Symmetry enhanced first-order phase transition in a two-dimensional quantum magnet

Theoretical studies of quantum phase transitions have suggested critical points with higher symmetries than those of the underlying Hamiltonian. Here we demonstrate a surprising emergent symmetry of the coexistence state at a strongly discontinuous phase transition between two ordered ground states. We present a quantum Monte Carlo study of a two-dimensional S=1/2 quantum magnet hosting the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and plaquette-singlet solid (PSS) states recently detected in SrCu2(BO3)2. We observe that the O(3) symmetric AFM order and the Z2 symmetric PSS order form an O(4) vector at the transition. The control parameter g (a coupling ratio) rotates the vector between the AFM and PSS sectors and there are no energy barriers between the two at the transition point gc. This phenomenon may be observable in SrCu2(BO3)2.First author draf

Mixed methods - theory and practice. Sequential, explanatory approach

There appears to be a paucity of research undertaken in emotional intelligence in higher education suggesting a gap in which research can be undertaken that can provide new insight and add together with knowledge and understanding. This article discusses a study using sequential, explanatory, mixed methodology, which was undertaken on a sample of 533 academics (those employed by a university full time, part time, and hourly and who may be lecturers, tutors, instructors, researchers). The reason for collecting sequential quantitative and qualitative data into one study brings together two types of information providing greater understanding and insight into the research topics that may not have been obtained analysing and evaluating data separately. The findings from interviews helps explain the findings from quantitative data

The relationship between emotional intelligence and well-being in academic employees

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between emotional demands, emotional intelligence and perceived stress in a sample of academic employees. The sample size of 100% (N =533) includes the following: 45.8% (N = 244) are male with a mean age of 48.78 (SD = 10.9) and median of 49; and 54.2% (N = 289) are female with a mean age of 47.29 (SD = 9.78) and median of 48. All academics work for universities in different countries around the world. Instruments associated with managing emotions (Trait emotional intelligence questionnaire- short form, TEIQue-SF) and perceived stress scale (PSS) are used in this study and the findings show that there is an invert relationship between perceived stress scale (PSS) and managing emotions; as PSS reduces managing emotions increases. The findings of this study provide a user-friendly summary that can inform and contribute to theory and future research

Symmetry enhanced first-order phase transition in a two-dimensional quantum magnet

Theoretical studies of quantum phase transitions have suggested critical points with higher symmetries than those of the underlying Hamiltonian. Here we demonstrate a surprising emergent symmetry of the coexistence state at a strongly discontinuous phase transition between two ordered ground states. We present a quantum Monte Carlo study of a two-dimensional $S=1/2$ quantum magnet hosting the antiferromagnetic (AFM) and plaquette-singlet solid (PSS) states recently detected in SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$. We observe that the O(3) symmetric AFM order and the Z$_2$ symmetric PSS order form an O(4) vector at the transition. The control parameter $g$ (a coupling ratio) rotates the vector between the AFM and PSS sectors and there are no energy barriers between the two at the transition point $g_c$. This phenomenon may be observable in SrCu$_2$(BO$_3$)$_2$.Comment: 12 pages, 12 figure

What a Wonderful Kiki!: Music and Queerness at Mixtape, a Washington, DC Gay Dance Party

This thesis explores the relationship between queerness and music through two case studies: a monthly Washington, DC gay dance party called Mixtape and a recent song by the band the Scissor Sisters, called Let's Have a Kiki. In so doing I examine and analyze the discursive categories of alternative and mainstream to show on the one hand the ways in which the party and song are constituted and experienced as truly alternative; on the other hand, I show how within this carved-out space new norms and regulatory ideals begin to function, creating mainstreams against and through which behavior and identity are judged and created. I find that these terms partially embody a complex reality of power structures in queer communities, articulated through music.Master of Art

Emotional intelligence: coping and well-being amongst higher education academics. Are they related? How are they experienced?

Woods (2010) points out that research in emotional intelligence has been carried out at school level, but little research has been undertaken with academics in higher education. Research around emotions within the organisational context also appears to be limited in higher education (Briner, 1999, 2005; Kumar and Rooprai, 2009). There, therefore, appears to be an area in which research can be carried out. The overall aim of this study was to evaluate the concept of emotional intelligence (trait EI) in the higher educational context (University) and to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence, coping and well-being. The research explored: how university academics cope emotionally with interpersonal relationships; if there was a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and well-being; if emotional intelligence can help academics cope; the emotionally challenging experiences academics have and how they cope with them. Mixed methodology was used in this research using a sequential, explanatory approach. Triangulation brings together the findings from the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative aspect of the research included a sample size of 100% (N =533); 45.8% (N = 244) male, with a mean age of 48.78 (SD = 10.9); and 54.2% (N = 289) female, with a mean age of 47.29 (SD = 9.78). All participants worked for universities in different countries around the world. Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient was used to analyse the quantitative data associated with: coping (Carver, Scheier and Weintraub, 1989), managing emotions (Petrides, 2009a); perceived stress scale (PSS) (Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein, 1983); emotional demands (COPSOQ) (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire, 2003); and home/work recovery (Querstret and Cropley, 2012). The analysis showed that there was an inverse correlation between PSS and managing emotions (r = -0.52) suggesting a relationship between managing emotions and perceived stress. There appeared to be less significant relationships between the other instruments. Curvature analysis was undertaken on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI squared) and Perceived stress (PSS). The findings identified a small R squared change of 0.007, while the sig F change is 0.036 which suggests significance as it is less than 0.05. However, it is very small. The nonlinear effect (the addition) of the EI squared variable which is associated with the 0.007 change was 4.41 (F change) which again, appeared very small when compared with the linear F change of 168.32. Moderation was undertaken using Hayes’ (2016) “Process” model. The findings showed that when there was a low level of coping there was a significant negative relationship between PSS and EI (b = -0.16, 95% CI [-0.21, -0.11], t = -6.36, p =00). At the mean value of coping, there was a negative relationship between PSS and EI (b = -0.19, 95% CI [- 0.22, -0.15], t = -10.92, p =00). When there was a high level of coping there was a significant negative relationship between PSS and EI (b = - 0.21, 95% CI [-0.25, -0.17], t = -9.33, p =00). The findings suggest that notwithstanding how well academics cope there was a negative relationship between PSS and EI. The conditional effect of x on y values of the moderators showed that at low levels of coping there was a (negative) significant effect (p less than 0.05) of PSS on EI (-12.01, p <0.05). At average levels of coping there was negative significant effect of PSS on EI (0, p <0.05). At high levels of coping there was a positive significant effect. Mediation analysis was also undertaken to find out the effect PSS has on EI influenced by coping. The findings suggest that there was a small significant indirect effect of PSS on EI, through coping where b = 0.02, 95% CI [-0.05, 0.08]. The qualitative aspect of the research included interviews with 11 academics aged 29 to 58. Thematic analysis (TA) was undertaken identifying examples of emotional challenges and experience that are integrated into the study to contextualise the findings. The findings suggest that each person has his/ her own coping strategies which may overlap. This does not come out from findings of the questionnaire/ survey, exemplifying the advantages of undertaking interviews. The findings from the interviews were used to provide greater depth and explanation, than if quantitative data was used alone. Limitations identified include individual differences and challenges in generalising beyond the sample size. A further limitation was that different sample types, models and instruments may have been used in earlier research. Fuzzy generalisations are, therefore, made that replace the certainty of scientific generalisations that help contribute to theory and future research. Overall, it was apparent from the findings from the interviews that, whereas academics experience stressful/ challenging experiences, they use emotional intelligence to help them cope in a constructive manner using ways of coping such as: humour, emotional/ instrumental support. The findings from the quantitative data showed that as perceived stress goes down, emotional intelligence goes up. Each of the methods undertaken in this study support the view that academics do use emotional intelligence to help them cope with stressful and challenging experiences, dependent upon context and circumstances that he/ she experience. Recommendations are made that include training academics to understand their own emotions and to identify emotions in others and then to manage the emotions. This could help increase awareness of emotional intelligence. It is recommended that training be voluntary and be extended to all stakeholders. To embed the training into the organisational procedures and to help communication of emotional intelligence, policies should be developed to help academics and other stakeholders to cope with stressful and challenging experiences to help improve student experience

Modeling Oxygen Uptake during V1 Treadmill Roller Skiing

The use of regression equations to predict oxygen uptake in relation to speed, grade, power output, and anthropometric characteristics is common in cardiac rehabilitation and athlete fitness testing. Research has suggested that sport specific testing improves the reliability of the test methodology and is appropriate for the development of effective training programs. This study focused on the development of a cross-country skiing specific predictor of maximal oxygen uptake based on treadmill speed, treadmill grade, gender, and body mass. This project simulated snow skiing on a large research treadmill using roller skis. A small sample size (N = 34) warranted the use of bootstrapping techniques and multiple regression analysis to develop a cross-country skiing specific model of oxygen uptake. The stability of each bootstrapped sample was confirmed via a cross-validation procedure. The equation of best resolve was: VO2 = -4.534 + 0.223(G) + 0.061(BM) + 0.139(TG) + 0.016(TS) in which G = Gender, BM = Body Mass, TG = Treadmill Grade, TS = Treadmill Speed. The resultant model can be used to design training programs, develop athlete fitness testing or research protocols, and to predict maximal oxygen uptake when sophisticated metabolic measurement equipment is unavailable

Coping with interpersonal relationships within higher education (universities)

The object of this study is to explore academic stress amongst academics (those who are employed by full/ part time, hourly paid, and who may be lecturers/ tutors/ instructors/ researchers) working for a university in different countries around the world. 533 (100%) academics participated in an online questionnaire/ survey. 244 (45.8%) were male with a mean age of 48.78 (SD = 10.9); and 54.2% (N = 289) were female with a mean age of 47.29 (SD = 9.78). The minimum age of participants was 24 and the maximum was 78 (Mean: 47.99; SD: 10.32). The participants responded to the perceived stress scale (PSS) (Cohen et al, 1983) and findings are discussed

Middle and Late Pleistocene environmental history of the Marsworth area, south-central England

To elucidate the Middle and Late Pleistocene environmental history of south-central England, we report the stratigraphy, sedimentology, palaeoecology and geochronology of some deposits near the foot of the Chiltern Hills scarp at Marsworth, Buckinghamshire. The Marsworth site is important because its sedimentary sequences contain a rich record of warm stages and cold stages, and it lies close to the Anglian glacial limit. Critical to its history are the origin and age of a brown pebbly silty clay (diamicton) previously interpreted as weathered till. The deposits described infill a river channel incised into chalk bedrock. They comprise clayey, silty and gravelly sediments, many containing locally derived chalk and some with molluscan, ostracod and vertebrate remains. Most of the deposits are readily attributed to periglacial and fluvial processes, and some are dated by optically stimulated luminescence to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. Although our sedimentological data do not discriminate between a glacial or periglacial interpretation of the diamicton, amino-acid dating of three molluscan taxa from beneath it indicates that it is younger than MIS 9 and older than MIS 5e. This makes a glacial interpretation unlikely, and we interpret the diamicton as a periglacial slope deposit. The Pleistocene history reconstructed for Marsworth identifies four key elements: (1) Anglian glaciation during MIS 12 closely approached Marsworth, introducing far-travelled pebbles such as Rhaxella chert and possibly some fine sand minerals into the area. (2) Interglacial environments inferred from fluvial sediments during MIS 7 varied from fully interglacial conditions during sub-stages 7e and 7c, cool temperate conditions during sub-stage 7b or 7a, temperate conditions similar to those today in central England towards the end of the interglacial, and cool temperate conditions during sub-stage 7a. (3) Periglacial activity during MIS 6 involved thermal contraction cracking, permafrost development, fracturing of chalk bedrock, fluvial activity, slopewash, mass movement and deposition of loess and coversand. (4) Fully interglacial conditions during sub-stage 5e led to renewed fluvial activity, soil formation and acidic weathering

Research students exhibition catalogue 2011

The catalogue demonstrates the scope and vibrancy of current inquiries and pays tribute to the creative capacity and investment of UCA research students. It brings together contributions from students who are at different stages in their research ad/venture. Their explorations are connected by the centrality of contemporary material practices as focal point for the reconsideration of societal values, cultural symbols and rituals and their meaning, and the trans/formation of individual, collective and national identities The media and formats employed range from cloth, jewellery and ceramics to analogue film, the human voice and the representation of dress and fashionin virtual environments. Thematic interests span from explorations at the interface of art and medical science to an investigation of the role of art in contested spaces, or the role of metonymy in ‘how the arts think’ And whilst the projects are motivated by personal curiosity and passion, their outcomes transcend the boundaries of individual practice and offer new insights, under-standing and applications for the benefit of wider society. Prof. Kerstin Me