Neoliberalism and Depoliticisation in the Academy: Understanding the ‘New Student Rebellions’

Since 2009 there has been an upsurge in political activity in and around the UK, as well as in some European and American universities. These ‘new student rebellions’ have displayed levels of radicalism and po- litical activism seemingly unprecedented among recent generations of students. Broadly speaking, the intensification of this activity can be understood as being directly related to ongoing neoliberal reforms of education, a process intensified by the global financial crisis. In this article we seek to consider some of the detail of the emergence of these rebellions, and argue that they can be interpreted as part of resistance to the neoliberal tendencies in contemporary social life. As such, we argue that a depoliticised tendency accompanies the introduc- tion of, and resistance to, neoliberal mechanisms in Higher Education (HE). As activists in groups who have adopted more creative and ex- plicitly politically antagonistic forms of activism, we suggest that such forms might be more productive arenas for our energies if we want to challenge the neoliberal and depoliticised root causes of these con- flicts

Transforming the university: Beyond students and cuts

Much has been made of the recent upsurge in activism around higher education and universities over the past two years or so in the UK and globally. Reflecting on our involvement with a group called the Really Open University (ROU) in Leeds, in this article we seek to broaden the discussion of the 'student movement' to consider some of the tensions that exist between mainstream analyses of the student movement and those analyses which acknowledge the problems with trying merely to defend the university in its current form. We outline some of the emerging links between groups which seek to move beyond a narrow, reactive politics of 'anti-cuts' by challenging the forms and futures of education. The tensions of trying to be at once 'in-against-and-beyond' the institutions we are involved with are considered, and it is our conclusion that within the ROU's 'Strike/Occupy/Transform' motif it is the notion of transformation, accompanied by the necessary resistance, which offers the most hope for the future of education

Reliability and validity of the ActivPAL activity monitor for office-based tasks

The ActivPAL physical activity monitor has been previously reported as a reliable and valid tool to measure everyday physical activities. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the ActivPAL during typical office-based activities. A convenient sample of 10 adults participated in this study with two ActivPAL units attached to the participant's right thigh. Participants completed 6 minutes of specific office-based tasks such as typing an email, writing on a whiteboard, collecting printing and running a small errand with instructions provided through an audio recording. Each bout was filmed with time of sitting, standing and walking visually assessed using the same categories provided by the ActivPAL analysis. Reliability between ActivPAL recordings was assessed via Wilcoxon comparisons and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Relative error was calculated as the difference between visual observations and ActivPAL recordings. Validity was assessed via Wilcoxon comparisons between ActivPAL recordings and video observations. There were no significant differences between ActivPAL units for sitting (196.2+/-5.0 vs. 195.9+/-5.1 seconds), standing (121.8+/-4.8 vs. 122.3+/-6.9 seconds) or walking (42.0+/-6.1 vs. 41.9+/-7.1 seconds) activities. Significant ICC were detected for sitting (0.928), standing (0.849) and walking (0.849) time. In contrast, the ActivPAL recordings for sitting, standing and walking time were significantly different to visual observations (p3.8%, >24.5% and >54.1%, respectively. The current study has identified ActivPAL units as reliable tools to document physical activity. However, the ActivPAL underestimated sitting and walking time, and overestimated standing time during office-based tasks

Team sport athletes’ perceptions and use of recovery strategies: a mixed-methods survey study

Background: A variety of recovery strategies are used by athletes, although there is currently no research that investigates perceptions and usage of recovery by different competition levels of team sport athletes. Methods: The recovery techniques used by team sport athletes of different competition levels was investigated by survey. Specifically this study investigated if, when, why and how the following recovery strategies were used: active land-based recovery (ALB), active water-based recovery (AWB), stretching (STR), cold water immersion (CWI) and contrast water therapy (CWT). Results: Three hundred and thirty-one athletes were surveyed. Fifty-seven percent were found to utilise one or more recovery strategies. Stretching was rated the most effective recovery strategy (4.4/5) with ALB considered the least effective by its users (3.6/5). The water immersion strategies were considered effective/ineffective mainly due to psychological reasons; in contrast STR and ALB were considered to be effective/ineffective mainly due to physical reasons. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that athletes may not be aware of the specific effects that a recovery strategy has upon their physical recovery and thus athlete and coach recovery education is encouraged. This study also provides new information on the prevalence of different recovery strategies and contextual information that may be useful to inform best practice among coaches and athletes

Being an English academic:a social domains account

This paper considers the differential placements of social actors in the contemporary English university, as practices consistent with neoliberal ideologies become increasingly influential. It uses Layder's theory of ‘social domains’ and the first-hand experiences of the author to explore how the options available–to students, those on precarious conditions of employment, and those occupying more influential roles in the institution–change in relation to alterations in structured social relations. Examples are provided of interventions by people opposed to both the rhetoric and the reality of developments in the sector, and reasons for their limited effectiveness are also discussed

Investigation of immunogenic gluten peptides: identification using enzymatic tagging and HPLC-MSn; analysis and quantification using HPLC-MS/MS

The goal of my research was to provide some insight into a widely appreciated but poorly understood relationship between cereal grain proteins and human health. My research objectives were: (1) to identify and characterize inflammatory, physiologically relevant, wheat gluten peptides and (2) to develop a unique analytical methodology to screen commercially available food and consumer products for the quantitative detection of these peptides. Gluten proteins comprise a very large protein family found in cereal grain seeds. This large protein family consists of hundreds of proteins ranging in size from about 30 kDa into the millions of KDa. Today's nomenclature refers to gluten as the water-insoluble seed storage proteins found in the Triticeae tribe of the grass (Gramineae) family that includes wheat, rye and barley. Some gluten proteins associated with grains in the Triticeae tribe (specifically: wheat, rye and barley), have been implicated in various autoimmune diseases, food allergies, intolerances and are important factors in several inflammatory diseases. Many analytical techniques have been used to study gluten proteins and peptides. Unambiguous identification and structural characterization of such peptides is a necessary step toward an eventual understanding of their chemical biology. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is an extremely powerful tool for such analyses. Results of my research are presented here, in the following chapters of this thesis report. Data presented supports the development of a novel and effective analytical methodology, using enzymatic/chemical labeling chemistry and HPLC/MSn; to identify and characterize seven physiologically relevant wheat gluten peptides. A sensitive and specific assay was then developed for the quantitative detection of these peptides via direct in-vitro proteolytic digestion and HPLC-MS/MS. This versatile methodology allows both processed and native foods, as well as consumer products, to be analyzed for the presence of wheat gluten. Continued efforts in this area will pave the way for eventual commercial application, as a service to both the celiac community and the food industry, by providing an accurate and economic means to generate much needed data for researchers developing treatments for patients with gluten sensitivities and manufacturers producing and labeling products that are safe

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, Body Mass Index, and Dieting Behaviors among Florida Middle and High School Youth

The purpose of this study was to examine fruit and vegetable consumption reported by Florida middle school and high school students and to determine if consumption was associated with: (1) demographic characteristics; (2) body mass index (BMI); and/or (3) weight loss behaviors. Data from the 2009 Florida YRBS and the MSHBS were used. Both surveys used a two-stage cluster sample design, producing a representative sample of students. In addition to socio- demographic variables, independent variables included engaging in weight loss behaviors. Dependent variables were adequate fruit and adequate vegetable consumption. Descriptive, chi-square and logistic regression analyses were performed. Results indicated that less than 25% of youth reported consumption of adequate amounts of fruit and less than 10% reported consuming adequate amounts of vegetables. No significant relationships were found between BMI and either fruit or vegetable consumption. Exercising, both exercising and dieting, fasting, and using pills /powders to lose weight were significantly associated with adequate fruit and vegetable consumption. Dieting to lose weight was significantly associated with adequate vegetable but not adequate fruit consumption. Interventions promoting healthy weight for children and adolescents need to address positive and negative behaviors and encourage greater consumption of fruits and vegetables