The Nature and Nurture of Sports Performance, Blog 2

Student blog posts from the Great VCU Bike Race Book

Public Attitudes to the Welfare of Broiler Chickens

This paper reports results from two workshops held in York, England that investigated public attitudes towards the welfare of broiler chickens. At the outset the majority of participants admitted that they knew little about how broiler chickens are reared and were shocked at some of the facts presented to them. Cognitive mapping and aspects of Q methodology were used to reveal the range of variables that participants believed affected chicken welfare, the causal relationships between those variables, and what variables were considered most and least important. While some participants focused on the importance of meeting basic needs such as access to food, water, light and ventilation, others highlighted the role of welfare regulations and public opinion. Factor analysis of the results from a ranking exercise identified two factor groups, “Factor one - The bigger picture” and “Factor two – Basic animal rights”. The findings demonstrate that some members of the public are both interested in learning about how their food is produced and concerned about the conditions faced by broiler chickens. Some are able to see clear links between public opinion and the welfare of farm animals, an important connection if consumer behaviour is to contribute towards improving animal welfare.Animal welfare, broiler chickens, cognitive mapping, public attitudes, Q methodology., Livestock Production/Industries, Consumer/Household Economics,

Uncertainty-valued horn clauses

There are many forms of uncertainty, each usually again having more than one theoretical model. Therefore, a very flexible kind of uncertainty-valued Horn clauses is introduced in RELFUN in section 1. They have a head, several premises and an uncertainty factor, which represents the uncertainty of the clause. The premises are all "functional" in the sense that their returned value is again an uncertainty value. These premises and the uncertainty factor of an uncertainty rule become embedded into the arguments of a combination function when translating uncertainty clauses into footed clauses (non-ground, non-deterministic functions in RELFUN, which can then be compiled as usual). The combination function can be modified by the user. It may be a built-in or a user-defined function, either of which may be computed as the value of a higher-order function. In section 2, an application of uncertainty clauses to the uncertain concept of a "pet holder", according to German law, is described. This and another example are then fully demonstrated in appendix A. Finally, appendix B gives a listing of the complete uncertainty translator in LISP

Does existing UK copyright law adequately address the issue of copyright enforcement in the digital age?

The legal landscape in the digital age of copyright law is one of confusion and discord. Effective enforcement is difficult against websites, cumbersome and overly complex against individuals and a near impossibility against the tech-savvy. Therefore legislators are always left playing catch-up to the unrelenting change in technology. In general, they seek to deal with the problem via new and increasingly stringent legislation. This thesis analyses these issues by studying the current state of copyright law in the UK, alongside the series of government commissioned reports on reform in this area. The thesis considers whether or not there is an appropriate balance reached between rights holders and consumers, deducing that the balance is currently too much in favour of rights holders, while still being largely ineffectual when attempting to adequately enforce those rights. Having established that legislation alone is not enough to face the challenges of copyright enforcement, the thesis looks to alternative and complementary methods of improving the balance of rights between copyright holders and users and ensuring better enforcement. The tax/levy model represents a strong solution to the problem, alongside other alternative revenue systems. The thesis concludes that the problem of copyright enforcement cannot be solved by any one single solution: the needs of all parties must be met as much as possible in order to ensure a workable balance and provide a strong framework capable of facing the challenges of the digital age. A balance between legislation, alternative revenue streams and education may be the only effective and appropriate way forward

Diabetes in Sub Saharan Africa 1999-2011: Epidemiology and Public Health Implications. A Systematic Review.

Diabetes prevalence is increasing globally, and Sub-Saharan Africa is no exception. With diverse health challenges, health authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa and international donors need robust data on the epidemiology and impact of diabetes in order to plan and prioritise their health programmes. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the epidemiological trends and public health implications of diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a systematic literature review of papers published on diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa 1999-March 2011, providing data on diabetes prevalence, outcomes (chronic complications, infections, and mortality), access to diagnosis and care and economic impact. Type 2 diabetes accounts for well over 90% of diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa, and population prevalence proportions ranged from 1% in rural Uganda to 12% in urban Kenya. Reported type 1 diabetes prevalence was low and ranged from 4 per 100,000 in Mozambique to 12 per 100,000 in Zambia. Gestational diabetes prevalence varied from 0% in Tanzania to 9% in Ethiopia. Proportions of patients with diabetic complications ranged from 7-63% for retinopathy, 27-66% for neuropathy, and 10-83% for microalbuminuria. Diabetes is likely to increase the risk of several important infections in the region, including tuberculosis, pneumonia and sepsis. Meanwhile, antiviral treatment for HIV increases the risk of obesity and insulin resistance. Five-year mortality proportions of patients with diabetes varied from 4-57%. Screening studies identified high proportions (> 40%) with previously undiagnosed diabetes, and low levels of adequate glucose control among previously diagnosed diabetics. Barriers to accessing diagnosis and treatment included a lack of diagnostic tools and glucose monitoring equipment and high cost of diabetes treatment. The total annual cost of diabetes in the region was estimated at US$67.03 billion, or US$8836 per diabetic patient. Diabetes exerts a significant burden in the region, and this is expected to increase. Many diabetic patients face significant challenges accessing diagnosis and treatment, which contributes to the high mortality and prevalence of complications observed. The significant interactions between diabetes and important infectious diseases highlight the need and opportunity for health planners to develop integrated responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases

THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT ON THE METROPLEXES OF TEXAS

This research estimates the annual economic impact of the fire ant on key urban sectors in Texas. A study was conducted in 1998-1999 in the 5 metroplexes of Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Houston to estimate the costs of controlling and managing fire ants (Lard, et al). This study found that the annual expenditure for fire ant control and management by selected sectors in these metroplexes totaled more than $581 million. The total annual expense by sector amounted to$526 million for households, $29 million for golf courses,$25 million for schools, and $0.6 million for cities. These annual cost figures do not include all urban costs or costs borne by electrical utility companies, communication firms and cable companies. These results can be used to assess damages and estimate the potential costs and benefits of control and management programs, such as the community-based effort underway as part of the Texas Fire Ant Initiative.Crop Production/Industries,

The Topochemical Polymerisation of Radiation-Sensitive 10,12-Pentacosadiynoic Acid as Different Multicomponent Solid Forms

In this work, the relationship between the solid-state photoreactivity of 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) and its X-ray structure has been established. The characterisation of PCDA was used to elucidate the structures of the different forms of a lithium salt of PCDA (Li-PCDA) as the single-crystal X-ray structures could not be obtained. Li-PCDA is currently used in radiochromic films due to its impressive colour change from colourless to blue upon irradiation. In addition to Li-PCDA, a lithium salt of 5,7-hexadecadiynoic acid was synthesised and displays greater photoreactivity than Li-PCDA upon UV irradiation. Additionally, a sodium salt of PCDA was crystallised and reveals the salt is outside of the topochemical postulate for reactivity and is, therefore, unreactive. Furthermore, a bismuth complex of PCDA was also synthesised, however, further work is required to fully understand the photoresponsive material. To investigate how PCDA would behave as a cocrystal with organic coformers, model compounds of short-chain n-alkyl carboxylic acids cocrystallised with dipyridyl derivatives and were synthesised in solution and by grinding to give new materials. When PCDA was combined with the same dipyridyl coformers, the resulting cocrystals do not respond to UV irradiation. Additionally, when PCDA is combined with an aliphatic bifunctional compound, similar in structure to the bipyridyl coformers, a PCDA cocrystal salt is formed that is also unreactive to radiation. Further PCDA cocrystal salts are synthesised when combined with aliphatic monofunctional coformers that produce a range of colourful powders before and after UV exposure. The enhanced reactivity of the monofunctional cocrystal salts is reinforced by the X-ray structures which confirm that the structures adhere to the topochemical postulate, further emphasising the importance of the criteria to predict the photopolymerisation of diacetylene systems. These photosensitive materials contribute to the improvement of radiochromic materials, such as dosimetric films

Towards MRI microarrays

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanometre scale particles have been utilised as contrast agents to image staked target binding oligonucleotide arrays using MRI to correlate the signal intensity and relaxation times in different NMR fluids

Exploring transitions in notions of identity as perceived by beginning post-compulsory teachers

This paper reports on Phase Two of a small scale qualitative research project. Phase One (2015-2016) focused on pre-service student teachers’ perceptions of observation and feedback in relation to their developing identity as teachers. In Phase Two, two previous participants reflected on the research findings as qualified and beginning teachers. New participants were invited to contribute their perspectives of the transition they had made from the PGCE PCE (Postgraduate Certificate in Post Compulsory Education) one year full time course to their first year of teaching. Phase Two considers constructs of teacher identity and theoretical models of communities of practice and ecological learning systems. Participants reviewed transitions from PGCE PCE in to their first year of teaching in relation to a continuum of practice that saw them taking increased levels of ownership of their development. They described the extent to which and the ways in which they identified themselves with the teacher role and as members of a community at work. Applications of the community of practice model were discussed and occasionally compared unfavourably to the community of practice context of the PGCE PCE course. Community of practice concepts such as ‘membership’ and ‘validation’ are re-explored in this paper