Ideologies and their points of view

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016. It is well known that different arguments appeal to different people. We all process information in ways that are adapted to be consistent with our underlying ideologies. These ideologies can sometimes be framed in terms of particular axes or dimensions, which makes it possible to represent some aspects of an ideology as a region in the kind of vector space that is typical of many generalised quantum models. Such models can then be used to explain and predict, in broad strokes, whether a particular argument or proposal is likely to appeal to an individual with a particular ideology. The choice of suitable arguments to bring about desired actions is traditionally part of the art or science of rhetoric, and today’s highly polarised society means that this skill is becoming more important than ever. This paper presents a basic model for understanding how different goals will appeal to people with different ideologies, and thus how different rhetorical positions can be adopted to promote the same desired outcome. As an example, we consider different narratives and hence actions with respect to the environment and climate change, an important but currently highly controversial topic

Online courses for healthcare professionals: is there a role for social learning?

Background: All UK postgraduate medical trainees receive supervision from trained supervisors. Training has traditionally been delivered via face to face courses, but with increasing time pressures and complex shift patterns, access to these is difficult. To meet this challenge, we developed a two-week massive open online course (MOOC) for faculty development of clinical supervisors. Summary of Work: The MOOC was developed by a group of experienced medical educators and delivered via the FutureLearn (FL) platform which promotes social learning through interaction. This facilitates building of communities of practice, learner interaction and collaboration. We explored learner perceptions of the course, in particular the value of social learning in the context of busy healthcare professionals. We analysed responses to pre- and post-course surveys for each run of the MOOC in 2015, FL course statistics, and learner discussion board comments. Summary of Results: Over 2015, 7,225 learners registered for the course, though 6% left the course without starting. Of the 3,055 learners who began the course, 35% (1073/3055) were social learners who interacted with other participants. Around 31% (960/3055) learners participated fully in the course; this is significantly higher than the FL average of 22%. Survey responses suggest that 68% learners worked full-time, with over 75% accessing the course at home or while commuting, using laptops, smart phones and tablet devices. Discussion: Learners found the course very accessible due to the bite-sized videos, animations, etc which were manageable at the end of a busy working day. Inter-professional discussions and social learning made the learning environment more engaging. Discussion were rated as high quality as they facilitated sharing of narratives and personal reflections, as well as relevant resources. Conclusion: Social learning added value to the course by promoting sharing of resources and improved interaction between learners within the online environment. Take Home Messages: 1) MOOCs can provide faculty development efficiently with a few caveats. 2) Social learning added a new dimension to the online environment

The relaxation effect of nature images and coloured light on healthy people and hospital patients in China

The use of nature scenes in photographs, digital media and colours for stress reduction has increased in recent years. However, there are few studies of the effects of such initiatives. This study began with the researcher’s observation that whilst the practice of meditation could reduce stress and increase relaxation, many people who could benefit from it were unwilling to carry it out. They may however be willing to gain some of the benefits of meditation by engaging in other ways. The research started with a developmental investigation into the effects of three different media - photographs, coloured light and film - on participants in the UK. A large number of nature photographs and video footage was created and collected for this study. The selection of the nature scenes for the tests on participants, and the inclusion of coloured lights, was based on the researcher’s own experience and knowledge in the fields of visual art, meditation and alternative therapy practice, notably Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). These UK investigations were used as developmental studies to refine the methodology for China, where the research for this thesis was carried out. In China, collaboration with two different hospitals in three locations was established, and investigations were carried out with three different groups of participants: hospital patients, relatives of patients (relatives who were staying in the hospital to look after the patient’s living needs) and ‘healthy’ staff and students at associated universities. Because of the facilities provided in China, the part of the study which looked at the effects of photographs was dropped. Collaborations were formed with film makers and with hospitals to achieve the maximum research benefits. Whilst slight changes were made during the data collection phase to suit the participants and the differing environments offered by the hospitals, every attempt was made to keep the tests similar to one another. Quantitative data on pulse rate and blood pressure changes, along with participants’ post-test ratings of their relaxation levels were collected, as was qualitative information from participants consisting of their own descriptive words, phrases and comments. The process was designed to avoid any research method that might negatively affect participants, and to achieve maximum similarity of methods and fieldwork environments for the different groups of participants. This was so that the numbers of participants in each group in the different hospitals could be added together, thus creating three large groups overall, and the data from the three different groups compared. The tent structure (which was used for the coloured lights and created to provide an immediate therapeutic environment), the analytical method used and the ‘key elements’ diagram which describes the results of the qualitative data relating to nature films, were new developments which emerged during the study. The major quantitative and qualitative results, both positive and negative, are reported. Comparisons are made which show how the three different groups in China were impacted by experiencing the coloured lights and watching the films. The different impacts of the coloured lights and the films are also compared. A memory stick is included with the thesis which contains all the still and moving images used, as well as photographs of the tent structure and of some of the hospital environments encountered in China. The thesis concludes with a summary and discussion based on the findings. This argues that coloured lights and visual imagery of nature scenes both had a positive effect on participants, and that this effect could be understood as similar to some of the beneficial effects of meditation. The conclusion also discusses some of the other findings in more detail

Cyber-Human Systems, Space Technologies, and Threats

CYBER-HUMAN SYSTEMS, SPACE TECHNOLOGIES, AND THREATS is our eighth textbook in a series covering the world of UASs / CUAS/ UUVs / SPACE. Other textbooks in our series are Space Systems Emerging Technologies and Operations; Drone Delivery of CBNRECy – DEW Weapons: Emerging Threats of Mini-Weapons of Mass Destruction and Disruption (WMDD); Disruptive Technologies with applications in Airline, Marine, Defense Industries; Unmanned Vehicle Systems & Operations On Air, Sea, Land; Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Technologies and Operations; Unmanned Aircraft Systems in the Cyber Domain: Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 2nd edition; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the Cyber Domain Protecting USA’s Advanced Air Assets, 1st edition. Our previous seven titles have received considerable global recognition in the field. (Nichols & Carter, 2022) (Nichols, et al., 2021) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2020) (Nichols R. , et al., 2020) (Nichols R. , et al., 2019) (Nichols R. K., 2018) (Nichols R. K., et al., 2022)https://newprairiepress.org/ebooks/1052/thumbnail.jp

Advances in Information Security and Privacy

With the recent pandemic emergency, many people are spending their days in smart working and have increased their use of digital resources for both work and entertainment. The result is that the amount of digital information handled online is dramatically increased, and we can observe a significant increase in the number of attacks, breaches, and hacks. This Special Issue aims to establish the state of the art in protecting information by mitigating information risks. This objective is reached by presenting both surveys on specific topics and original approaches and solutions to specific problems. In total, 16 papers have been published in this Special Issue

Aerosol science and technology: History and reviews

Aerosol Science and Technology: History and Reviews captures an exciting slice of history in the evolution of aerosol science. It presents in-depth biographies of four leading international aerosol researchers and highlights pivotal research institutions in New York, Minnesota, and Austria. One collection of chapters reflects on the legacy of the Pasadena smog experiment, while another presents a fascinating overview of military applications and nuclear aerosols. Finally, prominent researchers offer detailed reviews of aerosol measurement, processes, experiments, and technology that changed the face of aerosol science. This volume is the third in a series and is supported by the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) History Working Group, whose goal is to produce archival books from its symposiums on the history of aerosol science to ensure a lasting record. It is based on papers presented at the Third Aerosol History Symposium on September 8 and 9, 2006, in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA