Geodesics in the static Mallett spacetime

Mallett has exhibited a cylindrically symmetric spacetime containing closed timelike curves produced by a light beam circulating around a line singularity. I analyze the static version of this spacetime obtained by setting the intensity of the light to zero. Some null geodesics can escape to infinity, but all timelike geodesics in this spacetime originate and terminate at the singularity. Freely falling matter originally at rest quickly attains relativistic velocity inward and is destroyed at the singularity.Comment: 5 page

A Validation of Certain Measures of Personality Adjustment at the College Level

This report deals with some preliminary data on the validity of the Bell Adjustment Inventory, a questionnaire scale designed to locate personality maladjustments in high school and college students. Other similar measurements being studied are the Thurstone Personality Schedule and the Woodworth-House Mental Hygiene Inventory

Informality and employment relationships in small firms: humour, ambiguity and straight-talking

This paper presents in-depth qualitative research on three small professional service firms whose owner-managers sought to introduce greater degrees of formality in their firms’ working practices and employment relationships. We focus on humour as an ambiguous medium of informality, yet viewed by owner-managers as a tool at their disposal. However, while early studies of humour in small and medium-sized enterprises support such a functionalist view, our findings indicate its significant limitations. We argue that humour obscures but does not resolve disjunctive interests and it remains stubbornly ambiguous and resistant to attempts to functionalize it. Our findings contribute to studies of humour in small and medium-sized enterprises by challenging its utility as a means of managerial control or employee resistance. They also contribute to studies of employment relationships by exploring humour's potentially disruptive influence within the formality–informality span, especially as small and medium-sized enterprises seek greater degrees of formalization, with implications for how those relationships are conducted and (re)negotiated on an ongoing basis

From entrepreneur to owner-manager

The demands of not only starting but building a business commonly invoke the independence, risk-taking and dynamism associated with entrepreneurs. However it can be argued that, as enterprises grow, mature and become more established, the role of everyday business management requires a different set of skills, or areas of emphasis, from those associated with a start-up. This Chapter focuses on the challenging transformation from the start-up phase to the everyday management of a business with employees. Importantly, this involves adapting to the demands placed upon an owner-manager, the need for demonstrating leadership and for engaging with employment relationships

The spatial implications of homeworking: a Lefebvrian approach to the rewards and challenges of home-based work

In this theoretical article we propose an approach to the spatial implications of homeworking derived from the work of social theorist Henri Lefebvre. By highlighting the processes involved in the inherently contested and (re)constructed nature of space in the demarcated home/work environment we draw on Lefebvre to suggest a collapse of this demarcation. We consider the impact of such a collapse on questions relating to the rewards and challenges of home-based work for both workers and their co-residents. In contrast to our approach to the spatial implications of home-based work derived from Lefebvre, we argue that a traditional, Euclidean conception of space risks ignoring the important, symbolic nature of social space to the detriment of both the effective research and practice of homeworking

Draught beer hygiene: a survey of on-trade quality

The quality of draught beer in 57 on-trade licensed premises in 10 locations in the UK Midlands was assessed using a forcing test. Of 149 samples of standard lager (‘SL’, abv ≤ 4.2%), 44% were in the ‘excellent’ quality band compared to 16% of 88 samples of keg ale (‘KA’, abv ≤ 4.2%). Of the total of 237 samples, > 90% were represented by two lager and two ale national brands. There were differences in the quality index (QI) between the brands, with lager SL3 having a QI of 84% compared to 72% for lager SL6, 71% for ale KA5 and 68% for ale KA1. The susceptibility of the four brands to spoilage was assessed using a challenge test with microorganisms taken from forced draught samples of the brands. Ale KA5 (challenge test QI = 87.5%) was the most resistant to spoilage followed by lager SL3 (81.3%), lager SL6 (75%) and ale KA1 (62.5%). Keg beers in accounts with a national cask beer quality accreditation had the same QI as those without accreditation. Analysis of price versus quality showed that the most expensive price band had the lowest quality. Draught beer quality declined as the number of dispense taps increased across the bar. It was also noted that dispense of beer into branded half pint glasses had variable take-up, with lager SL3 served in the correct branded glassware on 71% of occasions but with only 5% of occasions for lager SL6. None of the keg ales were served in correctly branded glassware

Exploring how the social model of disability can be re-invigorated: in response to Jonathan Levitt.

Levitt argues the social model of disability needs to be re-invigorated, potentially by adapting the tool for separate countries. The social model has been successfully applied for some disabled groups in the United Kingdom. However, the social model is not implemented for neurodivergent labels such as autism, through negative language of autism, causing severe problems for autistic individuals’ daily lives. The social model can be re-invigorated for autism, removing social barriers by; changing non-autistic people’s attitudes towards autism through ensuring positive language of autism, preventing the categorisation of autism and fully enacting The Autism Act 2009 and The Equality 2010

Diagnostic accuracy studies: how to report and analyse inconclusive test results.

Failure to report inconclusive test results can lead to misleading conclusions regarding the accuracy and clinical usefulness of a diagnostic tool. We show that these results are often overlooked in research on test accuracy and provide guidance on suitable approaches to reporting and analysing these problematic results