A practical method to assess risks from large wood debris accumulations at bridge piers

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordAccumulations of large woody debris can worsen scour at a bridge pier and thereby lead to structural damage. Accumulations can also increase the flood risk in adjacent areas. These consequences can cause disruption to local communities and even pose a risk to human life. Current methodologies acknowledge the existence of these effects of debris but do not provide a practical method, usable by engineers and practitioners, to assess the potential for debris accumulation at a bridge structure based on readily available data. This work aims to address this practical need by proposing a methodology based on direct and indirect observations. Using this methodology, a desk-based analysis can be performed to assess whether a bridge is prone to the formation of debris accumulations. Direct observations may include information from inspection reports, satellite imagery and tree removal works, while indirect observations may use information related to the geographical location of the bridge such as on other structures that share the watercourse or the presence of forested areas in its proximity. This methodology has been applied to local authority-owned bridges in Devon, UK. Results show that a large number of the structures (100 out of over 3000 bridges) are liable to debris accumulations. Direct observations served as primary evidence for over 80% of the bridges liable to debris accumulations. For many cases, direct observations existed to corroborate indirect observations suggesting that indirect observations can also be relied upon. The proposed methodology has also been applied to the prioritisation of bridge inspections for scour assessment. Results showed that many of the bridges prone to debris accumulations would need to be prioritised for scour inspections over other bridges in the aftermath of floods due to their significantly higher risk to scour in the presence of debris.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

The Social Construction of Conspiracy Beliefs: A Q-Methodology Study of How Ordinary People DefineThem and Judge Their Plausibility

Little is known about ordinary people’s understandings of conspiracy beliefs and how these understandings relate to the perspectives of researchers and scholars. Working within a social constructionist epistemological framework, we conducted a Q-methodology study aiming to identify a range of lay perspectives on two key topics: the defining features of conspiracy beliefs; and aspects considered important in judging their plausibility. Fifty-six people (32 men and 24 women), recruited via regional UK Facebook groups, sorted their agreement with a set of statements on each of the two topics. A principal component analysis, followed by varimax rotation, was performed on each data set. Five accounts about the defining features of conspiracy beliefs were identified: that they are false, illogical and harmful; that they are forms of political critique; that there are varied types; that they are entertaining but ineffectual; and that they are held by a self-reinforcing minority. Four accounts about their evaluation were identified: conventional realist criteria; the importance of personal judgement; skeptical realism; and the assessment of critical thinking. The findings are discussed in the context of the literature and limitations of the study are considered. Implications for research and educational and policy interventions are outlined

Referrals to a facial pain service

AIM: To assess the quality of referral letters to a facial pain service and highlight the key requirements of such letters. METHOD: The source of all referral letters to the service for five years was established. For one year the information provided in 94 referrals was assessed. Using a predetermined checklist of essential information the referral letters were compared to these set criteria. RESULTS: The service received 7,001 referrals and, on average, general dental practitioners (GDPs) referred 303 more patients per year than general medical practitioners (GMPs). Seventy-one percent of all referrals were from primary care practitioners, the rest were from specialists. Over 70% of GMP and 52% of GDP letters included a past medical history, with GMPs more likely to suggest a possible diagnosis and include previous secondary care referrals. The mean score for GMP referrals compared to the standard proforma (maximum of 12) was 5.6 and for GDP referrals 5.0. A relevant drug history was included by 75.6% GMP compared to 38.7% of GDPs. GMPs were more likely to include any relevant mental health history. CONCLUSIONS: The overall quality of referral letters is low which makes it difficult for the specialists to provide robust treatment plans

Youth transitions as ‘wiki-transitions’ in youth policies platforms

The version of a journal article that has been accepted for publication in a journal. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Societies on 22/11/2019 available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/14616696.2019.1690158.In recent years, a number of youth-focused online platforms have emerged which, in different ways, seek to support young people across Europe in building pathways to independent adulthood. In this article, we draw on data from Edgeryders, a recent youth policy research project, to reflect on the extent to which online discussion platforms are useful instruments for understanding the challenges youth face in their transitions to independent adulthood across Europe. Noting the collaborative emphasis articulated by both the project designers and participants, we ask how we might make sense of the data – and the meanings conveyed by that data – produced by online projects. We propose the notion of ‘wiki-transitions’ as a means of theorising young people’s use of online space to support their transitions to adulthood

Understanding conspiracy theories

Scholarly efforts to understand conspiracy theories have grown significantly in recent years, and there is now a broad and interdisciplinary literature that we review in this article. We ask three specific questions. First, what are the factors that are associated with conspiracy theorizing? Our review of the literature shows that conspiracy beliefs result from a range of psychological, political and social factors. Next, how are conspiracy theories communicated? Here, we explain how conspiracy theories are shared among individuals and spread through traditional and social media platforms. Next, what are the risks and rewards associated with conspiracy theories? By focusing on politics and science, we argue that conspiracy theories do more harm than good. Finally, because this is a growing literature and many open questions remain, we conclude by suggesting several promising avenues for future research

Identifying mineral prospectivity using 3D magnetotelluric, potential field and geological data in the east Kimberley, Australia

© 2018 The Author(s). An integrated interpretation of the east Kimberley, northern Western Australia was completed to determine mineral prospectivity, and was centred on a portion of a magnetotelluric (MT) survey conducted across the entire Kimberley Craton and surrounding orogens. A structural geophysical interpretation used potential field data, and was constrained by geological field observations, petrophysics, remote sensing and understanding of the tectonic history of the region. Potential field forward modelling located along the same survey traverse as the MT data allowed comparison between the two datasets and their interpretations revealing interesting features suggesting the presence of large-scale structures, the presence of mineralization deep in the crust, and where mineralization may be at or near the surface. The King River Fault is shown from both the MT inversion and potential field modelling as a crustal-scale, west-dipping structure, the footwall of which bounds the western side of a large resistive body. A conductive anomaly is also located on the hanging wall of the King River Fault. Our assessment suggests that graphitic rocks, most likely with some sulphide content, contribute to the strength of this anomaly, and highlights the potential of the east Kimberley to host graphite and base metal deposits

‘Are you Married to a Maasai?’ Gendered Cultural Encounters Between Tanzanians and Danes in ‘Global Citizenship’ Training

The article analyses the dynamics of ‘cultural difference’. It is based on the fieldwork among a group of Danish seniors at a three-week adult education course entitled ‘Global Citizenship’ in Tanzania with the Danish NGO Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke. The article analyses encounters between the Danes and their Tanzanian teachers. The article explores the training centre Danish, which hosted the course, as a chronotope in which ‘being Danish’ holds special meaning, and analyses how gender became a lens for depicting culture. The article concludes that normative hierarchical positionalities of gender equality vs. inequality were created in the interplay between students and teachers