Embracing the future: embedding digital repositories in the University of London. Briefing paper

This briefing paper captures the key findings and recommendations of a study commissioned by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) on aspects of the strategic commitment of institutions to repository sustainability.1 This project, labelled EMBRACE (EMBedding Repositories And Consortial Enhancement) is aimed at enhancing the functionality, inter-operability and extensibility of the SHERPA-LEAP repository service, which currently supports the repositories of thirteen University of London institutions. This briefing paper aims to clarify the different motivations to use and invest in digital repositories, and potential ways to address the challenges to embedding these repositories in institutional strategy and daily operation are highlighted. It is designed for use by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), who are encouraged to adapt the recommendations to their specific context

Channels, consumers and communication: online and offline communication in service consumption

This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multichannel context. To develop a deeper understanding of what makes consumers decide to use the online channel, and contrary to most HCI studies on the use of e-services that focus on the use of the online channel in relative isolation, this study examined consumer channel-choice beyond the instances of internet use. The consumption behaviour of its participants was investigated across channels in an in-depth qualitative study. The analysis of the elicited rich data focused specifically on the investigation of voluntary consumer movements between online and offline channels during the course of a consumption process. The results indicate that participants often use multiple channels in parallel and frequently switch between channels. Literature from marketing and consumer research was used as the perspective to explore the rationale for the complex and dynamic reported consumer behaviour

Embracing the future: embedding digital repositories in the University of London

Digital repositories can help Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop coherent and coordinated approaches to capture, identify, store and retrieve intellectual assets such as datasets, course material and research papers. With the advances of technology, an increasing number of Higher Education Institutions are implementing digital repositories. The leadership of these institutions, however, has been concerned about the awareness of and commitment to repositories, and their sustainability in the future. This study informs a consortium of thirteen London institutions with an assessment of current awareness and attitudes of stakeholders regarding digital repositories in three case study institutions. The report identifies drivers for, and barriers to, the embedding of digital repositories in institutional strategy. The findings therefore should be of use to decision-makers involved in the development of digital repositories. Our approach was entirely based on consultations with specific groups of stakeholders in three institutions through interviews with specific individuals. The research in this report was prepared for the SHERPA-LEAP Consortium and conducted by RAND Europe

Ultrafast spectroscopy of single molecules

We present a single-molecule study on femtosecond dynamics in multichromophoric systems, combining fs pump-probe, emission-spectra and fluorescence-lifetime analysis. At the single molecule level a wide range of exciton delocalisation lengths and energy redistribution times is revealed. Next, two color pump-probe experiments are presented as a step to addressing ultrafast energy transfer in individual complexes

Angular analysis of bremsstrahlung in alpha decay

A new quantum electrodynamical method of calculations of bremsstrahlung spectra in the $\alpha$-decay of heavy nuclei taking into account the angle between the directions of $\alpha$-particle motion (or its tunneling) and photon emission is presented. The angular bremsstrahlung spectra for $^{210}{Po}$ have been obtained for the first time. According to calculations, the bremsstrahlung in the $\alpha$-decay of this nucleus depends extremely weakly on the angle. Taking into account nuclear forces, such dependence is not changed visibly. An analytical formula of the angular dependence of the bremsstrahlung spectra is proposed and gives its harmonic behavior. The extremal values of the angle, at which the bremsstrahlung has maximal and minimal values, has been found.Comment: 15 pages, 1 file of figure in EPS format, LaTeX v.2e with EPJ style. In the new variant of the paper: 1) more attention is given to a convergence problem of computer calculations of the bremsstrahlung spectra; 2) a new section with inclusion of Woods-Saxon component in construction of the total realistic $\alpha$-nucleus potential into our model (with our first brermsstrahlung spectra for $^{210}{Po}$ at such potential) is included into the paper; 3) possible ways of further improvement of the quantum-mechanical models are pointed ou

Comment on "Magnetic field effects on neutron diffraction in the antiferromagnetic phase of UPt3"

Moreno and Sauls [Phys. Rev. B 63, 024419 (2000)] have recently tried to reanalyze earlier neutron scattering studies of the antiferromagnetic order in UPt3 with a magnetic field applied in the basal plane. In their calculation of the magnetic Bragg peak intensities, they perform an average over different magnetic structures belonging to distinct symmetry representations. This is incorrect. In addition, they have mistaken the magnetic field direction in one of the experiments, hence invalidating their conclusions concerning the experimental results.Comment: Revised 5 June 2001: Added group theory analysis and modified discussion of S and K domain

The social cognition of medical knowledge, with special reference to childhood epilepsy

This paper arose out of an engagement in medical communication courses at a Gulf university. It deploys a theoretical framework derived from a (critical) sociocognitive approach to discourse analysis in order to investigate three aspects of medical discourse relating to childhood epilepsy: the cognitive processes that are entailed in relating different types of medical knowledge to their communicative context; the types of medical knowledge that are constituted in the three different text types analysed; and the relationship between these different types of medical knowledge and the discursive features of each text type. The paper argues that there is a cognitive dimension to the human experience of understanding and talking about one specialized from of medical knowledge. It recommends that texts be studied in medical communication courses not just in terms of their discrete formal features but also critically, in terms of the knowledge which they produce, transmit and reproduce

Britain, Bulgaria and benefits:the political rhetoric of European (dis)integration

This chapter considers the political controversy in Britain over the lifting of restrictions of freedom of movement on European Union (EU) citizens from Bulgaria and Romania in January 2014. The response of the then Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government centred on altering the rules on the payment of welfare benefits to potential new EU immigrants such that they would not be entitled to claim these benefits for 3 months after entry to the United Kingdom. This policy led to a split in the coalition, with the Liberal Democrat leadership claiming that it was a panicked move by the majority Conservative coalition partner, and moreover that it was a blatant attempt to appeal the electorate in an effort to be seen to be doing something to stop the welfare benefit system from being abused by ‘foreigners’. The backdrop to this political fracas centred on the economic contribution of East European immigrants to Britain and the claim and counterclaim over the issues jobs, welfare benefits and services such as English language support in schools. These contentious issues are examined in terms of an analysis of online comments to posted in reaction to a political interview with Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat business secretary, who claimed that the Conservatives were attempting to placate public disquiet over immigration as a response to the rising popularity of the United Kingdom Independence Party