126 research outputs found
Calum Colvin: The Magic Box
No full textArtist Calum Colvin introduces his new exhibition, The Magic Box, which is an archaeology of his practice from the last 25 years. The exhibition will feature image transparencies from the early 1980s, new prints created at Edinburgh Printmakers, and an installation of Colvin's photography studio, which will be in use when Colvin photographs Scottish author Janice Galloway.The Magic Box is on at Edinburgh Printmakers, until the 6th September 2014. Find out more at edinburghprintmakers.co.uk
Fortissat Science Alliance podcast: Calum McAndrew
No full textCalum McAndrew is a public engagement professional at the University of St Andrews. He took part in the Fortissat Science Alliance podcast recordings in March 2021.What is the Fortissat Science Alliance?The Fortissat Science Alliance is a Wellcome Trust & Children In Need "Curiosity" project. This scheme provided informal STEM learning opportunities for young people who attended the community centre Getting Better Together Shotts (GBT Shotts) between 2019 and 2023. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, deliveries had to pivot online so the podcast was founded. These recordings were made via Zoom with warm-up STEM activities sent to every young person in advance, along with a profile page for each researcher, so that they were relaxed and able to ask excellent questions.Link to episode on Spotify.Depending on the broadcast date, podcast deliveries were co-sponsored by Glasgow Science Festival, EXPLORATHON 2021, or EXPLORATHON 2022/23.For the duration of the project, it was supported jointly by Children in Need and the Wellcome Trust. In 2021, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the European Commission [grant agreement ID 101036101]. In 2022-23, EXPLORATHON episodes were supported by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council [grant number EP/X020894/1].Author contributions to contentCalum McAndrew was the guest featured on this episode. Rebecca Hay was the youth worker coordinating the young people who conducted the interviews as well as co-editing and broadcasting the recordings. Iain Hamilton co-edited the episodes. Kirsty Ross was the STEM consultant for the project and uploaded completed episodes to Figshare. </p
The Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study: questionnaire development, recruitment and preliminary results
No full textBackground:The Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort study (LRBCS) is a prospective, longitudinal population based birth cohort study of respiratory symptoms in preschool children domiciled within Liverpool postcodes L1-L38 at the time of birth. Researchers personally recruit new mothers to the study during their stay at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. The study uses either an online or paper version of the parent-completed Liverpool Respiratory Symptom Questionnaire (LRSQ) to investigate the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, such as coughs, colds and wheezing alongside an exposures and demographics questionnaire.
Aims and Objectives: To further develop the concept of the LRBCS; to finalise the content and design of questionnaires and research materials for the study, as well as test the feasibility of conducting the study online. A further aim was to identify the most effective recruitment strategy for the study and then to proceed recruiting mothers to the LRBCS. The final objective was to conduct preliminary analyses of results from the initial questionnaire.
Methods: Research students performed two feasibility studies and developed the appearance and content of questionnaires with input from mothers. Expression of interest were obtained from eligible mothers staying onon the postnatal wards at Liverpool Women’s Hospital. Mothers provided full consent and fully enrolled their child when he or she was aged four months. Questionnaires were distributed by automated emails or by post. Returned questionnaires were analysed by descriptive statistical methods. The in internal validity of the LRSQ was assessed by calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficients to assess internal validity.
Results: 1685 expressions of interest were received from eligible mothers between January and June 2014. 177 questionnaires were returned to the research team. There was a 25% participation rate (33% online and 7% postal). Preliminary analysis demonstrated some differences between participants and the general Liverpool population; mothers who respond were older, more educated, more likely to breastfeed and less likely to smoke cigarettes. Children exposed to household cigarette smoke had significantly higher LRSQ scores than those who were not exposed, which indicated that these children have a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Seven out of the eight domains of the LRSQ had acceptable-excellent internal validity
Design, development and initiation of the Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study
No full textObjective: To design, develop and initiate the Liverpool Respiratory Birth Cohort Study (LRBCS). This longitudinal birth cohort study aims to describe the respiratory symptoms of preschool children using the Liverpool Respiratory Symptom Questionnaire (LRSQ) from birth until the age of 5 years in Liverpool, by bi-annual assessment. Introduction: Respiratory symptoms in preschool children are difficult to assess using objective measures; indirect measures such as parental completed respiratory symptom questionnaires offer a valuable alternative. The LRSQ is one of few respiratory questionnaires validated for preschool populations. Using the LRSQ, this unique birth cohort study not only maps respiratory symptoms of Liverpool preschool children, but also explores the impact of these symptoms upon the child and their parents.
Method: The LRBCS protocol was developed in collaboration with experienced paediatricians. Ethical approval was obtained by proportionate review in May 2012. As questionnaire deployment would be primarily conducted online, web-based survey software and an email-scheduling system were imperative for development and deployment of the questionnaire. Viable options for survey software were ascertained by feasibility testing at the LWH while providing an opportunity to tailor the design, appearance and accessibility of the questionnaire to appeal to the target population, while maintaining usability. MailChimp® was identified as the most efficient automated email scheduling service. Recruitment was piloted to determine the most effective strategy.
Analysis: Recruitment has been successful to date, with Mothers of 1330 infants expressing interest (53% of eligible births) by 31st May 2013. Furthermore 80 Mothers (27% of those expressing interest) consented and returned data regarding their infant’s respiratory symptoms four months after birth. Preliminary analysis has shown that the group of Mothers expressing interest are representative of Liverpool’s new mothers and the local population in terms of demographics. Demographic, exposure and LRSQ data was collected online by Adobe Forms Central and by post questionnaires, and then collated using SPSS V19 for analysis. Conclusion: The LRBCS has been initiated successfully. It is an ongoing birth cohort study that will proceed for a further 6 years minimum, producing a large variety of invaluable data detailing the respiratory health and characteristics of the preschool Liverpool population. Future analysis will enable the exploration of demographic and exposure factors affecting the respiratory health of the Liverpool preschool population
Portrait of Hugh MacDiarmid
No full textA commissioned installation/portrait as one of the programme of public events at the National Galleries of Scotland/Royal Scottish Academy collaborative opus Ages of Wonder: Scotland’s Art 1540 to Now exhibition at the RSA. I was invited to ‘bring my studio’ into the building and create an artwork during the run of the exhibition in public view. The finished installation was marked with a public event in the Gallery with Calum Colvin and author James Robertson on 1/1/18. Subsequently the printed and framed photographic portrait was debuted at the RSA Annual Exhibition 2018, which was convened and curated by Colvin and included a number of guest artists who were invited to explore the links between poetry and visual art. This included a programme of public artist/poet talks. The portrait subsequently won the City of Glasgow College Purchase Prize
Smelt and Mary Scotland: Nicknaming in Frank Macdonald’s A Forest for Calum
No full textFrank Macdonald’s novel A Forest for Calum (2005, Sydney, NS: Cape Breton University Press) illustrates a variety of nicknames and explores their social functions and naming practices. The novel is set in Shean, itself a nickname for the town of Inverness on the west side of Cape Breton Island. Macdonald celebrates the culture, traditions and customs of rural Cape Breton while at the same time recording the inevitable changes resulting from the closure of town’s coal mine. Nicknaming, one of these prominent customs, is explored from the point of view of young Rod Gillies as he matures as a person and an artist. Although nicknames of adults occur in the novel, the author has a particular interest in the naming patterns of the younger characters. For instance, the protagonist is named Smelt as a result of a fishing accident, and his girlfriend, Mary Scotland, receives her nickname from an elementary teacher because she is one of three Mary Camerons in the class and her father has an interest in Scotland. Macdonald presents a realistic treatment of nicknames as demonstrated by comparison with the research on nicknames in general and on Cape Breton Island.Le roman de Frank Macdonald intitulé A Forest for Calum (une forêt pour Calum) (2005, Sydney, NS: Cape Breton University Press) illustre une variété de surnoms et explore leurs fonctions sociales et les pratiques de désignation des personnages. Le roman se déroule à Shean, une localité qui porte elle-même un surnom de la ville d'Inverness située du côté ouest de l'île du Cap-Breton. Macdonald célèbre la culture, les traditions et les coutumes des régions rurales du Cap-Breton, tout en enregistrant certains changements inévitables qui ont résulté de la fermeture de la mine de charbon de la ville. L'emploi de surnoms, l'une des coutumes bien implantées, est exploré du point de vue du jeune Rod Gillies, au moment où il devient adulte et artiste. Bien que les surnoms soient surtout le fait des adultes dans le roman, l'auteur manifeste un intérêt particulier pour le mode de désignation des plus jeunes personnages. Par exemple, le protagoniste est nommé Smelt (éperlan) à la suite d'un accident de pêche, et sa petite amie, Mary Scotland, reçoit ce surnom d'un enseignant du primaire parce qu'elle est l'une des trois Mary Camerons dans la classe, et son père a un intérêt pour l'Écosse. Macdonald offre un traitement réaliste des surnoms comme le démontre son ouvrage comparativement à la recherche sur les surnoms en général et sur l'île du Cap-Breton
Without ground: Lacanian ethics and the assumption of subjectivity.
No full textIn this new paperback edition, Calum Neill explores the ideas of Jacques Lacan to present a powerful argument for an approach to ethics which is neither rooted in a traditional morality nor reduced to a relativism, an ethics, that is, which is without ground. However we conceive of ethics, whether by appeal to an exterior or traditional notion of right and wrong, or by appeal to some form of individual virtue or responsibility, it implies some form of agency. Where there is an ethical act, there must be someone acting ethically. Working from this simple premise, this book argues that the manner in which we conceive that 'someone' is the condition of possibility for our conception of ethics and, consequently, our ethical potential. Against the commonplace conception of the modern individual as self-identical, self-aware and self-governing, the author presents a detailed introduction to the Lacanian subject, a conception of the self as anything but self-identical, self-aware and self-governing. The book goes on to show how such a rethinking of the subject necessitates a rethinking of our relation to law, tradition and morality, as well as a rethinking of ethics
Ages of Wonder: Scotland's Art 1540 to Now. Commissioned Installation.
No full textThis large scale historical exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy included a commissioned installation and residency by Calum Colvin. Ages of Wonder presents work from the NGS and RSA National Collections. The exhibition included over 450 works by over 270 artists and architects, from the masterpiece 'The Adoration of the Magi' painted by Jacopo Bassano of 1540, to recent Diploma Works by Callum Innes RSA and Alison Watt RSA. Integral to the exhibition was commissioned work for and during the exhibition by Calum Colvin RSA, Kenny Hunter RSA and Richard Murphy RSA.This project, recreating the artist's studio within an art gallery in order to allow a public viewing of the process of creation of an artwork over a period of time, allowed a unique access to the various stages in the slow evolution of one of Colvin's staged/painted and constructed pieces - from initial research, set-up and arrangement of objects to the process of painting and final photograph. A large format view camera was installed in the Gallery and the public were able to engage in dialogue with the artist as the piece evolved from an arrangement of objects in a three dimensional set to a large scale painted portrait. The subject was Hugh MacDiarmid- a major figure of 20th Century Scottish and European literature and a controversial political activist, this choice of subject stimulated much debate focussing artistic and visual dialogue alongside political and cultural discussion. Visitors contributed personal letters and objects associated with the poet, which became part of the fabric of the work. Images from the University of Dundee's Peto Collection were used as source material alongside photographic images made by the artist at Brownsbank Cottage, MacDiarmid's former home in Biggar. Public engagement was core to this project, with numerous spontaneous talks as well as pre-arranged lectures. Discussions around visual science, cultural and political engagement, art and poetry and potency of material culture were held. A final public lecture/discussion on the finished artwork/installation was held on Jan 1st 2018 alongside renowned Scottish author James Robertson
Multiple sets of solutions for harmonic elimination PWM bipolar waveforms: Analysis and experimental verification
No full textMultiple sets of solutions for the selective harmonic elimination pulse-width modulation method for inverter control exist. These sets present an independent solution to the same problem but further investigation reveals that certain sets may offer an improved overall harmonic performance. In this paper, a minimization method is discussed as a way to obtain these multiple sets of switching angles. A simple distortion harmonic factor that takes into account the first two most significant harmonics present in the generated waveform is considered in order to evaluate the performance of each set. The bipolar waveform is thoroughly analyzed and two cases are considered; single-phase patterns which eliminate all odd harmonics and three-phase counterparts which eliminate only the nontriplen odd harmonics from the line-to-neutral pattern but such harmonics are naturally eliminated from the line-to-line waveform. Experimental results support the theoretical considerations reported in the paper
260. Corticosteroid treatment in influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 co-infected patients
No full textBACKGROUND: Co-infections with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus may become more prevalent now that many countries are easing restrictions to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Co-infected patients are more likely to receive invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) and have higher odds of in-hospital mortality. In the RECOVERY trial, dexamethasone was found to reduce the risk of 28-day mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients. On June 16, 2020, corticosteroids were included in clinical guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19 patients requiring supplemental oxygen. However, corticosteroid treatment in severe influenza virus infection may increase mortality. The effect of steroids in influenza and COVID-19 co-infected patients is unknown. METHODS: Adult patients with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus co-infection were evaluated. Patients without supplemental oxygen during admission were excluded. Patients who were hospitalised prior to June 16, 2020 were included in the ‘early’ group and patients who were hospitalised on or after June 16, 2020 were included in the ‘late’ group. RESULTS: 171 co-infected patients were included, 123 patients in the early group (table 1) and 48 in the late group (table 2). In the early group, 25 patients received steroids. In the late group, 40 patients received steroids. In the early group, the proportion of patients who were admitted to critical care was slightly lower in the group that received steroids. IMV was similar in both groups. In-hospital mortality was slightly higher in the group treated with steroids. In the late group, critical care admission and receipt of IMV were higher in the group not treated with corticosteroids than the group with corticosteroid treatment. In-hospital mortality was slightly lower in the group not treated with steroids. [Figure: see text] [Figure: see text] CONCLUSION: There are differences between co-infected patients who were treated and not treated with corticosteroids and differences between the early and late groups. A limitation is that no dates were collected for the start of steroid treatment, making it impossible to draw conclusions on the causality of the need for IMV and treatment with steroids in this analysis. Future research should focus on the effect of steroids in COVID-19 and influenza co-infected patients. DISCLOSURES: Peter Openshaw, PhD, Bavarian Nordic: Advisor/Consultant|Cepheid: Advisor/Consultant|GlaxoSmithKline: Advisor/Consultant|Janssen: Advisor/Consultant|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant Calum Semple, PhD, Integrum Scientific: Scientific Advisory Board|Integrum Scientific: Stocks/Bonds
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