Gaining perceptions of intelligence in order to understand how knowledge exists in the post-16 sport curriculum

This study focused on discovering how intelligence was conceptualised by Further Education (FE) sport and access students in order to offer suggestions of what this means for how knowledge is perceived in the post-16 sports curriculum. A small scale qualitative methodology was used where a questionnaire was created to collect data and answer the two research questions devised. Non-probability quota sampling was used to represent characteristics (strata) of the greater population. Results indicated that the professions based on highly academic and theoretical aspects were viewed as more intelligent with the greatest differential of perceived intellect evident in the profession of a doctor and football player. The study offers a concerned outlook as where that leaves the post-16 sports curriculum when intelligence is not perceived in the same way in that environment. Consequentially questions arise for the role of post-16 sport as a subject in its own right especially following recent policy changes that only heighten the importance of subjects such as English and maths in the sector. Future research should look at what intelligence is in these practical environments and focus on assessing the current curriculum to make sure that sport is viewed as more than ‘good for teamwork, good for health’, as although this is true it just highlights that the learning of knowledge is secondary in this subject and highlights the misconceptions of perceived practical performance subjects

Three dimensional structure in the Indus Supercluster

The technique for obtaining radial velocities of g ?Taxies from UK Schmidt telescope objective -prism spectra, first developed by Cooke (1980), is used here to investigate the possibility of using these radial velocities to produce a large -scale survey of the Universe in three dimensions. A 4.8' x 5.2' region of the sky in ESO /SERC survey field 145 is examined, which contains part of the Indus supercluster. Computer programs are used to obtain a large sample of spectra from a measurement of the plate of this region by the Edinburgh COSMOS machine in its mapping mode. The Indus region surveyed is found to contain no obvious large -scale features, but several small ones. The reliability of objective -prism redshifts is tested by measuring some of the areas a second time, and the objective -prism redshifts are also calibrated by comparing them with redshifts obtained independently from slit spectra. The effective "redshifts" of stellar spectra are measured to check the zero point of the redshift scale. The results indicate that the accuracy of the redshifts in the COSMOS sample is not as good as expected, and that there is a systematic drift in redshift zero point with magnitude. This situation may be improved by using a magnitude- independent method of wavelength calibration and by limiting the sample to images brighter than B - 18. It is found to be difficult to determine redshifts reliably using only the one standard feature used by Cooke (1980), and around 57. of the spectra this feature is mis- identified, causing a redshift discrepancy of around +0.1. A feature in some stellar spectra, at 4470A, causes them to appear like galaxies on the objective -prism plate, and these are found to be contaminating the sample, causing an excess of redshifts in the range 0.11 -0.13. The objective -prism sample is paired with a sample of images from the direct plate of the region which have been automatically separated into stars and galaxies. It is found that redshifts are attained for about 207. of galaxies, but that this fraction decreases with magnitude. A large fraction of objects fainter than B - 18.5 are found to be compact. Most of these are contaminating stars, but there is marginal evidence for the existence of a small population of compact galaxies in the rich clusters of the Indus supercluster

Fighting, Bargaining, and War Termination: Examining How Battlefield Factors Affect When Negotiations Can End Interstate Wars

How do interstate wars end? I explore this question in my dissertation by developing the bargaining model of war (e.g. Fearon 1995, Powell 2006, Wagner 2000, Filson and Werner 2002 and others) to include a more detailed account of war processes. In particular, I examine how military strategy affects interstate bargaining and how this relates to war termination. Several significant developments emerge from this examination. First, it becomes apparent that there are in fact two fundamentally different bargaining situations in interstate wars. Ground wars occur where the states attempt to take and hold territory and can achieve their objectives militarily. Bombardment wars occur when the states only inflict costs on their opponent through air or artillery bombardment, and must rely on their opponent voluntarily making concessions to achieve any changes to the status quo. Second, examining war termination relative to the military situation at the end of the war shows that standard bargaining explanations fail to adequately explain the actual end of most wars. Wars typically end before credible commitment issues have been fully resolved. However, most wars do not appear to involve freely negotiated settlements, as war outcomes tend not to be intermediate to the two sides&rsquo; war aims and tend not to involve one side making preemptive concessions before they have been militarily lost. I argue that in ground wars, defensive advantages present commitment problems internal to the war, inhibiting war termination until one side has achieved their war aims. However, once one side, and particularly the stronger, has achieved their war aims, defensive advantages actually cement a war ending settlement. Finally, bombardment wars must end with the revelation of private information, as the combatants cannot achieve their aims militarily. However, revealing this information is difficult, as individual engagements reveal very little information. Precipitating events may thus be necessary to prompt the end of bombardment wars. I empirically test these theories with originally coded data on military campaign outcomes. I supplement the quantitative analysis with multiple case studies, demonstrating that the hypothesized mechanism does occur.</p

The Medical Informatics Group: Ongoing Research

Two current research projects within the Medical Informatics Group are described. The first, the Diabetes Data Management Project, has as its major goal the effective analysis, display, and summarization of information relevant to the care of insulin-dependent diabetics. These goals are achieved through the use of quantitative and qualitative modeling techniques, object-oriented graphical display methods, and natural language generation programs. The second research activity, the Hypertext Medical Handbook Project, emphasizes many aspects of electronic publishing and biomedical communication. In particular, the project explores machine-assisted information retrieval by combining user feedback with Bayesian inference networks

Decreased Intracranial Pressure Elevation and Cerebrospinal Fluid Outflow Resistance: A Potential Mechanism of Hypothermia Cerebroprotection Following Experimental Stroke

Background: Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) occurs 18–24 h after ischaemic stroke and is implicated as a potential cause of early neurological deterioration. Increased resistance to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) outflow after ischaemic stroke is a proposed mechanism for ICP elevation. Ultra-short duration hypothermia prevents ICP elevation 24 h post-stroke in rats. We aimed to determine whether hypothermia would reduce CSF outflow resistance post-stroke. Methods: Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was performed, followed by gradual cooling to 33 °C. At 18 h post-stroke, CSF outflow resistance was measured using a steady-state infusion method. Results: Hypothermia to 33 °C prevented ICP elevation 18 h post-stroke (hypothermia ∆ICP = 0.8 ± 3.6 mmHg vs. normothermia ∆ICP = 4.4 ± 2.0 mmHg, p = 0.04) and reduced infarct volume 24 h post-stroke (hypothermia = 78.6 ± 21.3 mm(3) vs. normothermia = 108.1 ± 17.8 mm(3); p = 0.01). Hypothermia to 33 °C did not result in a significant reduction in CSF outflow resistance compared with normothermia controls (0.32 ± 0.36 mmHg/µL/min vs. 1.07 ± 0.99 mmHg/µL/min, p = 0.06). Conclusions: Hypothermia treatment was protective in terms of ICP rise prevention, infarct volume reduction, and may be implicated in CSF outflow resistance post-stroke. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of ICP elevation and hypothermia treatment

Boundary Avoidance Tracking for Instigating Pilot Induced Oscillations

In order to advance research in the area of pilot induced oscillations, a reliable method to create PIOs in a simulated environment is necessary. Using a boundary avoidance tracking task, researchers performing an evaluation of control systems were able to create PIO events in 42% of cases using a nominal aircraft, and 91% of cases using an aircraft with reduced actuator rate limits. The simulator evaluation took place in the NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator, a high-fidelity motion-based simulation facility

Short-duration hypothermia completed prior to reperfusion prevents intracranial pressure elevation following ischaemic stroke in rats

Abstract Reperfusion therapies re-establish blood flow after arterial occlusion and improve outcome for ischaemic stroke patients. Intracranial pressure (ICP) elevation occurs 18–24 h after experimental stroke. This elevation is prevented by short-duration hypothermia spanning the time of reperfusion. We aimed to determine whether hypothermia-rewarming completed prior to reperfusion, also prevents ICP elevation 24 h post-stroke. Transient middle cerebral artery occlusion was performed on male outbred Wistar rats. Sixty-minute hypothermia to 33 °C, followed by rewarming was induced prior to reperfusion in one group, and after reperfusion in another group. Normothermia controls received identical anaesthesia protocols. ΔICP from pre-stroke to 24 h post-stroke was measured, and infarct volumes were calculated. Rewarming pre-reperfusion prevented ICP elevation (ΔICP = 0.3 ± 3.9 mmHg vs. normothermia ΔICP = 5.2 ± 2.1 mmHg, p = 0.02) and reduced infarct volume (pre-reperfusion = 78.6 ± 23.7 mm3 vs. normothermia = 125.1 ± 44.3 mm3, p = 0.04) 24 h post-stroke. There were no significant differences in ΔICP or infarct volumes between hypothermia groups rewarmed pre- or post-reperfusion. Hypothermia during reperfusion is not necessary for prevention of ICP rise or infarct volume reduction. Short-duration hypothermia may be an applicable early treatment strategy for stroke patients prior to- during-, and after reperfusion therapy