Osteoblast cell response to a CO2 laser modified polymeric material

Lasers are an efficient technology which can be applied for the surface treatment of polymeric biomaterials to enhance insufficient surface properties. That is, the surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials can be modulated to increase the biofunctionality of that material. By employing CO2 laser patterning and whole area processing of nylon 6,6 this paper details how the surface properties were significantly modified. Samples which had undergone whole area processing followed current theory in that the advancing contact angle, θ, with water decreased and the polar component, γp, increased upon an increase in surface roughness. For the patterned samples it was observed that θ increased and γP decreased. This did not follow current theory and can be explained by a mixed-state wetting regime. By seeding osteoblast cells onto the samples for 24 hours and 4 days the laser surface treatment gave rise to modulated cell response. For the laser whole area processing, θ and γP correlated with the observed cell count and cover density. Owed to the wetting regime, the patterned samples did not give rise to any correlative trend. As a result, CO2 laser whole area processing is more likely to allow one to predict biofunctionality prior to cell seeding. What is more, for all samples, cell differentiation was evidenced. On account of this and the modulation in cell response, it has been shown that laser surface treatment lends itself to changing the biofunctional properties of nylon 6,6

Creating Conditions for students to flourish: a Case study of Capabilities developed through a non-formal learning community in a Collegiate university

It is widely acknowledged that higher education offers great opportunities for students to develop as learners, as future employees and as citizens. Much of this learning and development takes place outside the structures of the formal classroom and yet there is little evidence about the ways that these spaces may best create conditions for students to develop their capabilities and interests, and flourish as positive members of a just society. Universities are in a position to “provide the enabling spaces and conditions for development and learning in the way that individuals cannot do alone” (Walker, 2006: 37), and this research seeks to explore ways that non-formal spaces can create conditions for such learning to occur. A new learning community has been set up within one university college with a focus on learning about and engaging with issues related to international development and human rights. Learning communities are structured with the purpose of encouraging students to connect ideas from different disciplines and of creating long-term, sustained social interactions (Zhao and Kuh, 2004). This learning project aims provide participative and critical learning opportunities for a core group of approximately ten students, and considers student development based on a holistic concept of areas of life that a student has reason to value. Since this differs depending on the interests and ambitions of the student, the project is necessarily student led, but support is provided to students to ensure equality of opportunity to participate. Non-formal (i.e. non-credit bearing and optional), interdisciplinary workshops are run for students who sign up to the community and networking events to facilitate links with international organisations, human rights activists and local refugee groups to help the students self-organise and lead events and activities for further learning. The research looks at the ways that the project develops students’ capabilities, defined as their sense of agency and their “freedom to achieve well-being” (Sen, 1992: 48). In an ever more competitive market, universities are increasingly interested in what they can offer to the student experience in addition to classroom teaching. Often the focus is on employability, understood narrowly as a ‘checklist’ of skills perceived to be of value to prospective employers. Here we explore broader areas of value that contribute to students’ well-being and how these might impact on their experience of university and their freedom to make a positive contribution to society beyond university. In particular we focus on the way students engage with social justice issues through the project, and consider the ways they become involved with issues of global importance and how they interpret their freedom to act, participate and contribute in a more just society, through consideration of their perceptions of changes in their capabilities. In this paper I report on the development of capabilities that increase students’ freedom to achieve well-being and agency, and to participate in issues related to social justice and the learning outcomes for students involved in the learning community in terms of knowledge and understanding, attitudes and transferable skills that may enable them to make a positive contribution to society beyond university. These outcomes have been explored through Sen’s capability approach to examine the impact of a learning community from the perspective of what students value. Through observations of the activities the students organise, we attempt to unpick the interpretations of the learning community as a space to learn, consider different attitudes and acquire skills.És ben conegut que els estudis universitaris ofereixen grans oportunitats perquè els alumnes cresquen com a aprenents, futurs treballadors i ciutadans. Una bona part d’aquest aprenentatge i desenvolupament té lloc fora de l’estructura formal de l’aula, i tot i així, hi ha poques proves sobre quins són els mètodes amb què aquests espais poden crear millor les condicions perquè els alumnes desenvolupen les seues capacitats i interessos, i prosperar com a membres positius d’una societat justa. Les universitats es troben en situació de «proveir els espais habilitadors i les condicions de desenvolupament i d’aprenentatge d’una manera en què no ho poden fer els individus sols» (Walker, 2006: 37), i aquesta investigació pretén analitzar com es poden crear condicions per facilitar aquest aprenentatge en àmbits no formals. En un centre d’aquesta universitat on es promou l’aprenentatge i el compromís pel que fa a temes sobre desenvolupament internacional i drets humans s’ha establert una nova comunitat d’aprenentatge. Les comunitats d’aprenentatge estan estructurades amb el propòsit de motivar els estudiants perquè relacionen idees de disciplines diverses i crear interaccions socials i sostenibles a llarg termini (Zhao i Kuh, 2004). Aquest projecte d’aprenentatge mira d’oferir oportunitats participatives i d’aprenentatge crític a un grup fix d’aproximadament deu estudiants, i considera que el desenvolupament de l’estudiantat es basa en un concepte holístic d’àrees de la vida que un estudiant tinga motius per valorar. Com que això varia en funció dels interessos i de les ambicions dels estudiants, el projecte ha d’estar encapçalat per ells, tot i que se’ls ofereix suport i se’ls garanteix igualtat d’oportunitats per participar-hi. Per als estudiants que s’inscriguen en activitats comunitàries i de formació de xarxes es realitzen tallers interdisciplinaris no formals (optatius i sense crèdits acadèmics) per facilitar l’establiment de vincles amb organismes internacionals, activistes de drets humans o grups locals de refugiats i ajudar-los a autoorganitzar-se i dur a terme esdeveniments i activitats de formació contínua. La investigació examina de quines maneres el projecte desenvolupa les capacitats dels estudiants, definides com el seu sentit d’«agència» (voluntat) i la seua «llibertat per aconseguir benestar» (Sen, 1992: 48). En un mercat cada vegada més competitiu, les universitats estan més i més interessades en allò que poden aportar a l’experiència dels estudiants com a complement a l’ensenyament a les aules. Sovint, l’enfocament se centra en l’ocupabilitat, entesa de manera limitada com una simple llista d’habilitats suposadament valorades per possibles ocupadors. Ací analitzem àrees de valor més àmplies que contribueixen al benestar de l’alumnat i com aquestes àrees poden influir en la seua experiència en la universitat i en la seua llibertat per fer una contribució positiva a la societat més enllà de la universitat. De manera particular, ens centrem en com els estudiants es comprometen amb qüestions de justícia social a través del projecte, i considerem les formes que tenen d’implicar-se en temes d’importància mundial i com interpreten la seua llibertat d’actuar, participar i contribuir a una societat més justa, tot considerant la percepció que tenen dels canvis en les seues capacitats. En aquest article presentem el desenvolupament de capacitats que donen més llibertat als estudiants per assolir benestar i lliure voluntat i participar en assumptes relacionats amb la justícia social, i els resultats d’aprenentatge per als estudiants implicats en la comunitat d’aprenentatge en termes de coneixement i d’entesa, d’actituds i d’habilitats transferibles que puguen permetre’ls de contribuir positivament a la societat fora del context universitari. Aquests resultats els hem abordat a partir de l’enfocament de les capacitats de Sen amb l’objectiu d’analitzar la influència d’una comunitat d’aprenentatge des de la perspectiva d’allò que valora l’alumnat. A través d’observacions de les activitats que organitzen els estudiants tractem de desconstruir les interpretacions de la comunitat d’aprenentatge com a espai per aprendre, considerar diverses actituds i adquirir habilitats.Es ampliamente conocido que los estudios universitarios ofrecen grandes oportunidades a los estudiantes para desarrollarse como educandos, futuros trabajadores y ciudadanos. Gran parte de este aprendizaje y desarrollo tiene lugar fuera de la estructura formal del aula y aun así hay muy poca evidencia acerca de las formas que en esos espacios puedan crear las mejores condiciones para que los estudiantes puedan desarrollar sus capacidades e intereses y prosperar como miembros positivos de una sociedad justa. Los universitarios están en una posición de «proveer los espacios habilitadores y condiciones de desarrollo y aprendizaje de una manera que los individuos no pueden hacer solos» (Walker 2006: 37), y esta investigación busca explorar maneras en las que los espacios no-formales pueden crear condiciones para que dicho aprendizaje ocurra. Una nueva comunidad de aprendizaje se ha establecido en uno de los centros universitarios con un enfoque en el aprendizaje e involucramiento en temas relacionados con desarrollo internacional y derechos humanos. Las comunidades de aprendizaje están estructuradas con el propósito de estimular a los estudiantes en diferentes disciplinas y crear interacciones sociales y sostenibles a largo plazo (Zhao y Kuh, 2004). Este proyecto de aprendizaje busca ofrecer oportunidades participativas y de aprendizaje crítico para un grupo estable de aproximadamente 10 estudiantes, y considera el desarrollo estudiantil basado en un concepto holístico en áreas de la vida que un estudiante tenga motivos para valorar. Ya que esto varía dependiendo de los intereses y ambiciones del estudiante, el proyecto ha de estar necesariamente liderado por estudiantes, pero se ofrece apoyo a éstos asegurando la equidad de oportunidades para participar. Se realizan talleres interdisciplinares y no-formales (opcionales y sin créditos académicos) para los estudiantes que se inscriben en la comunidad así como eventos de trabajo en red que facilitan vínculos con organizaciones internacionales, activistas de derechos humanos o grupos locales de refugiados para ayudar a los estudiantes a auto-organizarse y liderar eventos y actividades para futuros aprendizajes. La investigación se centra en las maneras en las que el proyecto desarrolla capacidades en los estudiantes, definidas desde su propio sentido de voluntad y su «libertad para lograr bienestar» (Sen, 1992: 48). Encontrándonos en un mercado cada vez más competitivo, las universidades cada vez están más interesadas en lo que pueden ofrecer a la experiencia estudiantil como complemento a la enseñanza en clase. A menudo, el enfoque se centra en la empleabilidad, entendida estrechamente como una lista de habilidades percibidas como de valor para posibles empleadores. Aquí exploramos áreas más amplias de valor que contribuyen al bienestar de los alumnos y cómo éstas pueden tener un impacto en su experiencia en la universidad y su libertad de hacer una contribución positiva a la sociedad más allá de la universidad. De manera particular nos centramos en la manera en la que los estudiantes se comprometen con asuntos de justicia social a través del proyecto, y consideran las formas en que ellos se involucran con temas de importancia global y cómo interpretan su libertad de actuar, participar y contribuir a una sociedad más justa, mediante la consideración de los cambios de percepción en sus capacidades. En este artículo informo sobre el desarrollo de capacidades que incrementan la libertad de lograr bienestar y libre voluntad en los estudiantes y de participar en asuntos relacionados con justicia social, y en los resultados de aprendizaje para los estudiantes involucrados en la comunidad en términos de conocimiento y entendimiento, actitudes y habilidades transferibles que puedan permitirles realizar una contribución positiva a la sociedad más allá de la universidad. Estos resultados han sido explorados a través del enfoque de capacidades de Sen para analizar el impacto de una comunidad de aprendizaje desde la perspectiva de lo que los estudiantes valoran. A través de entrevistas con estudiantes tratamos de desmontar las percepciones sobre la comunidad de aprendizaje como un espacio para aprender, considerar diversas actitudes y adquirir habilidades. Además, preguntaremos qué aspectos de la comunidad de aprendizaje facilitaron el desarrollo de resultados a los que dieron valor y cuáles fueron los resultados clave. Consideramos si el espacio aportó oportunidades para la reflexión y la colaboración y qué factores las propiciaron o inhibieron

Charitable Giving by Married Couples: Who Decides and Why Does it Matter?

We examine how charitable giving is influenced by who in the household is primarily responsible for giving decisions. Looking first at single-person households, we find men and women to have significantly different tastes for giving, setting up a potential conflict for married couples. We find that, with respect to total giving, married households tend to resolve these conflicts largely in favor of the husband's preferences. Bargaining over charitable giving, rather than letting one spouse take charge, reduces giving by about six percent. When the woman is the decision maker, she will still make a significantly different allocation of those charity dollars, preferring to give to more charities but to give less to each. Our results give new insights into both the demographics of charitable giving and the costliness of household bargaining.

Prison Segregation: The Limits of Law and Legal Reform

This thesis explores the experiences and perspectives of men imprisoned in the segregation unit at HMP Whitemoor in 2019, specifically with a view to understanding how the law functioned in this unit. HMP Whitemoor opened in 1992 and is one of eight prisons in the long-term high security estate (‘LTHSE’) in England. It is able to accommodate 458 men convicted of the most serious crimes (such as murder, rape and terrorism offences). The segregation unit has a variable capacity. It has 30 individual cells, the population of which fluctuated on a daily basis during this research (between 25 and 30 men). Segregating individuals away from the general prison population has existed in the English prison system at least since the 1700s. I was able to trace the usage of segregation back to the Penitentiary Act 1779 which called for the use of solitary imprisonment, accompanied by labour and religious instruction (London Metropolitan Archives, 2018). Although a long-standing tradition of the English penal system, very little research explores segregation in English prisons. In fact, this study is the first of its kind, in which a researcher has spent an extended period of time undertaking an in-depth ethnographic study in a typically impenetrable part of the English prison system. It is also the first time that segregation has been considered in the context of legal mechanisms and the influence of law. The main fieldwork was conducted over a four-month period at HMP Whitemoor. It draws on semi-structured interviews with 25 prisoners and 17 staff, as well as rich and extended periods of observation of life in the segregation unit. I focus on three areas which were of interest from the start of my PhD but the nuances of which developed during the fieldwork. Firstly, I explore how segregation is and should be used, and how law sets the parameters of such usage (in theory at least). Secondly, I investigate the complex web of laws and rules, as currently applies to segregation, and their relationship with the actors responsible for their implementation. Thirdly, I examine the context within which the laws and rules are implemented, to make the argument that laws and rules are not only capable of being undermined by the culture of people but also the culture of context; whereby the application of, and accessibility to, law is limited by the prison environment. Segregation units are characterised by substantial power imbalances, more so than elsewhere in the prison. They also hold some of the most difficult, vulnerable and marginalised individuals in our prison system. Accordingly, the segregation unit is a place where legal safeguards should be robust and able to uphold human rights standards. However, I suggest that the laws and rules are not always robust, and do not always give effect to important ‘rule of law’ principles. I argue that whilst there are opportunities for law and policy reform, alone, they will not be sufficient for changing or improving the practices, standards and culture of the segregation unit. For example, law and policy change may not mitigate the chaotic, violent and turbulent wings; the high rates of mental illness; lack of opportunities for progression; and capacity issues found elsewhere in the prison estate. Many of the problems of segregation originate elsewhere: not just in the wider prison, but also in the social, political and economic environment in which prisons function. Thus, law reform directed solely at the segregation unit may not address the broader issues which necessitate the use of segregation. Instead, segregation reform should be considered as part of broader prison reform efforts, ones which cultivate respect, dignity, faith and compassion. Importantly, until there is greater acceptance that segregation is innately harmful and dehumanising, the law may be of limited consequence: the law cannot be expected to ‘remedy injustices legally before they are recognised as injustices socially’ (Hudson, 2006, p. 30).ESR

Art as collaboration: 50 years of Edition Hansjörg Mayer

Extensive interview with artist, graphic designer and publisher Hansjörg Mayer by Eleanor Vonne Brown and Gustavo Grandal Montero, focusing particularly on his seminal work of the 1960s. Associated at an early stage with Max Bense’s Stuttgart Group, he developed his own “typoems” and other forms of experimental visual poetry, often employing complex conceptual methods (e.g. “typoactions”). His published output includes prints, portfolios, books and the broadsheet series ‘Futura’