The secret of better government? Citizens who complain

Citizens are becoming more sceptical and critical of their governments. Chris Welzel and Russell Dalton examine whether this phenomenon is good or bad for democratic stability by looking at the relationship between assertive and allegiant citizen norms and effective governance. They challenge the Burkean view that good government requires an obedient citizenry to function properly. Assertive citizens hold their politicians accountable – and their rising numbers should improve the quality of democracy

Issues and techniques for collaborative music making on multi-touch surfaces

A range of systems exist for collaborative music making on multi-touch surfaces. Some of them have been highly successful, but currently there is no systematic way of designing them, to maximise collaboration for a particular user group. We are particularly interested in systems that will engage novices and experts. We designed a simple application in an initial attempt to clearly analyse some of the issues. Our application allows groups of users to express themselves in collaborative music making using pre-composed materials. User studies were video recorded and analysed using two techniques derived from Grounded Theory and Content Analysis. A questionnaire was also conducted and evaluated. Findings suggest that the application affords engaging interaction. Enhancements for collaborative music making on multi-touch surfaces are discussed. Finally, future work on the prototype is proposed to maximise engagement

The Effects of Resistance and Plyometric Training on Vertical Jump

Several training protocols are available when it comes to increase the height of vertical jump. The purpose of the study was to test two different training protocols to see if they would generate a higher vertical jump at the end of a four week training period. This study tested to see if there was a correlation between two different types of training, resistance training and plyometric training, and the vertical jump. Both produce force and both have been used when training jump height, but which is best: resistance training or plyometric training? Six college-aged subjects who attend the University of Texas at Tyler (five male and one female) were divided into a resistance training group and a plyometric training group. Both groups then participated in four weeks of their designated training regimen. Each subject was tested at the end of each week using a Vertex and Ground Reaction Force plate to measure vertical height and force produced from each jump. We then normalized our data into percentages and inputted those values into an Excel program to create a Regression Line. The results showed that over a four-week period, plyometric training and resistance training saw an increase in vertical jump height, overall. However, the plyometric group increased their jump significantly over the four-week period and increased their force production. The resistance group, while they did increase their vertical, did not increase at the rate that the plyometric group did. Their force production generally speaking, decreased over the four-week period. However, with the data obtained, we can then use this to plan a program for coaches and their athletes. If coaches and trainers only have a short period of time, one month for example, then plyometric training is the best way to train for an increase in vertical jump height. More tests would have to be done to see if resistance training would be more effective than plyometric training over an extended period of time

Evolution of star formation in the UKIDSS ultra deep survey field-I. Luminosity functions and cosmic star formation rate out to z = 1.6

We present new results on the cosmic star formation history in the Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Survey (SXDS)-Ultra Deep Survey (UDS) field out to z = 1.6. We compile narrowband data from the Subaru Telescope and the Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope forAstronomy (VISTA) in conjunction with broad-band data from the SXDS and UDS, to makea selection of 5725 emission-line galaxies in 12 redshift slices, spanning 10 Gyr of cosmictime. We determine photometric redshifts for the sample using 11-band photometry, and usea spectroscopically confirmed subset to fine tune the resultant redshift distribution. We usethe maximum-likelihood technique to determine luminosity functions in each redshift slice and model the selection effects inherent in any narrow-band selection statistically, to obviatethe retrospective corrections ordinarily required. The deep narrow-band data are sensitive tovery low star formation rates (SFRs), and allow an accurate evaluation of the faint end slopeof the Schechter function, α We find that a is particularly sensitive to the assumed faintest broad-band magnitude of a galaxy capable of hosting an emission line, and propose thatthis limit should be empirically motivated. For this analysis, we base our threshold on thelimiting observed equivalent widths of emission lines in the local Universe. We compute thecharacteristic SFR of galaxies in each redshift slice, and the integrated SFR density,ρ SFR. Wefind our results to be in good agreement with the literature and parametrize the evolution of the SFR density as ρ SFR α(1 + z)4.58 confirming a steep decline in star formation activity since z ~ 1.6.Peer reviewe

Adenotonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in children: The impact of timing of surgery and post-operative outcomes

Aim To investigate the impact of adenotonsillectomy (ADT) and adenoidectomy (AD) on child health and evaluated their post-operative complications. Methods We included all children aged <16 years undergoing ADT (tonsillectomy ± adenoidectomy) or AD in New South Wales, Australia, 2008–2017. Health information was obtained from administrative hospitalisation data. Rates of post-operative complications and reoperation were evaluated using generalised estimating equations and Kaplan–Meier methods, respectively. Results Out of 156 500 included children, 112 361 had ADT and 44 139 had AD. Population rates increased during 2008–2017 (ADT: 68–79 per 10 000 children; AD: 25–34 per 10 000), and children were increasingly operated on at a younger age. Overall, 7262 (6.5%) and 1276 (2.9%) children had post-operative complications (mostly haemorrhage), and 4320 (3.8%) and 5394 (12.2%) required reoperation, following ADT and AD, respectively. Complication rates were highest among children aged 0–1 years, lowest for those 2–5 years and increased with age thereafter. Three-year reoperation rates for children aged 0–1 years were 9.0% and 25.9% following ADT and AD, respectively, decreasing thereafter to 0.5% and 2.1% in children aged 12–13 years. Conclusions ADT and AD in Australian children have both increased in frequency and are being done at a younger age. Post-operative complications and reoperation rates highlight surgery is not without risk, especially for children under 2 years old. These findings support a more conservative approach to management of upper respiratory symptoms, with surgery reserved for cases where potential benefits are most likely to outweigh harms

Design and development of a low-cost AM system to help increase accessibility for people with sight loss

This research reports on the findings of a study carried out through a multidisciplinary partnership comprising the following higher education and cultural and community organisations: School of Engineering at Lancaster University, Lancaster City Museums and Galloways, a sight-loss charity. An overarching aim of the Touch & See project was to increase accessibility of 2D historical artefacts to those with sight impairment, with the use of additive manufacturing (AM). There are significant engagement barriers in museums presented to people with sight impairment, which the project sought to understand. It then aimed to utilise technology, incorporating the use of AM to help address some of those barriers, aiming to increase accessibility to historic artefacts. To help design a system that could be implemented in small and medium-sized museums elsewhere, several factors had to be considered to offer scale-up. This includes user-engagement, effectiveness of tactile parts, ease-of-operation (for curator, as a non-expert AM user) and cost. This system utilises 2D photographs and a low-cost FDM desktop machine to produce lithophanes, as 3D relief versions of images, such as paintings or water-colours. This provides the user with a kinaesthetic sensory engagement which hitherto has been difficult to achieve in museum environments. Furthermore, by integrating the lithophanes with backlighting and audio systems, one may develop a multi-sensory experience which appeals to those who are both fully and partially blind. This research reports on the development of the system used to obtain and print selected 2D artefacts including consideration given to geometry, depth, finish, contrast, print orientation and size. The use of AM in this research allows the resulting product to be low-cost, accessible to both users and non-technical staff and efficient. One such advantage of this is the speed in which lithophanes are generated, which if being produced manually by hand would take far longer, increasing development time and cost. This rapid manufacture allows for developments to be implemented in the lithophanes geometry as they are suggested, allowing quick and efficient testing. The potential impact of this system is substantial, offering museums and other cultural institutions an affordable solution to increase accessibility by allowing visually impaired visitors to experience historical artwork in a more inclusive and engaging manner, with the history of the art being conveyed through detailed audio description. It is hoped that the findings from this will allow museums to better adapt artwork for visually impaired visitors in an enriching and welcoming experience

New liquid crystal materials enabling revolutionary display devices

The Display and Beam Steering Thrust of the AFOSR Liquid Crystal MURI addressed key materials and device technology issues affecting performance of liquid crystal (LC) electro-optic (EO) devices, particularly device structures useful in information Displays and for Laser Beam Steering and Switching. Two basic themes were development of bulk LCs having high performance characteristics (nematic LCs, and chiral smectic LC devices having analog response), and development of novel LC electro-optic structures. Research on novel device structures led to advances in LC alignment and on photonic band-gap materials

Assessing the appropriateness of the management of otitis media in Australia: A population-based sample survey.

AIM: Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common infectious disease for which antibiotics are prescribed; its management is costly and has the potential to increase the antimicrobial resistance of this infection. This study measured the levels of adherence to the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) of AOM and otitis media with effusion (OME) management in Australian children. METHODS: We searched for national and international CPGs relating to AOM and OME in children and created 37 indicators for assessment. We reviewed medical records for adherence to these indicators in 120 locations, across one inpatient and three ambulatory health-care settings. Our review sample was obtained from three Australian states that contain 60% of the nation's children. RESULTS: We reviewed the records of 1063 children with one or more assessments of CPG adherence for otitis media. Of 22 indicators with sufficient data, estimated adherence ranged from 7.4 to 99.1%. Overuse of treatment, particularly overprescribing of antibiotics, was more common than underuse. A frequent lack of adherence with recommended care was observed for children aged between 1 and 2 years with AOM. Adherence varied by health-care setting, with emergency departments and inpatient settings more adherent to CPGs than general practices. CONCLUSIONS: Our assessment of a number of indicators in the common settings in which otitis media is treated found that guideline adherence varied widely between individual indicators. Internationally agreed standards for diagnosis and treatment, coupled with clinician education on the existence and content of CPGs and clinical decision support, are needed to improve the management of children presenting with AOM and OME