Music, ‘Sternhold and Hopkins’s’ Metrical Psalms, and the Inculcation of Protestantism in England, c.1547-1590

This thesis argues that the congregational or collective singing of metrical psalms was one of the principal means through which ordinary men, women and children negotiated the religious changes that shook sixteenth-century England. The thesis argues that these otherwise ‘voiceless’ individuals (those who, while using their voices to sing, lacked agency within their parish community, and are thus largely silent in the sources) shaped both the practice and corpus of texts and tunes to fit their preferences, and in doing so shaped both the speed and spread of Protestantism’s introduction into England, making its arrival and its ideas more palatable for themselves. To study fully the singing of metrical psalms, however, historians must appreciate the musical element which lies at the heart of this phenomenon. Without doing so, they miss some of the central reasons for its popularity and success. This thesis, therefore, establishes a framework through which historians can use music as a historical source, analysing it as it was heard by contemporaries. Drawing on the work of scholars from fields as diverse as music, theology, philosophy, and poetry, the thesis introduces three approaches which form the central pillars for this framework. Adopting this framework allows us to gain a fresh understanding of the surviving sources, revealing that the singing of metrical psalms may represent the most significant means through which the otherwise ‘voiceless’ came to accept Protestantism. The thesis also argues that the singing of metrical psalms was both more widespread and less controversial than scholars have previously understood, especially during the overlooked Edwardine and Marian periods. During Elizabeth I’s reign, in large part due to the experience of music and the agency of the otherwise ‘voiceless’, metrical psalmody firmly and quickly established itself first in London, then further afield, becoming an immovable element in congregational worship

Cocaine trafficking and the social impact of cocaine on UK society

Cocaine trafficking is a significant problem that affects countries all over the world and this needs to be researched in order to understand the huge impact that it has. The cocaine trade is a multi-billion pound industry that is governed by gangs organising the crime on an international scale and all efforts to eliminate the business have been unsuccessful up to the present time. The production of coca is based in South America; the majority coming from Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. These countries are the main cocaine producers where it is manufactured on a large scale and then distributed across the borders to the Caribbean, Australia and Europe. The methods of trafficking are varied and the cocaine is shipped, transferred by aircraft, transported by land routes and smuggled by drug mules. The controls in place are discussed and it becomes clear that they are often corrupt and the laws and efforts of prevention have not decreased the power of the cocaine trade. This sparked the question of whether it was worth spending millions of pounds to eliminate coca production and reduce trafficking and the explanations in this research conclude that there still has to be efforts in order to control the trade otherwise it would be even worse without the risk of any punishments and consequences. This study uses limited qualitative interviews with three drug users who described their experiences of using cocaine. This research was to help understand the social impact of cocaine on UK society. For all three interviewees, their lives have been changed by the drug abuse and they had taken both powder cocaine and crack cocaine. They described how they had committed crimes in order to fund their drug habit and showed emotion when talking about how their family relationships had been affected. It is concluded that the cocaine trade is proving extremely difficult to eradicate because the supply and demand are so great, the network of the business is strong and it is on such a large scale where people are risking their lives because the income is worth it to them. It is also concluded that there is not enough research to draw conclusions about the effect of cocaine trafficking on the United Kingdom and therefore a UK wide study would be exceptionally valuable

An attitude survey of optometrists in British Columbia and Alberta

An attitude survey of optometrists in British Columbia and Albert

“Doing the same puzzle over and over again”: a qualitative analysis of feeling stuck in grief

This research aimed to examine the meanings and constructions underlying narratives on feeling stuck in the grieving process and the interplay between grief experience and the internally and externally sourced expectations about the nature of grief. Four participants who self-referred to a National Bereavement support charity and reported feeling stuck in grief were interviewed and the resultant transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four Master Themes emerged from the analysis: Eclipsed by the deceased; The power in powerlessness; The double-edged sword of coping behaviours and Living in Purgatory. The results reveal new insights on the significance and consequences of living with unresolved dilemmas of grieving, namely being stuck in a vicious cycle of fear and avoidance and feeling a sense of impending doom, loneliness and stagnancy. Findings support a meaning reconstruction approach to grief therapy and highlight the negative implications of holding a time-limited, stage-based conceptualistion of grief. Suggestions for service providers are made, including the potential for using targeted cognitive-behavioral grief interventions that can help to reduce dissonance and address an over dependence on avoidance and polarised thinking

Interview : Adrian Vinsome

Peer Reviewe

Hybrid electric vehicles : current concepts and future market trends

Peer Reviewe

Interview : Francisco Trinidad

Peer Reviewe

Translating 3D Gel Dosimetry Research into Clinical Routine Use in Radiotherapy

PhDRadiotherapy involves the treatment of tumours with ionising radiation. Technological advances have improved the ability to conform dose distributions to tumours in three dimensions (3D) and thereby reduce morbidity. However, sophisticated measurement devices are required to verify these complex distributions and ensure their accuracy. Radiation-sensitive gels, including polymer and Fricke gels, are a potential solution to this 3D dosimetry problem. Scanning these detectors using imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides quantifiable images of dose distribution. Despite research efforts, 3D gel dosimetry has not yet been implemented as a routine dosimetry tool in clinical radiotherapy. This thesis aims to investigate the implementation of Fricke gel detectors within a clinical radiotherapy department. The existing literature was reviewed to establish what evidence already existed on the dosimetric accuracy of Fricke gel detectors. This review highlighted gaps for many important dosimetric characteristics and a lack of a systematic approach to the testing of these detectors. Basic dosimetric characteristics were then investigated using test tube Fricke gel samples and an MR spectrometer. These experiments showed an excellent basic precision over a dose range of 3 to 20Gy. However, detectors need to be scanned within a certain time of irradiation to avoid signal drift. There was no evidence of any dependence of response on dose rate, energy or fractionation. Larger volume detector samples were analysed using a 3T MRI scanner. Detector response was homogeneous and did not vary with volume. Post-irradiation blurring of the measured distribution due to ferric ion diffusion was within acceptable limits if detectors were scanned within 2 hours following irradiation for typical clinical dose gradients. Finally, large volume Fricke gel detectors were used to measure complex VMAT stereotactic plans, describing the integrated dose distribution with sufficient accuracy and demonstrating clear potential to be applied to our clinical practice.Barts Charity grant reference 691-1003; Translating Polymer Gel Dosimetry Research into Clinical Routine Use in Radiotherap