Towards Mindful Geographies

The research in this thesis draws on autoethnographic, ethnographic, and participatory experiences from varied therapeutic encounters with mindfulness. The first was an 8-week course based on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) undertaken in an adult learning programme in a local College during April and May 2018, and the second was a participatory 8-week course co-produced by a group of participants and myself that ran from October to December 2018. After this, I took part in several meditation retreats during spring 2019 at three retreat centres in South Devon: Sharpham House, Sharpham Barn, and Gaia House. In summer 2019 I hosted follow-up interviews with the participants from the 8-week mindfulness courses. This thesis makes three main contributions. The first is to the dialogue between geography and mindfulness originally initiated by Whitehead et al.’s (2016) publication. I seek to further this conversation by offering a broader and nuanced understanding of mindfulness as sati, a definition that is routed in Buddhist historical and cultural context. The second contribution is to the intersections between cultural geography and health geography. I will explore the (therapeutic) geographies of mindfulness, and in doing so I aim to expand health geographies and geographical conceptualisations of mindfulness. The third contribution is to the interdisciplinary work on mindfulness. Mindfulness-based interventions (e.g. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, MBCT, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, MBSR) have received major criticism under the label of ‘McMindfulness’ (Purser 2019), which casts mindfulness as commodified, individualised, and rationalised therapeutic technology of late capitalism. In this thesis I challenge the arguments of McMindfulness by offering a collective and engaged understanding of the practice. I demonstrate the ways in which mindfulness-based interventions can have transformative effects both individually and collectively. I also offer pathways for geographical research on transformative, social, and decolonial forms of mindfulness.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)Operating BudgetEconomic and Social Research Council (ESRC

Mathematical and numerical evaluation of the damping behaviour for a multi-strand bar

Multi-strand systems include, but are not limited to, electrical wire conductors, structural cables, and some composite reinforcements. These systems (apart from composite reinforcements) are generally metallic for a variety of reasons. One often overlooked advantage is that dry friction between metal contacts can provide damping over significantly wider temperature ranges than is typical for common damping materials such as viscoelastic polymers. This paper, proposes a mathematical model that describes the hysteretic vibrational behaviour of a frictionally constrained multi-strand bar constructed from strands that have a circular cross-section. The mathematical model analytically predicts the frictional system stiffness under simply supported boundary conditions. The assembled strands are numerically simulated using finite elements and hysteresis behaviour is compared to that obtained from the mathematical model. This shows that the mathematical model is capable of predicting the stiffness and the force-displacement hysteresis response of the system for a variety of conditions

Low Dimensional Halide Perovskite Derivatives and Metal Halides for Thermoelectric Applications

High energy expectations and CO2 emissions resulting from non-renewable energy sources are the issues that require humanity to find sustainable energy solutions. Additionally, a huge amount of waste is produced in the form of heat from various industrial applications. Thermoeelectric devices are renew- able power generation systems that can convert the waste heat into electricity. State-of-the-art materials such as SiGe, Bi2Te3 and PbTe are used widely in thermoeelectric applications, however, their low energy conversion efficien- cies, high cost and toxicity limit the usability of these materials for long-term power generation. Halide perovskites offer economical (low-energy and less expensive) and non-toxic synthetic methods and operational environment. Despite these opportunities, their low efficiencies caused by ultralow electri- cal conductivities suppress the usability of these materials for commercial applications. Decreasing the dimensionality of these materials and doping them, provides potential improvement in their thermoeelectric properties. This thesis gives the theoretical understanding of thermoelectrics and their applications. Along with that, the novel studies on thermoeelectric properties of low dimensional halide perovskite derivatives and the doping effects on these materials will be presented. Mainly, the synthesis and char- acterization of zero-dimensional (0D) Cs3Cu2I5 perovskite derivatives that are substitutionally doped with barium (Ba) and molecularly doped with Magic Blue (MB) will be introduced and their effects for the improvement of thermoeelectric properties will be discussed. Additionally, copper (Cu) based mixed metal-halide (CuI1−xBrx) thin film and crystal synthetic meth- ods will be presented as an alternative route to metal halide thermoeelectric materials with improved electrical conductivities

Equation of state and elastic properties of face-centered-cubic FeMg alloy at ultrahigh pressures from first-principles

We have calculated the equation of state and elastic properties of face-centered cubic Fe and Fe-rich FeMg alloy at ultrahigh pressures from first principles using the Exact Muffin-Tin Orbitals method. The results show that adding Mg into Fe influences strongly the equation of state, and cause a large degree of softening of the elastic constants, even at concentrations as small as 1-2 at. %. Moreover, the elastic anisotropy increases, and the effect is higher at higher pressures.Comment: 6 figure

Quasi-Zero Dimensional Halide Perovskite Derivates: Synthesis, Status, and Opportunity

In recent decades, many technological advances have been enabled by nanoscale phenomena, giving rise to the field of nanotechnology. In particular, unique optical and electronic phenomena occur on length scales less than 10 nanometres, which enable novel applications. Halide perovskites have been the focus of intense research on their optoelectronic properties and have demonstrated impressive performance in photovoltaic devices and later in other optoelectronic technologies, such as lasers and light-emitting diodes. The most studied crystalline form is the three-dimensional one, but, recently, the exploration of the low-dimensional derivatives has enabled new sub-classes of halide perovskite materials to emerge with distinct properties. In these materials, low-dimensional metal halide structures responsible for the electronic properties are separated and partially insulated from one another by the (typically organic) cations. Confinement occurs on a crystal lattice level, enabling bulk or thin-film materials that retain a degree of low-dimensional character. In particular, quasi-zero dimensional perovskite derivatives are proving to have distinct electronic, absorption, and photoluminescence properties. They are being explored for various technologies beyond photovoltaics (e.g. thermoelectrics, lasing, photodetectors, memristors, capacitors, LEDs). This review brings together the recent literature on these zero-dimensional materials in an interdisciplinary way that can spur applications for these compounds. The synthesis methods, the electrical, optical, and chemical properties, the advances in applications, and the challenges that need to be overcome as candidates for future electronic devices have been covered

Together yet apart: Rethinking creativity and relational dementia care during the Covid-19 pandemic

Culture Box was a creative project that responded to deprivation and distress experienced by those with dementia in care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote and digital creative activities were designed and delivered as ‘Culture Boxes’ to care homes, aiming to alleviate social isolation and loneliness for people with dementia. Eighty-eight people with dementia and 33 care staff from 33 care homes across England were recruited to the study, with 68 people with dementia and 28 staff completing the study 12 months later. Participatory Action Research combining mixed methods was used to evaluate the project. Baseline and follow-up surveys and dialogic interviews at 3 time points during the study collected quantitative and qualitative data and were analysed descriptively and via inductive thematic analysis respectively. Qualitative findings indicated that the project activities facilitated relational care through creative experiences characterised by sharing, building relationships, and developing a sense of community. Social health was promoted via participation in social activities and fostering independence. Future studies should further explore the utility of creative practices to develop relational care, to support care staff, and to maximise wellbeing benefits for those living with dementi

Exceptional Performance of Room Temperature Sputtered Flexible Thermoelectric Thin Film Using High Target Utilisation Sputtering Technique

The High Target Utilisation Sputtering technique (HiTUS) is of interest for industrial processes, including in roll-to-roll manufacturing. This study marks the first application of HiTUS to thermoelectric materials, exemplified by bismuth telluride. The HiTUS technique separates the sputtering power into the plasma power and the target power, with additional kinetic energy in the sputtering particles from the applied electrical field, thus enabling a much wider sputter parameter space to modify the film performance. This study investigates how plasma power, target power, and substrate bias in HiTUS intricately influence crystal orientation/size, elemental composition, surface morphology, and other film properties. These factors subsequently affect carrier density/mobility, and consequently the thermoelectric performance of the bismuth telluride film. These deposited films reach a power factor of 6.5 × 10−4 W m−1 K−2 with a figure of merit ≈0.14 at room temperature, the highest value for room-temperature sputtered un-doped bismuth telluride. Subsequent post-deposition annealing significantly enhances the crystallinity of the film (highly polycrystalline), further improving the power factor to 23.5 × 10−4 W m−1 K-2, with a figure of merit ≈0.45 at room temperature. The excellent performance of the HiTUS fabricated thermoelectric film opens opportunities for the large-area manufacture of thin-film thermoelectric materials and devices

Training with low muscle glycogen enhances fat metabolism in well-trained cyclists

Purpose: To determine the effects of training with low muscle glycogen on exercise performance, substrate metabolism, and skeletal muscle adaptation. Methods: Fourteen well-trained cyclists were pair-matched and randomly assigned to HIGH-or LOW-glycogen training groups. Subjects performed nine aerobic training (AT; 90 min at 70% (V) over dotO(2max)) and nine high-intensity interval training sessions (HIT; 8 x 5-min efforts, 1-min recovery) during a 3-wk period. HIGH trained once daily, alternating between AT on day 1 and HIT the following day, whereas LOW trained twice every second day, first performing AT and then, 1 h later, performing HIT. Pretraining and posttraining measures were a resting muscle biopsy, metabolic measures during steady-state cycling, and a time trial. Results: Power output during HIT was 297 +/- 8 W in LOW compared with 323 +/- 9 W in HIGH (P < 0.05); however, time trial performance improved by similar to 10% in both groups (P < 0.05). Fat oxidation during steady-state cycling increased after training in LOW (from 26 +/- 2 to 34 +/- 2 mu mol.kg(-1).min(-1), P < 0.01). Plasma free fatty acid oxidation was similar before and after training in both groups, but muscle-derived triacylglycerol oxidation increased after training in LOW (from 16 +/- 1 to 23 +/- 1 mu mol.kg(-1).min(-1), P < 0.05). Training with low muscle glycogen also increased beta-hydroxyacyl-CoA-dehydrogenase protein content (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Training with low muscle glycogen reduced training intensity and, in performance, was no more effective than training with high muscle glycogen. However, fat oxidation was increased after training with low muscle glycogen, which may have been due to the enhanced metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle

The Role of the Mucus Barrier in Digestion

Mucus forms a protective layer across a variety of epithelial surfaces. In the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the barrier has to permit the uptake of nutrients, while excluding potential hazards, such as pathogenic bacteria. In this short review article, we look at recent literature on the structure, location, and properties of the mammalian intestinal secreted mucins and the mucus layer they form over a wide range of length scales. In particular, we look at the structure of the gel-forming glycoprotein MUC2, the primary intestinal secreted mucin, and the influence this has on the properties of the mucus layer. We show that, even at the level of the protein backbone, MUC2 is highly heterogeneous and that this is reflected in the networks it forms. It is evident that a combination of charge and pore size determines what can diffuse through the layer to the underlying gut epithelium. This information is important for the targeted delivery of bioactive molecules, including nutrients and pharmaceuticals, and for understanding how GI health is maintained