A Hierarchical Approach to Assessing the Effects of Exercise on Cognition

Using a hierarchical approach across three studies, the aim of my thesis was to assess the relationship between exercise and cognition. In experiment one, based on a large, diverse sample, I found that regular exercise was positively associated with reasoning and verbal performance. In experiment two, I examined whether measures of strength and cardiovascular health were related to cognition. I found that the plank (a measure capturing aspects of both strength and aerobic capacity) was associated with performance on tasks relying on verbal and memory function in young adults. However, when aerobic or resistance exercise was introduced to a group of sedentary participants (experiment three), I found neither intervention had an effect on cognitive performance. Taken together, these results suggest that exercise benefits cognition when it is a regular part of an individual’s lifestyle, however, introducing exercise for a transient period, even to those who are sedentary, provides no benefit

Design of teacher assistance tools in an exploratory learning environment for algebraic generalisation

The MiGen project is designing and developing an intelligent exploratory environment to support 11-14 year-old students in their learning of algebraic generalisation. Deployed within the classroom, the system also provides tools to assist teachers in monitoring students' activities and progress. This paper describes the architectural design of these Teacher Assistance tools and gives a detailed description of one such tool, focussing in particular on the research challenges faced, and the technologies and approaches chosen to implement the necessary functionalities given the context of the project

‘Security from Below’ in Contexts of Chronic Violence

At the same time that the field of security moves away from traditional state-centred perspectives towards a human-centred understanding of security, contemporary states seem to be incapable of protecting people from increasingly complex forms of insecurity. Inadequate and inefficient public responses have contributed to the erosion of the idea of security as a public good, especially in contexts of chronic violence. In this article, we suggest that in these contexts ‘security from below’ could help analytically and in practice to humanise security provision by focusing attention on the lived experiences of insecurity, by encouraging participation in debates about the local and universal values that should inform state responses and by enabling people to demand a people-centred but publicly delivered form of security. Rethinking security from below is not a suggestion for replacing the state; it is instead an attempt to increase the capacity of communities and local level actors to articulate their demands for better security provision based on agreed norms and under democratic principles in which security must be at the heart of all struggles for equitable development and social justice

De una Policia Centrada en el estado a una centrada en la comunidad. Lecciones del Intercambio entre las Policías Comunitarias de Bradford en el Reino Unido y de Medellín en Colombia.

yesEste documento de investigación del ICPS es un reporte final de un proceso de cuatro años, en el que se realizaron visitas de intercambio entre oficiales de policía de dos distintos pero problemáticos contextos urbanos, así como una reflexión académica sobre lo que nos enseñó acerca de la construcción de seguridad en tales contextos. Esperamos estimular una mayor discusión en el campo académico y en el diseño de políticas para sobrepasar los obstáculos a la construcción de seguridad en nuestras ciudades en formas que contribuyan al bienestar, la paz y la justicia social. Nuestro trabajo en el Centro Internacional de Estudios en Participación de la Universidad de Bradford se concentra especialmente en el estudio de cómo mejores condiciones de seguridad pueden promover y permitirle a la comunidad tener un rol completo en la vida pública. Creemos que la seguridad debe estar en el centro de los estudios de paz con sólidas dimensiones teóricas y prácticas. Este no es un concepto que deba ser dejado a los pensadores conservadores cuya principal preocupación son el orden y la estabilidad. La seguridad crea ambientes que posibilitan cambios sociales positivos y progreso humano

Dcc --help: Generating Context-Aware Compiler Error Explanations with Large Language Models

In the challenging field of introductory programming, high enrollments and failure rates drive us to explore tools and systems to enhance student outcomes, especially automated tools that scale to large cohorts. This paper presents and evaluates the dcc --help tool, an integration of a Large Language Model (LLM) into the Debugging C Compiler (DCC) to generate unique, novice-focused explanations tailored to each error. dcc --help prompts an LLM with contextual information of compile- and run-time error occurrences, including the source code, error location and standard compiler error message. The LLM is instructed to generate novice-focused, actionable error explanations and guidance, designed to help students understand and resolve problems without providing solutions. dcc --help was deployed to our CS1 and CS2 courses, with 2,565 students using the tool over 64,000 times in ten weeks. We analysed a subset of these error/explanation pairs to evaluate their properties, including conceptual correctness, relevancy, and overall quality. We found that the LLM-generated explanations were conceptually accurate in 90% of compile-time and 75% of run-time cases, but often disregarded the instruction not to provide solutions in code. Our findings, observations and reflections following deployment indicate that dcc-help provides novel opportunities for scaffolding students' introduction to programming.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Accepted in SIGCSE'2

Macrocyclic Polyamines and Their Metal Complexes Targeting HIV-1

M40401 is a well known antioxidant and as of late, it has been studied for anti- HIV properties. It was reported to reduce apoptosis of astrocytes caused by HIV- 1 infected macrophages (M/M) supernatants, and in 2005, a poster presented at the International Conference for Antiviral Research claimed that HIV-1 replication was reduced in infected M/M when treated with M40401. Our goal is to synthesize M40403, a similar molecule, as well as other related molecules for further study. M40403 and previously synthesized related molecules have been shown to have anti-HIV properties. We will synthesize more related molecules in an attempt to maximize the ratio of potency to toxicity. Hopefully by tweaking the molecules, we will find one that can eventually be made into a drug to help the fight against HIV-1