"Corrupt Bargains and Unconscionable Practices": The Expectant Heir in Seventeenth-Century Chancery

The ‘expectant heir’ Chancery suits have been identified in modern case law, and much of the relevant academic literature, as the origin of the modern doctrine of unconscionable dealing. These suits typically saw young heirs seeking relief from improvident bargains entered into while, short of ready money, they waited to succeed to their estate. The usual relief granted by Chancery was to set aside the bargain on payment of the amount the borrower had actually received, plus reasonable interest, and the basis for this relief has been the subject of conjecture by legal scholars. One prevalent modern theory reflects the contemporary doctrine of unconscionability: that is, the court was protecting the perceived weakness (through youth and inexperience) of the heirs. Another explanation is that Chancery’s jurisdiction to relieve expectant heirs reflected the court’s concern with protecting the wealth – and thus status – of the ruling classes; however, both these explanations are drawn only from cases appearing in the printed reports, the earliest of which dates from 1663. In contrast, this thesis also analyzes unreported expectant heir suits – and similar suits involving non-heir profligate obligors – found in the enrolled decrees of Chancery, across the whole of the seventeenth century. As a consequence, and by adopting a contextual case study approach, assessing these suits in light of the historical, economic and social context in which they were brought, pleaded and decided, this thesis suggests a qualitatively different understanding of Chancery’s jurisdiction to relieve expectant heirs: that the seventeenth-century court of Chancery was at least as concerned with preventing the disruption of the normal operation of the culture of credit which existed at that time, as with the protection of individual obligors or the assets of the dominant classes.Cambridge Law Journal Studentship, 2015-201

Theoretical and experimental studies of ZnO nanowires grown by vapour phase transport

This thesis discusses the growth atmosphere, condensing species and nucleation conditions relevant to vapour phase transport growth of ZnO nanowires. The partial pressure of molecular ZnO in a Zn/O2 mix at normal ZnO growth temperatures is 6 x 10e-7 of the Zn partial pressures. In typical vapour phase transport growth conditions, using carbothermal reduction, the Zn vapour is always undersaturated while the ZnO vapour is always supersaturated. In the case of the ZnO vapour, our analysis suggests that the barrier to nucleation is too large for nucleation of ZnO to take place, which is consistent with experimental evidence that nanostructures will not grow on unseeded areas of substrates. In the presence of suitable accommodation sites, due to ZnO seeds, growth can occur via Zn vapour condensation (followed by oxidation) and via direct condensation of molecular ZnO. The balance between these two condensing species is likely to be a sensitive function of growth parameters. This thesis also examines the relationship between the length and radius of ZnO nanowires grown via VPT and nds that the lengths of the nanowires increase with decreasing radius, supporting the inclusion of a diusion term in a model for the incorporation of molecules into a growing nanowire

Percolation in Carbon Nanotube Networks

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have become increasingly useful in different applications since they were discovered in 1991 by Sumio Iijima [1]. One of their many useful qualities is their electronic properties [2]. These CNTs, when formed into a network, can be used as transistors [3] or biosensors [4]. Transistors are devices that regulate either current flow or voltage and act as a switch; they are a crucial component of computers. Biosensors detect the presence of biomolecules. Efficient transistors and biosensors already exist; however, they are expensive to manufacture compared to these CNT networks. The ability of the CNT networks to be transistors or biosensors relies on the percolation properties of the networks. As long as these networks percolate, current can pass through the network from a source electrode to a drain electrode, which can then be modulated by an electrical or biological signal to make devices such as transistors useful

Poetry With People With Dementia: An Evaluation of a Two Year Project Engaging in Poetry Activities With Older People in Residential and Nursing Homes.

This paper is a summary of an evaluation of the first two years of a three year poetry project for older people with dementia. The project was set up with a poet in residence who mentored six poets to deliver poetry activities to older people and those with dementia in residential and care homes in Herefordshire. The project was developed and run by the Courtyards Hereford. The evaluation was undertake through the use of questionnaires that were given to staff and carers undertaking training workshops and the poets, staff and carers in the homes who facilitated the activities and finally by the residents who took part in the project. The main findings were that participants that responded to the questionnaire for staff and carers it had increased confidence and assisted them in gaining more knowledge about the residents, whilst for residents it had a number of positive effects including enhanced communication, increased self-esteem and enhanced self-worth whilst making them feel less isolated

Comparisons Between Rail-Trail Users and Nonusers and Men and Women\u27s Patterns of Use in a Suburban Community

Background: Physical activity research on trails is limited. We compared rail-trail users and nonusers on demographics, physical activity, and barriers/concerns about trail use; and described use among men and women. Methods: Four hundred thirteen adults completed a physical activity survey during fall 1998. Chi-square statistics and t-tests were used to compare trail users to nonusers, and men and women on trail use. Results: More trail users (79%) performed recreational physical activity ≥ 3 d/wk, compared to nonusers (47%). Walking was the most common activity for trail users and nonusers. Both groups shared concerns about safe access to the trail and certain trail conditions. A higher percentage of female versus male users traveled to the trail by walking, walked on the trail, used the trail with a friend, and perceived that if the trail were not available their activity would decrease. Conclusions: Trail users perform more recreational physical activity than nonusers. Gender differences in trail use patterns should be considered in the design and promotion of trails

Communicative Coping Behavior Checklist: Observation of Persons With Dementia in the Home Environment

Purpose of the Study: Communication contributes to increased stress, mortality, and decreased quality of life (QOL) for persons with dementia (PWD) and caregivers. PWD use communicative coping behaviors (CCBs) to manage the demands of the disease. However, most assessments neither look for nor give credit to communication behaviors. This is the first study to examine CCBs in the home environment as measured by the Communicative Coping Behavior Checklist (CCBC). Design and Methods: This cross-sectional quantitative study included 26 dementia and 18 cognitively normal control dyads. Raters observed their partners\u27 CCBs at home, over several weeks and completed the CCBC. We analyzed the endorsement rates (how often behaviors were observed by a rater) of emotion and activity-focused CCBs in dementia and control dyads. Results: The primary outcome was rate of CCB endorsement. Secondary outcomes included dementia diagnosis, cognitive status, depressive mood, life satisfaction (SWL) and QOL. Dementia dyads endorsed 11 of 23 CCBs significantly more than control dyads. Action-focused CCBs (p \u3c .001) were more frequent than emotion-focused CCBs (p = .004) in dementia dyads. Specific CCBs such as humor correlated with higher caregiver QOL (p = .019) and PWD\u27s SWL (p = .003). Another CCB, general humor, correlated with lower PWD\u27s SWL (p = .024). Implications: This was the first study to examine CCBs in the home environment comparing dementia and control dyads. Higher endorsement rates of action-focused than emotion-focused CCBs were seen in dementia dyads. We conclude that attention to CCBs during treatment and care will improve QOL and SWL of PWD and caregivers

An EXAFS study of rare-earth phosphate glasses in the vicinity of the metaphosphate composition

A study of rare-earth phosphate glasses, in the vicinity of the metaphosphate composition, has been undertaken at different temperatures using the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) facility at the Synchrotron Radiation Source, Daresbury Laboratory, UK. The metaphosphate-like glasses examined contained the rare-earth elements La, Sm. Eu and Gd as R3+ ions. The experiments were carried out at room temperature, 145 and 79 K. The data show that the first shell surrounding rare-earth ions contains only oxygen atoms at a mean distance of similar to 2.2-2.4 Angstrom. The 'Iantfianide contraction' is clearly observed, i.e., the R-O distance decreases with increasing atomic number. The observed R(-O) coordination numbers are in the range 5-7. A second correlation shell was found associated with phosphorus atoms around the central rare-earth atom (similar to 3.5 Angstrom), and another rare-earth:oxygen correlation was also identified (similar to 4 Angstrom). Static disorder dominates the Debye-Waller term, but thermal disorder is not negligible. Within the accuracy of the EXAFS data, no significant structural variations were observed over the temperature range studied. We conclude that the anomalous bulk properties are associated with either subtle structural features or primarily due to rare-earth ion Interactions