Being well, being musical: Music composition as a resource and occupation for older people

Introduction: Participatory music making for older people has tended to focus on singing and performance. In a community music project undertaken by Manchester Camerata (a chamber orchestra), Blacon Community Trust and a small group of older adults, participants were given the opportunity to compose individual pieces of music interactively with professional musicians. This paper reports the findings of the research project. Method: An arts-based research method was adopted and incorporated action research and interpretive interactionism to articulate the experiences and perceptions of participants. Participants and Manchester Camerata musicians also worked together to represent the thematic findings of the research in a group composition. Findings: The findings demonstrate that individual and group music composition contributed to a sense of wellbeing through control over musical materials, opportunities for creativity and identity making, validation of life experience and social engagement with other participants and professional musicians. Conclusion: The results emphasised occupation as essential to health and wellbeing in the later stages of life. The findings also highlight the particularly innovative aspects of this research: (i) the use of music composition as a viable arts-in-health occupation for older people and (ii) the arts-based research method of group composition

An investigation into the perspectives of providers and learners on MOOC accessibility

An effective open eLearning environment should consider the target learner’s abilities, learning goals, where learning takes place, and which specific device(s) the learner uses. MOOC platforms struggle to take these factors into account and typically are not accessible, inhibiting access to environments that are intended to be open to all. A series of research initiatives are described that are intended to benefit MOOC providers in achieving greater accessibility and disabled learners to improve their lifelong learning and re-skilling. In this paper, we first outline the rationale, the research questions, and the methodology. The research approach includes interviews, online surveys and a MOOC accessibility audit; we also include factors such the risk management of the research programme and ethical considerations when conducting research with vulnerable learners. Preliminary results are presented from interviews with providers and experts and from analysis of surveys of learners. Finally, we outline the future research opportunities. This paper is framed within the context of the Doctoral Consortium organised at the TEEM'17 conference

Exponential dynamical localization for the almost Mathieu operator

We prove that the exponential moments of the position operator stay bounded for the supercritical almost Mathieu operator with Diophantine frequency

Quantum Channels and Representation Theory

In the study of d-dimensional quantum channels $(d \geq 2)$, an assumption which is not very restrictive, and which has a natural physical interpretation, is that the corresponding Kraus operators form a representation of a Lie algebra. Physically, this is a symmetry algebra for the interaction Hamiltonian. This paper begins a systematic study of channels defined by representations; the famous Werner-Holevo channel is one element of this infinite class. We show that the channel derived from the defining representation of SU(n) is a depolarizing channel for all $n$, but for most other representations this is not the case. Since the Bloch sphere is not appropriate here, we develop technology which is a generalization of Bloch's technique. Our method works by representing the density matrix as a polynomial in symmetrized products of Lie algebra generators, with coefficients that are symmetric tensors. Using these tensor methods we prove eleven theorems, derive many explicit formulas and show other interesting properties of quantum channels in various dimensions, with various Lie symmetry algebras. We also derive numerical estimates on the size of a generalized ``Bloch sphere'' for certain channels. There remain many open questions which are indicated at various points through the paper.Comment: 28 pages, 1 figur

Computational tools for multi-linked flexible structures

A software module which designs and tests controllers and filters in Kalman Estimator form, based on a polynomial state-space model is discussed. The user-friendly program employs an interactive graphics approach to simplify the design process. A variety of input methods are provided to test the effectiveness of the estimator. Utilities are provided which address important issues in filter design such as graphical analysis, statistical analysis, and calculation time. The program also provides the user with the ability to save filter parameters, inputs, and outputs for future use

"Hellenism in Palestine 323-129 B.C. with special reference to the causes op the Macca Bean rebellion

It is the purpose of this thesis to set the Maccabean Revolt: in the widest possible relevant framework, namely that of the Hellenistic world of its day, and also of the post-exilic national history of the Jewish people. The practice of labelling the Maccabean Revolt as a 'struggle against Hellenism' or some such phrase appears to make assumptions about both Hellenism and Judaism which, on a closer examination of the internal social condition of Judaea at the time, are by no means necessarily true. My aim is to find out if possible what was the complex of causes which touched off this revolt; and in order to do this I believe one has to look at both the Hellenistic:, and Judaistic contexts of this rebellion at the same time. With this in mind I have briefly sketched Jewish history from the Exile to 323 B.C. before dealing with the body of the work. The Art and Architecture of the Hellenistic period has been briefly examined to discover what proportion of Greek ceramics, sculpture and architecture actually reached and affected Palestine, and how much native art. and architecture reflected this during the Hellenistic period. This section is illustrated by appropriate photographs. The relation of Rome to the Middle-Eastern powers surrounding Palestine (Coele-Syria) has been traced during the late third and early second centuries B.C. and it has been concluded that this threat from Rome put pressure upon Antiochus IV to unite his: realm by means of religious reform. This was the last hope of strengthening his empire to withstand the pressure- of. Rome via. Pergamum and Egypt. In this international context the religious reforms demanded by Antiochus IV seem to be not. so much evil as regrettable. And it, is also concluded that they were only- partly responsible for the Rebellion, social causes inter alia having played a major part