Constellations of identity: place-ma(r)king beyond heritage

This paper will critically consider the different ways in which history and belonging have been treated in artworks situated in the Citadel development in Ayr on the West coast of Scotland. It will focus upon one artwork, Constellation by Stephen Hurrel, as an alternative to the more conventional landscapes of heritage which are adjacent, to examine the relationship between personal history and place history and argue the primacy of participatory process in the creation of place and any artwork therein. Through his artwork, Hurrel has attempted to adopt a material process through which place can be created performatively but, in part due to its non-representational form, proves problematic, aesthetically and longitudinally, in wholly engaging the community. The paper will suggest that through variants of ‘new genre public art’ such as this, personal and place histories can be actively re-created through the redevelopment of contemporary urban landscapes but also highlight the complexities and indeterminacies involved in the relationship between artwork, people and place

Meeting the audience challenge in the 'Age of Participation'

This paper explores the nature of a 'participatory museum experience' targeted at twenty-first century core audiences. It highlights the holistic nature of the museum visit; emphasises the importance of matching lifestyle expectations; argues for the central role of social interaction; prioritises the process of learning over outcomes; and both defines participatory exhibits and provides a preliminary typology. It concludes with a brief discussion of the root and branch transformation of museum structures implied by a participatory, social interaction-based approach

The authority of next-of-kin in explicit and presumed consent systems for deceased organ donation: an analysis of 54 nations

Background. The degree of involvement by the next-of-kin in deceased organ procurement worldwide is unclear. We investigated the next-of-kin’s authority in the procure-ment process in nations with either explicit or presumed consent. Methods. We collected data from 54 nations, 25 with presumed consent and 29 with explicit consent. We char-acterized the authority of the next-of-kin in the decision to donate deceased organs. Specifically, we examined whether the next-of-kin’s consent to procure organs was always required and whether the next-of-kin were able to veto procurement when the deceased had expressed a wish to donate. Results. The next-of-kin are involved in the organ procure-ment process in most nations regardless of the consent principle and whether the wishes of the deceased to be a donor were expressed or unknown. Nineteen of the 25 nations with presumed consent provide a method for individuals to express a wish to be a donor. However, health professionals in only four of these nations responded that they do not override a deceased’s expressed wish because of a family’s objection. Similarly, health profes-sionals in only four of the 29 nations with explicit consent proceed with a deceased’s pre-existing wish to be a donor and do not require next-of-kin’s consent, but caveats still remain for when this is done. Conclusions. The next-of-kin have a considerable influ-ence on the organ procurement process in both presumed and explicit consent nations

Design and Testing of a Field Gradient System to Control a Hybrid Magneto-Active Slosh Control System

The primary objective of this project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of a magneto-active membrane for slosh control in propellant tanks of arbitrary geometry towards future product development. The active slosh feedback control concept proposed herein is highly innovative as it generates slosh control forces through the “Field Gradient Control” method by applying an external magnetic field gradient on a free-floating membrane with an unusually high magnetic permeability. Proposed effort will test the fit of the magnetic membrane for slosh control in low gravity condition and the long-term compatibility with cryogenic rocket propellants. Power and mass budgets will be established including manufacturing processes for relevant prospective architectures. Conducting the experiment will include the development, testing and integration of the Field Gradient control (FGC) system. To justify the hybrid membrane as a viable Propellant Management Device (PMD), proof-of-concept experiments involving low amplitude at 1.8 mm and high amplitude at 3.0 mm actuator displacement were carried out. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with an application of electromagnetic field gradient and fluid structure interaction model can be setup using COMSOL multi-physics software with parameters as that of the experiment to verify and validate the experimental setup. Results of this study demonstrated an overall improvement on the active damping effectiveness from the existing passive PMD