Crowding out the Archivist? Implications of online user participation for archival theory and practice.

This thesis charts a course through an emerging landscape of online user participation in archives, focusing upon user involvement at the point of practice known to professional archivists as archival description. Recent years have seen significant growth in participatory initiatives in the archive sector, and the application of Web 2.0 technologies — augmenting traditions of user engagement and volunteering — has been widely heralded as a new opportunity to ‘democratise’ archival practice. The study considers a spectrum of online initiatives which have sought to benefit from the skills or knowledge of diverse user groups: from mass participation ‘crowdsourcing’ transcription projects, via tagging and commenting functionalities added to traditional archive catalogues, to community engagement programmes which have attempted to build up multiple layers of narrative interpretation. The research was designed around three principal stakeholder groups, professionals, participants, and users, seeking to address three main research questions: • Does online user participation constitute an evolution or a revolution in archival practice and professionalism? • What contexts and circumstances motivate and sustain participation? • Who benefits from user participation in archival description? Two new analytical frameworks are presented as navigation aids for this exploration of participatory archives, taken from the perspective of professional archivists and of participants respectively. The discussion on users is necessarily more speculative, but concludes that realisation of the claims made for the transformative impact of online user participation is dependent upon a redefinition of archival use which is inclusive of both participation and the communication of meaning, in addition to the routine processes of information seeking. Future research directions are identified therefore which lie at the points of intersection between engagement (participation and use combined) and professional theory and practice

An investigation into the conversion of specific carbon atoms in oleic acid and methyl oleate to particulate matter in a diesel engine and tube reactor

The paper is concerned with particulate formation from the fuels oleic acid and methyl oleate. In particular the paper reports, quantitatively, the propensity of individual carbon atoms in these two molecules in being converted to particulate. The conversion of individual carbon atoms to particulate was traced by 'labelling' individual carbon atoms in those two fuel molecules with isotopic carbon-13 (C) and then measuring how many of the labelled atoms was found in the particulate. This allowed the measuring of the conversion rates of individual fuel carbon atoms to particulate. In the case of oleic acid, three carbon atoms were selected as being particularly relevant to particulate formation, and C labelled. One of the carbon atoms was double bonded to the oxygen atom on the carboxylic acid group; and the other two were part of the oleic acid molecule alkyl chain and double bonded to each other. In the case of the methyl oleate, one carbon atom was C labelled. This was the carbon atom that was double bonded to one of the oxygen atoms of the ester group. Experimental results are presented for particulate matter (PM) formed in a laminar flow tube reactor, and also in a direct injection compression ignition engine. The tube reactor has been used for the pyrolysis of oleic acid and methyl oleate at 1300 °C, under oxygen-free conditions and at air-fuel equivalence ratios (λ) of 0.1, and 0.2. Samples of PM were also collected from the compression ignition engine at an intermediate engine load. Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) has been used to determine the relative abundance of C in the initial fuel and in the resulting PM. Significant differences in the relative conversion rates of individual carbon atoms are reported; a negligible contribution to PM from the carbon atom directly bonded to two oxygen atoms was found in both the engine and reactor. The labelling technique used in this paper requires low quantities of C labelled molecules to enrich otherwise unlabelled oleic acid; enrichment is at volumetric concentrations typically less than 0.7% (v/v). In addition, emissions data from the engine and tube reactor, including unburned hydrocarbons, CO, CO, NO, and PM size and number distributions measured by differential mobility spectrometer, are also presented

Australian teachers and the learning environment: an analysis of teacher response to TALIS 2013

Abstract: The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the first international survey programme to focus on the learning environment and the working conditions of teachers in schools. The overarching aim of TALIS is to provide robust, policy relevant indicators and analysis on teachers and the learning environment for an international audience. It aims to provide an opportunity to examine best practice in education systems around the world, to allow countries to identify other education systems facing similar challenges to their own and to learn from other policy approaches. TALIS provides internationally comparable information in the areas of teacher demographic characteristics, school leadership, teacher professional development, systems of feedback and appraisals for the teaching workforce, school effectiveness, and teacher practices and beliefs. As was the case for the 2008 cycle of TALIS, the Department of Education (formerly DEEWR) again commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to oversee and conduct the implementation of TALIS 2013 in Australia. In Australia, over 2000 teachers and 149 principals in 149 schools comprised the ISCED 2 sample. In the Australian context, ISCED 2 teachers are defined as teachers of students in lower secondary education or, more specifically, teachers of students in Years 7, 8, 9 or 10

“You're like a salesman or a saleswoman, you're trying to sell that person exercise”: How the socioeconomic position of an area influences General Practitioners’ engagement with physical activity as a treatment pathway for mild to moderate mental health conditions

Overview: Mental health problems affect one in four people in the UK (Farmer and Dyer, 2016). Socioeconomic position (SEP) has impacted both lifestyle and the quality of general healthcare (Office of National Statistics, 2016). This study was the first to specifically explore how the socioeconomic area of a General Practitioner’s (GP’s) practice, impacts the use of physical activity (PA) as a treatment for mental health conditions. It aimed to: (i) Explore GPs’ experiences of physical activity and other provisions for mental health, in their local area; (ii) Understand perceived problems regarding access to physical activity to support mental health; and (iii) Understand how existing socioeconomic inequalities may impact the mental health treatment approach of GPs. Methodology: Participants (n=6) were recruited using convenience sampling. The inclusion criteria for this study were that GPs had to be based in England and currently working in general practice. The participants represented different socioeconomic areas, allowing comparison and contrast across findings. Interviews focused on the provision of and access to mental health treatment pathways, barriers that GPs encountered and the healthcare inequalities that exist. A reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken (Braun and Clarke, 2019). Results: The first theme, ‘Precedence of pharmaceutical and psychological approaches as treatment pathways’, focused on the growing mental health cases that GPs are experiencing. There were narrow treatment options for GPs, despite acknowledgement of PA benefits. The ‘Insufficient implementation of PA schemes’ theme identified perceived problems with PA schemes and the multifaceted reasons for patients’ lack of engagement. The SEP was perceived to influence the GPs’ and patients’ attitudes to treatment pathways. The ‘Complexity of barriers to PA for GPs and patients’ theme outlined difficulties that lead to restricted PA engagement, with COVID-19 exacerbating these. There was also inadequate interaction between GPs and stakeholders. Conclusion: GPs working in lower socioeconomic areas experienced greater difficulties in referring and engaging patients in PA; challenges were complex and differed across localities. Findings highlight a training need around PA for GPs who work in higher socioeconomic status areas and a need for improved communication between GPs, external healthcare professionals, providers and patients

Isotopic Tracers for Combustion Research

This review article deals with the use of isotopic tracers in the field of combustion science. A number of researchers have reported the use of isotopic techniques, which have been employed to solve a wide range of combustion problems. Radioactive and stable isotopes have been utilized as tracers, including isotopes of carbon (13C and 14C), oxygen (18O), and deuterium (D). One of the main applications has been to quantitatively determine the propensity of a molecule in a mixture, or specific atom within a molecule, to form pollutant emissions. Tracer studies have also been used for the elucidation of combustion reaction pathways, and kinetic rate constant determination of elementary reactions. A number of analytical techniques have been used for isotope detection; and the merits of some of the different techniques are discussed in the context of combustion research. This article concludes by exploring emerging methods and potential future techniques and applications

Re-Framing Music Festivals: Exploring Space, Solidarity, Spirituality and Self with Young People

This thesis is concerned with the representation of young people at music festivals, it seeks to challenge common, negative and superficial perceptions of young people as they take part in these annual events. he analysis of empirical, qualitative and creative data gained at music festivals over a three-year period, has enabled a re-presentation of youth in relation to music festivals; empirical examples of youth spaces; and the potential for music festivals to offer an alternative blue print for youth society. The research offers a challenge to prevalent stereotypes and representations surrounding young people at music festivals. Furthermore, an investigation of these youth spaces, shows they are used by young people, to explore space, solidarity, spirituality and self. The research seeks to offer a counter cultural landscape created by young people. The development of immersive and participatory research methods has enabled stereotypes to be confronted. The work has advanced theory concerned with young people’s agency and enabled a new focus on the way young people construct and subvert space in music festivals in the UK

Reflections on the United States Military 1941-1987

This article, 'Reflections on the United States Military 1941-1987' written by my grandmother, Mary Mandels, illustrates her passion for life. Her outreach article was considered most appropriate for publication in this forum. Her career activities are outlined in the prior article 'Mary Elizabeth Hickox Mandels, 90, Bioenergy Leader' while her accomplishments were fully recognized, for instance, nationally through the American Chemical Society and through her induction into the Hall of Fame at the US Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. As illustrated, along with Dr Elwyn Reese at Natick's Pioneering Research Laboratory, she headed a bioengineering group that is particularly remembered for developing a process for the enzymatic conversion of waste cellulosic biomass into soluble sugars that could be fermented to ethanol for an alternate liquid fuel (gasohol). This technology remains a subject of interest with growing environmental concerns and an oil shortage crisis

Learning by volunteer computing, thinking and gaming: What and how are volunteers learning by participating in Virtual Citizen Science?

Citizen Science (CS) refers to a form of research collaboration that engages volunteers without formal scientific training in contributing to empirical scientific projects. Virtual Citizen Science (VCS) projects engage participants in online tasks. VCS has demonstrated its usefulness for research, however little is known about its learning potential for volunteers. This paper reports on research exploring the learning outcomes and processes in VCS. In order to identify different kinds of learning, 32 exploratory interviews of volunteers were conducted in three different VCS projects. We found six main learning outcomes related to different participants' activities in the project. Volunteers learn on four dimensions that are directly related to the scope of the VCS project: they learn at the task/game level, acquire pattern recognition skills, on-topic content knowledge, and improve their scientific literacy. Thanks to indirect opportunities of VCS projects, volunteers learn on two additional dimensions: off topic knowledge and skills, and personal development. Activities through which volunteers learn can be categorized in two levels: at a micro (task/game) level that is direct participation to the task, and at a macro level, i.e. use of project documentation, personal research on the Internet, and practicing specific roles in project communities. Both types are influenced by interactions with others in chat or forums. Most learning happens to be informal, unstructured and social. Volunteers do not only learn from others by interacting with scientists and their peers, but also by working for others: they gain knowledge, new status and skills by acting as active participants, moderators, editors, translators, community managers, etc. in a project community. This research highlights these informal and social aspects in adult learning and science education and also stresses the importance for learning through the indirect opportunities provided by the project: the main one being the opportunity to participate and progress in a project community, according to one's tastes and skills

Use of non-ionic substrates for determination of cellulase

Use of non-ionic substrates for determination of cellulas

Making Connections

Not long into the first UK lockdown in 2020, Edinburgh Recovery Activities (ERA) decided to offer an online creative writing course. What emerged was Making Connections, a 6-week zoom programme run over June and July, with around 10 participants. The purpose was to give people the opportunity to express themselves, develop their writing and meet with others. Creative writing can be a means through which we examine our experience of ourselves, the world around us and the relationship between the two. From the beginning, the course did not make assumptions about whether people wrote already, or what they might want to write, but hoped to offer the opportunity to develop their writing, to explore different types of writing if that was of interest and, most importantly, to be creative and expressive. &nbsp