The isolation and characterisation of immune complexes in human body fluids

Imperial Users onl

Performance and Dialogue – An Ethnographic Study into Police Liaison Teams

Scholarly discussions on public-order policing often centre on the role of paramilitary policing tactics, only recently has the role of dialogue become more prominent within the field. This thesis primarily focuses upon a dialogue-focused public-order policing tactic – the Police Liaison Teams (PLTs) – operating within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in London, England. The thesis draws on data collected over a 13-month ethnographic immersion in the MPS’ public-order unit. This data was gathered during a doctoral studentship within the MPS over the period of 2015-2017. This thesis is fundamentally concerned with understanding how dialogue impacts social order within a public-order policing setting. From a micro-sociological perspective, the research seeks to understand the structures behind dialogic behaviours that Police Liaison Officers (PLOs) engage in when attempting to establish a form of ‘order’. The aim of the research is to consider the role dialogue plays during police-citizen interaction at public order policing events – specifically protests and a street-based carnival. This will be understood primarily through the perspective of uniformed officers and, more specifically, officers occupying the tactical role of PLO. Though reference will also be made to officers within other public order policing roles. Applying a dramaturgical conceptual framework, this thesis provides new insights into a lesser studied area of public-order policing. Within PLT-citizen interaction the significance of performance when interpreting actions is central. Framing the interpretation of police work using Goffman’s theories facilitates a more nuanced investigation into the ‘everyday’ behaviours within policing. My research develops our conceptual understanding of the policing of crowds still further, exploring on a micro level police-citizen interaction and the communicative structures that govern this

Using social networking to increase independent social functioning in a student with autism

The purpose of this study was to examine if engaging a student on a social networking site with his peers would increase social functioning in other settings. In this study social interactions were measured by reciprocating greetings, initiating greetings, and total numbers of social interactions during lunch and more social classes like gym. Both independent and prompted interactions were recorded. The student was required to log into Facebook and make a minimum of three interactions per day. Interactions that were recorded did not include interactions on Facebook. The subject showed marked improvement in reciprocating greetings and minimal increase in initiating greetings and total number of interactions. Results and implications of using a social networking site in the classroom are addressed

Accent services: Considering the perspectives of non-native speakers of English for a culturally affirming practice

Accent “modification” is a type of service offered by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) that is intended to, among other things, help speakers improve their intelligibility in a target second language. This area of practice has been, and continues to be, a controversial topic amongst scholars and practitioners. To explore and understand the perspectives of non-native speakers of English regarding their participation in accent services, the present study employed a qualitative research design using individual, semi-structured interviews. Ten adult non-native speakers of English (female: n = 7; male: n = 3), with ages between 28 and 47 years old (M = 35 years), participated in this research. Seven common themes emerged using a hybrid approach to datadriven, inductive thematic analysis. Overall, the participants described their experiences with learning English and accent services as beneficial while recognizing potential drawbacks, such as pressure to sound more “natural” or “less foreign.” To foster the provision of culturally affirming practice, SLPs need to be aware of deficit framing/thinking and biases toward accents. A focus on clients’ empowerment and confidence should be considered, with accent services centered on clients’ cultural values, identity, experiences, individual needs, and goals

From Novelty Act to National Association: The Emergence of Ladies' Gaelic Football in the 1970s

In 1967 a county Cork farmer wrote to the Sunday Independent (Dublin) to express his hope that the Gaelic Athletic Association (G.A.A.) would ban women from attending the upcoming All-Ireland finals. The G.A.A is a male-only organisation, he argued, and the presence of women at Croke Park would take up 'valuable space'. His letter generated many outraged responses from both men and women, all arguing against his opinion and illustrating that women played a vital role within the sporting community - whether as supporters, sandwich-makers or jersey-washers. The responses highlighted how people in Ireland were reconsidering the role of women in the public sphere more generally in the late 1960s. The emergence of ladies' Gaelic football as a 'serious' sport for women in the 1970s is reflective of this changing society. Current Irish sports historiography is considerably lacking in its examination of the space women occupied in modern sport in Ireland. This piece will draw on newspapers and archival material to examine the emergence of what came to be known as ladies' Gaelic football in the late 1960s and early 1970s and to analyse the debates about the changing position of women in sport and society at this time. In so doing, this piece will aim to bring the historiography of women in Irish society in conversation with the growing historiography on sport in Ireland

Early childhood teachers\u27 knowledge of children with disabilities and teaching children with disabilities

Trends to integrate students with disabilities into general education schools, rely on early childhood teachers utilising their knowledge and skills to provide successful induction into the education system, and fully including students with disabilities in the teaching program. This study describes early childhood teachers\u27 knowledge of children with disabilities, and the teaching of these children, through teachers recounting their sources of knowledge and experiences in teaching children with disabilities. This study was conducted in the northern metropolitan teaching districts of Perth, Western Australia. Using both quantitative and qualitative methodology, 22 early childhood teachers completed a survey involving open-ended questions, followed by 5 teachers participating in taped in-depth interviews, disclosing their thoughts and lived experiences of teaching children with disabilities in general education settings. Data were analysed to identify shared teacher knowledge significant to the effective teaching and inclusion of children with disabilities. Findings indicated that early childhood teachers\u27 knowledge of children with disabilities developed through the experience of teaching a child with disabilities and was relative to the particular children they had taught. Interview participants indicated that caring dispositions and knowledge of the individual, not the disability, was essential knowledge for teaching a child with disabilities. Being proactive and seeking support, as well as planning ahead, organizing time, adapting the learning environment and modifying existing teaching practices and expectations were considered to be critical elements of teaching a child with disabilities. Early childhood teachers also found that teaching a child with disabilities was a shared experience, where they were required to collaborate with various agencies and parents to ensure successful inclusion took place. The process of inclusion caused early childhood teachers to question their self-efficacy and the adequacy of their practical teaching knowledge. As one interview participant stated, it\u27s all a huge learning curve

The sustainment of early childhood teachers in the classroom

The changing nature of teaching has led to an increased focus on the retention and productive engagement of teachers in the classrooms. The ongoing implementation of educational change, accompanied by an ageing trend amongst teachers and rising incidences of teacher attrition, stress and burnout, highlights the importance of teachers being sustained in their profession. Furthermore, recognition of the value of early childhood education has drawn attention to early childhood teachers\u27 abilities to be sustained in their teaching practice, effectively engaging students in the learning process. Acknowledging these issues, this study examined factors that influence early childhood classroom teachers\u27 sustainment in the profession and in teaching. Conducted in the northern metropolitan teaching districts of Perth, Western Australia, this study utilized qualitative methodology in two phases of data collection: open-ended surveys and focus group discussions with 57 early childhood teachers, and case studies, compiled from in-depth interviews with six experienced early childhood teachers who had taught more than 20 years in the classroom. Data was analysed to identify key factors impacting on early childhood teachers staying committed and productively engaged in the profession and in the craft of teaching

The Surgical Management of Acromegaly

Acromegaly is the condition produced by one of the benign tumors of the pituitary gland. These tumors produce a variety of disorders affecting many parts of the body, producing side effects related to abnormal hormone function. The dramatic appearance of the acromegalic giant has attracted attention over the ages. This chapter summarizes the history of the recognition and ultimate diagnosis of acromegaly. The biological and physiological elements are described. The methods of diagnosis and management are elaborated. Although the focus of the chapter is on the surgical approach for treatment, alternative strategies are also discussed, along with the outcomes of management for patients and the restoration of quality of life as a primary goal

Statistical models to infer gas end-use efficiency in individual dwellings using smart metered data

Residential buildings can significantly contribute to the European Union\u27s 2020 efficiency energy targets. For this reason, energy distributors and suppliers are required to provide assistance to householders to reduce energy end-use. This paper develops statistical modelling methods that can be used by suppliers to infer the gas fuel efficiency of buildings in their residential portfolio, in order to deliver improved energy management services to consumers. The study begins by estimating individual statistical building energy models for a sample of consumers and presents the resulting distribution of independent parameters. These parameter distributions are then characterised by regression models using descriptive household data that is generally known by the consumer and can be easily gathered by the energy supply company. These models are then used to compare the inferred energy end-use efficiency of the household (cooking, hot-water and space heating) to similar dwellings. Buildings with higher-than-expected gas consumption can be targeted for energy efficiency programmes