomedullin signalling are required to suppress transcytosis across the BBB. While primary angiogenesis is independent of Adrenomedullin signalling, Adrenomedullin signalling mediates formation of the choroid vascular bed by promoting formation of the dorsal longitudinal vein in a Vegfc-dependent manner. Adrenomedullin signalling is also required for stereotypical cardiac function and to limit constrictive remodelling of trunk blood vessels highlighting the complex roles of Adrenomedullin signalling during the formation of the cardiovascular system. Interestingly, Adrenomedullin signalling is dispensable for lymphatic specification and lymphangiogenesis, revealing a divergence in lymphatic specification mechanisms between fish and mammals
Exploring childhood adversity, impulsivity, and cognitive functioning within forensic populations
Get PDFEmpirical research has reported associations between childhood adversity and impulsivity, childhood adversity and cognitive functioning, and cognitive functioning and impulsivity in adults; however, the relationship between these factors is more widely evidenced within the general population, than forensic populations. Further exploration regarding how these factors relate among forensic samples may inform psychological formulation and interventions for individuals who disproportionately experience adversity from a young age. This thesis presents four separate studies. Firstly, a systematic review of 11 studies totalling 7,259 participants, provided evidence of the relationship between childhood adversity and trait impulsivity within forensic populations. Secondly, an applied empirical study showed that self-reported childhood adversity predicted difficulties with inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility on a test of executive functioning, within a small adult forensic mental health sample. Thirdly, a research case study was conducted, involving an in-depth exploration of childhood adversity, impulsivity, and cognitive functioning for an individual undergoing treatment in a forensic mental service, wherein a case formulation was developed using various psychometric assessment outcomes, incident data, and collateral information. Finally, a critique of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) in the context of forensic populations found strong evidence of construct validity and internal consistency, whilst other psychometric properties required examination. This thesis provides preliminary evidence of an association between childhood adversity, impulsivity, and cognitive functioning within forensic populations, which has potential implications for forensic practice and research; however, further investigation is required
Investigating musculoskeletal pain and frailty in an ageing population
Get PDFBackground: Frailty is defined as a vulnerability state with decreased physiological reserve observed in older people. Frailty may be characterised by a loss of homeostatic resilience due to multi-organ, age-associated decline. People with frailty have an elevated susceptibility to stressors and/or disproportionate response to challenges; this leads to a significant functional decline and increased risk of adverse health outcomes.
Chronic pain is long-term or persistent pain which lasts for an extended period, typically beyond the normal healing time of an injury or illness; it is generally defined as pain that remains unresolved for three months.
While previous studies have touched upon the association of pain and frailty, my research delves deeper into this relationship, offering insight into this under-recognised association. This thesis proposes that chronic pain might make the transitions from non-frail to frail states more likely or less likely. Moreover, the presence of frailty might hinder the improvement of pain. The current evidence implies a potential bidirectional relationship between pain and frailty, but most of the previous research has examined each direction separately.
Pain is not usually accounted for in frailty classification; however, it is important to consider why pain is linked to frailty. People who are classified as frail may have more painful morbidities than those classified as non-frail. Additionally, it is possible that central aspects of pain could be evidence of a dysfunctional central nervous system. Such dysfunction may result in an overall increase in pain sensitivity. Central aspects of pain factor (CAPf) are considered to be associated with increased pain hypersensitivity and have been shown to predict future knee pain. Each of the 8 characteristics associated with the underlying CAP factor (anxiety, depression, catastrophising, pain distribution, neuropathic-like pain, cognitive impact, sleep, and fatigue) have been associated with frailty. Central pain mechanisms may explain the association of pain and frailty, but other sources of pain and pain mechanisms should also be investigated.
Understanding the association between these two common conditions. Furthermore, increasing awareness of this relationship may allow the implementation of actions to reduce the burden on health services and individuals.
Aims:
[1] to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of pain with frailty in a cohort study. To investigate whether there is a unidirectional or bidirectional relationship between pain and frailty.
[2] to examine the extent to which the association of chronic pain with frailty might be attributed to morbidities.
[3] to investigate whether Central Aspects of Pain explain the association between chronic pain and frailty.
[4] to design the ACHING study, which aims to measure and assess the association of frailty with central pain mechanisms, alongside other potential causes of pain and pain severity in individuals with knee pain. This included preparation and training to collect some of the main physiological measures.
Methods:
Data were drawn from Investigating Musculoskeletal Health and Wellbeing, a UK-based cohort (n=2185). Participants were aged 60 years and over and either had or were at risk of musculoskeletal problems or frailty.
The main variables for this thesis were frailty, classified as present/absent using the FRAIL questionnaire, and average joint pain severity over the previous month was assessed using an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS pain).
To confirm the association between pain and frailty, baseline and 1-year data were used for cross-sectional analysis and regression. Subsequently, this led to assessing directionality using longitudinal data and employing cross-lagged path analysis.
To assess chronic pain related to morbidities, pain from any source was reported using the McGill Pain Rating Index (PRI). Morbidities were classified as painful/non-painful using the International Association for the Study of Pain criteria. A modified FRAIL was employed in which the ‘illness item’ was omitted to remove the overlap with morbidity. These cross-sectional analyses used standardised variables in regression and Z-tests to assess the degrees of the association of pain (McGill Pain Rating Index), painful and non-painful morbidity counts with frailty (modified FRAIL).
Analyses of pain mechanism data were conducted in a subgroup of people with knee pain (NRS≥1) (n=639). This used the Central Aspects of Pain in the Knee questionnaire to calculate a modified Central Aspects of Pain score in which the ‘fatigue item’ was omitted to remove the overlap with the ‘fatigue item’ in FRAIL.
The ACHING study planned to recruit 122 participants to a case-control study. Participants classified as frail would be age- and sex-matched with people classified as robust. Measures were selected to explore multiple causes of pain, including peripheral indices and central aspects of pain. Additionally, selecting measures to explore multiple possible causes of frailty. The reliability of some of the main physiological measures was established in a group of healthy volunteers (n=20).
A statistical plan was devised for the ACHING study. The reliability between raters was assessed using Bland-Altman plots, calculating intraclass correlation coefficients and concordance correlation coefficients.
Results:
The cross-sectional data were drawn from 2,185 participants from the Investigating Musculoskeletal Health and Wellbeing cohort. Of those, 55% were female, with a median age of 74 (range 60 to 96) years. FRAIL classified 438 (20%) of participants as frail. Mean (SD) NRS pain was 5.5 (2.5). NRS pain was associated with frailty at baseline (aOR1.68, (95%CI 1.57 to 1.79), p<0.001).
Longitudinal data were from 1,179 participants who completed both baseline and 1-year measures. At baseline, 176 (15%) participants were classified as frail, and the mean (SD) NRS pain score was 5.2 (2.5). In logistic regression, NRS pain was associated with frailty at baseline (aOR 1.72, (95%CI 1.56 to 1.92), p<0.001). Additionally, NRS pain at baseline was associated with 1-year frailty (aOR 1.28, (95%CI 1.15 to 1.43), p<0.001). In cross-lagged path analysis, higher baseline pain strongly predicted 1-year frailty [β =0.25, (95%CI 0.14 to 0.36), p<0.001] and baseline frailty predicted higher 1-year pain [β =0.06, (95%CI 0.003 to 0.11), p=0.040].
When the influence of morbidities on pain and frailty was examined, PRI pain (aOR 2.07, (95%CI 1.83 to 2.33) and ‘any’ morbidity (aOR 1.74, (95%CI 1.54 to 1.97) were both significantly associated with frailty. When morbidity was subclassified, painful (aOR 1.48, (95%CI 1.30 to 1.68) and non-painful (aOR 1.39, (95%CI 1.24 to 1.56) morbidities each were associated with frailty, and PRI pain also remained associated (aOR 2.07, (95%CI 1.83 to 2.34), p<0.001).
In the subgroup of people with knee pain at baseline (n=639), 26% of participants were classified as frail, and the mean (SD) NRS pain was 6.0 (2.1). At 1-year, there were data from 343 participants with a mean (SD) NRS pain of 5.5 (2.3). A higher modified Central Aspects of Pain factor was associated with frailty (aOR 1.53, (95%CI 1.41 to 1.66), p<0.001) at baseline. When both modified Central Aspects of Pain factor (aOR 1.37, (95%CI 1.26 to 1.50) and NRS pain (aOR 1.54, (95%CI 1.33 to 1.78) were included in the same model, they were both significantly associated with frailty classification, (p<0.001). At 1-year, the modified Central Aspects of Pain factor did not predict future frailty, but NRS pain at baseline did predict 1-year frailty (aOR 1.33, (95%CI 1.05 to 3.79), p =0.016).
The ACHING study protocol was developed and prepared. An ethics application was submitted and received ethical approval from the Health Research Authority. The training and collection of the main physiological measures showed acceptable reliability.
Conclusion:
There is a bidirectional relationship between chronic pain and frailty. This could lead to a vicious cycle in which each accelerates the other’s progression. Pain could be the key driver of this association, as implied by its stronger coefficient from the analyses performed. Focusing on pain management as an intervention pathway could mitigate the effect of chronic pain upon frailty. Future studies might focus on comprehensive assessments of pain mechanisms to determine which causes of pain might be most important as future treatment targets. Given the ageing population in many countries, it is increasingly important to address frailty which disproportionately affects older individuals and to ensure that we manage chronic pain
Whitehall, the City and the politicisation of finance during the Cold War. The case study of Yugoslavia : 1979 – 1983
No full textThe thesis, Whitehall, the City, and the Politicisation of Finance during the Cold War: The Case Study of Yugoslavia, 1979–1983, analyses the intersection of British foreign policy and global finance during a critical period of the Cold War. It explores how the Thatcher government sought to balance ideological commitments to free-market principles with the geopolitical objective of stabilising Yugoslavia after Tito’s death to prevent Soviet influence. The research is divided into four chapters, each addressing a different aspect of Britain’s financial and diplomatic response. Chapter One sets the context by outlining Yugoslavia’s strategic importance and the emergence of the petro- dollar debt cycle, examining British concerns over maintaining the status quo in the Balkan country after Tito’s death. Chapter Two investigates the attitudes within Whitehall and the Bank of England towards using financial incentives to support diplomatic objectives, revealing the Bank’s reluctance to interfere with the City’s commercial decisions. Chapter Three focuses on the role of the Export Credits Guarantee Department in both the making of British commercial policy and British foreign policy, analysing how economic interests and monetarist policies limited the Thatcher government’s ability to provide official support for Yugoslavia during its financial troubles. Chapter Four explores Britain’s participation in the international rescue operation, showing how political pressure from Western allies eventually compelled limited financial intervention in the context of a global debt crisis.
Overall, the thesis argues that, notwithstanding the centrality of London as the foremost centre of the Euromarket, Britain’s ability to use sovereign loans and export credits as effective tools of statecraft was constrained by the Thatcher government’s adherence to monetarist policies and the Bank of England’s laissez-faire approach. The case study provides a nuanced view of the interplay between economics and geopolitics in the making of British foreign policy, illustrating how financial institutions, private banks, and economic ideologies shaped Britain’s Cold War diplomacy
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