The Negligent Eye

The exhibition The Negligent Eye reflects on the ways contemporary artists have used scanning technology in their work, particularly in the area of printmaking. The project reflects an increasing experimentation with computers, rapid-form and 3D scanning and digital multiplication, through printed, sculptural, video and mixed media work, as well as earlier artworks using reprographic processes, and archival material. Curated by Jo Stockham in collaboration with the Bluecoat Gallery, the project reflects upon how over-immersion in the space of the computer creates a sense of estrangement from the world. The exhibition engages with wider questions around the impact of digital technology on our lives. How, for instance, are scanning technologies changing how we picture and experience the world? The barcode, airport body scanners, medical scans and document scanners are all fraught with notions of both revelation and theft, while the extension of digital multiplication into cloning remains contentious. The publication that accompanies the exhibition develops these ideas through essays by Jo Stockham and Chantal Faust, exploring the idea that the scan is both a ‘close reading and a glance’, an apparent contradiction that the artists explore through the rapidly developing scanning and digital reprographic processes at their disposal. Images of the works in the exhibition are accompanied by texts from the artists – including Cory Arcangel, Christiane Baumgartner, Jyll Bradley, Maurice Carlin, Susan Collins, Conroy/Sanderson, Nicky Coutts, Elizabeth Gossling, Juneau Projects, Bob Matthews, London Fieldworks, Marilène Oliver, South Atlantic Souvenirs, Imogen Stidworthy – in response to questions about their relationship to scanning

Exploring the transition into Year 3 of Year 2 students who use counting on to solve mathematics problems

This research project examined how five Year 2 students, at stage 4 on the Number Framework (counting on), experienced mathematics as they transitioned into a Year 3 and 4 classroom. It investigated the support structures put in place to shift students from counting on to part-whole thinking, as part of the Numeracy Development Projects (NDP) approach to teaching mathematics. An additional transition of two teachers into Year 3 and 4 (one up from Year 2 and one down from Year 5 and 6) provided evidence of teacher transition experiences when shifting teaching levels. The setting, role of the teacher, and external influences were examined. This research was a qualitative investigation framed within a case study approach. The main source of data was classroom observations and semi-structured interviews. The teachers’ interviews focused on their approach to teaching and learning, attitude, student ability, assessment, and knowledge of the mathematics curriculum from Level 1 to Level 2. The combination of classroom observation and student interviews demonstrated the current level students were operating at and any signs of shift in their knowledge, as well as attitude towards mathematical learning. The thesis illustrates how classroom practices and teaching approaches encouraged students to count on instead of shifting into part-whole thinking. The findings highlight possible barriers, student experience, the importance of teacher knowledge and understanding, and the impact of teaching practices that support and undermine the shift. The findings also show that teachers are still following the NDP material very closely, without a full understanding of the pedagogy of number knowledge which can bridge Level 1 to Level 2 of the New Zealand Curriculum. The findings also indicate that the NDP teaching model is not being fully incorporated into classroom teaching, with a decrease of manipulatives used over the transition, a limited use of visualisation through diagrams and pictures, and students experiencing abstract representations without a full understanding of their meaning. The findings also show that the current reform in mathematics is only operating at a surface level. Teacher practices reflected an instrumental, procedurally-based approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics. The evidence contained within this thesis points to the link between knowledge and strategy not being made explicit, with limited experiences of exploring relationships between numbers and quantity. It considers a critical aspect of student understanding is to develop a full understanding of number relationships through the concept of subitising, part-whole relationships, and more-and-less relationships. Continuing Professional Learning and Development is needed for teachers to develop a deeper understanding of these relationships and how they support student shift from ‘counting on’ to part-whole thinking

Saprolegnia parasitica zoospore activity and host survival indicates isolate variation in host preference

The ubiquitous freshwater pathogen Saprolegnia parasitica has long been considered a true generalist, capable of infecting a wide range of fish species. It remains unclear, however, whether different isolates of this pathogen, obtained from distinct geographic locations and host species, display differences in host preference. To assess this, the current study examined the induced zoospore encystment responses of four S. parasitica isolates towards the skin of four fish species. While three of the isolates displayed ‘specialist’ responses, one appeared to be more of a ‘generalist’. In vivo challenge infections involving salmon and sea trout with the ‘generalist’ (salmon isolate EA001) and a ‘specialist’ (sea trout isolate EA016) pathogen, however, did not support the in vitro findings, with no apparent host preference reflected in infection outcomes. Survival of sea trout and salmon though was significantly different following a challenge infection with the sea trout (EA016) isolate. These results indicate that while S. parasitica isolates can be considered true generalists, they may target hosts to which they have been more frequently exposed (potential local adaptation). Understanding host preference of this pathogen could aid our understanding of infection epidemics and help with the development of fish management procedures

What is the potential for biogas digesters to improve soil carbon sequestration in Sub-Saharan Africa? Comparison with other uses of organic residues

Acknowledgments We are very grateful to the UK Department for International Development (DFID) New and Emerging Technologies Research Call for funding this work. PS is a Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Award holder.Peer reviewedPostprin

What is the potential for biogas digesters to improve soil fertility and crop production in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Acknowledgements We are very grateful to the UK Department for International Development (DFID) New and Emerging Technologies Research Call for funding this work. PS is a Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Award holder.Peer reviewedPostprin

Can biogas digesters help to reduce deforestation in Africa?

Acknowledgements The authors are grateful for financial support for this work in part from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) New and Emerging Technologies Research Call, and in part from the EU under the REDD-ALERT (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation from Alternative Land Uses in Rainforests of the Tropics) project, Grant agreement number 226310. The authors thank Dr Hoang Viet Anh, Dr Suyanto and Mr. Gamma Galudra for their input on the manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprin

Health literacy in schools: prioritising health and well-being issues through the curriculum

Health literacy (HL) is a relatively new concept in health promotion and is concerned with empowering people through enhancing their knowledge of health issues and improving their ability to make choices about their health and well-being. Schools are seen increasingly as key settings for the dissemination of health messages through curricula and other on-site provision. However, such opportunities are amongst many demands being placed on educational providers and finding space in the school day to support the health agenda is a challenge. This practice-based, qualitative study examines the current practices in three schools in the UK. In total 34 pupils (n=16 from Year 9 and n = 18 from Year 11) were interviewed in six focus groups (3 in each school), with up to 6 pupils in each focus group. School staff (n = 8) were also interviewed individually. Findings suggest that pupils and staff have an understanding of health and a capacity for HL, though health education (via taught subjects) is not statutory across the four Key Stages of the National Curriculum. In order to engender health literate young people, with a view to reducing health inequalities, it is recommended that key health messages are delivered through an agenda that integrates current provision for health via the curriculum and other school-based practices, such as the Healthy Schools Programme

International Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018 Final Report

The 2018 International Graduates Outcomes Survey (IGOS) provides an insight into international graduates from Australian universities post-study employment, work readiness, and reflections on course experiences, study motivation and overall satisfaction. Over 10,000 international students who graduated from an Australian university in the last decade (international graduates) were asked a range of questions about their current employment status and their opinions on their Australian qualification. In brief the results indicate that: 90 per cent of graduates who are available for employment are currently employed - incorporating 93 per cent who returned home and 85 percent who were still in Australia; 77 per cent of respondents said that they would recommend Australia as a study destination; 67 per cent of respondents consider their qualification was worth the financial investment; 43 per cent of respondents were currently living in Australia, gaining work experience or undertaking further study, while 47 per cent have returned to their country of origin

The Seasonal, Altitudinal, and Vegetational Incidence of Black Bear Scats in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A study was conducted in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to determine the variability of incidence of black bear scats as a reliable index to the population density. A total of 6085.7 km were hiked along six different routes, each hiked biweekly, from June-October, 1970-1975, resulting in the collection of 697 scats. The overall incidence of scats was 0.11 scats/km. The Elkmont-Bent Arm yielded 0.21 scats/km, Sugarlands Index Route 0.18 scats/km, Tremont-Derrick Knob Index Route 0.07 scats/km, Gregory-Hannah Mountain Index Route 0.06 scats/km, and Spence-Russell Index Route 0.03 scats/km. Variability in the scats/km over the nine hiking periods was partially attributed to the behavioral activities of breeding. Other factors such as the relative scarcity and abundance of summer and fall foods, climatic conditions, and pre-hibernation activities may have also influenced variability. The number of scats/km collected prior to and after the June-October time period was less, in both cases, except for the Spence-Russell Index Route. Factors possibly causing less evidence of bear presence along this route were the high degree of hiker use (40 percent higher than the next most popular trail) and the large number of horseback riders. Bears preferred higher elevations in the Park during the June-October period. The highest values of scats/km occurred between elevations of 1219-1371 m. Specific vegetation types in the higher elevations were also preferred over those same types in the lower elevations. Since certain abundant and available berry crops occur only in the higher elevations, it is assumed that this accounts for the apparent preference. When the number of scats/km were analyzed in conjunction with a combination factor of altitude-vegetation, it was found that altitude had as least a 95 percent probability of influencing the location of scats along all routes except the Spence-Russell Index Route. Numerous factors such as fluctuation in temperature, variations in precipitation, behavioral aspects of bears, etc., may influence the incidence of scats. Taking this into consideration when attempting to establish an independent index to monitor population fluctuations, it was found that certain statistical assumptions concerning factors that influence the variability of scats incidence would need to be made if the index was to be statistically valid. As these assumptions could not be made, a less sensitive but still effective equation was determined. Used in conjunction with the number of scats collected annually, the equation can be used as a check on population fluctuations