Growth in Public Interest and Scientific Research on Kinesiology Taping

Kinesiology taping has grown in popularity, though there are a number of unsubstantiated claims made by some kinesiology taping advocates. An investigation was conducted into trends in general and scientific interest in kinesiology taping. Data in the public domain (Google Trends and Google Scholar data) indicated significant growth of interest both in terms of public search queries and scientific publications relevant to kinesiology taping. Cyclical trends in interest relevant to kinesiology taping were identified. Segmented regression indicated some of the growth in interest in kinesiology taping may be attributed to exposure of spectators of the Olympic Games to kinesiology taping in athletes. Despite substantial growth in research on kinesiology taping there remain unsubstantiated claims

Multiple incursion pathways for Helicoverpa armigera in Brazil show its genetic diversity spreading in a connected world

The Old World cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera was first detected in Brazil with subsequent reports from Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay. This pattern suggests that the H. armigera spread across the South American continent following incursions into northern/central Brazil, however, this hypothesis has not been tested. Here we compare northern and central Brazilian H. armigera mtDNA COI haplotypes with those from southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. We infer spatial genetic and gene flow patterns of this dispersive pest in the agricultural landscape of South America. We show that the spatial distribution of H. armigera mtDNA haplotypes and its inferred gene flow patterns in the southwestern region of South America exhibited signatures inconsistent with a single incursion hypothesis. Simulations on spatial distribution patterns show that the detection of rare and/or the absence of dominant mtDNA haplotypes in southern H. armigera populations are inconsistent with genetic signatures observed in northern and central Brazil. Incursions of H. armigera into the New World are therefore likely to have involved independent events in northern/central Brazil, and southern Brazil/Uruguay-Argentina-Paraguay. This study demonstrates the significant biosecurity challenges facing the South American continent, and highlights alternate pathways for introductions of alien species into the New World

Applying a new concept for strategic performance indicators

Performance measurement provides critical information for strategic decision-making about the future of national infrastructure provision. The process of developing appropriate performance indicators must be based on an understanding of the high-level desired outcomes that infrastructure systems are intended to facilitate. These outcomes may be complex and dynamic and vary across the spectrum of infrastructure stakeholders. This paper demonstrates a conceptual process for developing outcome-related performance indicators by using case studies from the UK rail and water sectors. The case studies show that the process can provide an industry-specific picture of desired outcomes across the main stakeholders, together with their dimensions and associated performance indicators (so-called partial indicators). The work highlights potential shortfalls of a sector-by-sector approach to outcome-oriented strategic performance indicators and suggests that further work is required to integrate partial indicators to provide a holistic picture that recognises the contributions often made by a variety of infrastructures to a given high-level desired outcome

A conceptual approach to strategic performance indicators

Effective decision-making for the provision and maintenance of infrastructure systems requires strategic performance indicators aligned with a clear vision of the societal benefits that infrastructure will be expected to enable and systemic awareness of interdependencies between infrastructure sectors. This paper proposes a conceptual outcome-oriented approach to strategic infrastructure performance indicators as a systemic alternative to current approaches which predominantly focus on performance within individual sectors. The conceptual approach proposed aligns performance measures with stated priorities and future aspirations rather than past performance; provides a transparent framework for decision-making; can be applied at a range of scales; and creates an evidence base against which indicator design can be justified and reviewed. Additionally, the conceptual outcome-oriented approach proposed is adaptable for application in other areas of infrastructure decision-making, in particular the development of methodologies to assess what infrastructure will be needed in the future

The Continuum Directed Random Polymer

Motivated by discrete directed polymers in one space and one time dimension, we construct a continuum directed random polymer that is modeled by a continuous path interacting with a space-time white noise. The strength of the interaction is determined by an inverse temperature parameter beta, and for a given beta and realization of the noise the path evolves in a Markovian way. The transition probabilities are determined by solutions to the one-dimensional stochastic heat equation. We show that for all beta > 0 and for almost all realizations of the white noise the path measure has the same Holder continuity and quadratic variation properties as Brownian motion, but that it is actually singular with respect to the standard Wiener measure on C([0,1]).Comment: 21 page

Primary Paediatric Bronchial Airway Epithelial Cell in Vitro Responses to Environmental Exposures

Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful to the children who participated in this study and their parents. The authors would like to thank the following colleagues in the department of Ear Nose and Throat Surgery at NHS Grampian for allowing us to recruit their patients: Nicola Kryle, Derek Veitch, Kim Ah-See, Bhaskar Ram, Sangeeta Maini and Clive Brewis. We are also grateful to Tenovus Scotland whose funds enabled analysis of the samples (Grant reference G13_17) but did not include open access publishing fees.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Walter Smith III: A comparison of improvisational techniques on “July” (2014) and “Stablemates” (2009)

This dissertation compares the improvisational style of notable tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III when performing a jazz standard, as well as an original composition. As with other contemporary artists, there is little to no pre-existing literature discussing Smith despite his frequent collaboration with jazz luminaries such as Terence Blanchard, Eric Harland, Roy Haynes, Jason Moran, and Christian McBride, as well as contemporaries Christian Scott, Ambrose Akinmusire and Kendrick Scott. The primary aim of this dissertation is to transcribe, examine and compare Smith’s improvisations on July (2014) and Stablemates (2009). The harmonic, melodic and phrasing elements of Smith’s improvisation will be identified and discussed in terms of where and how they are being used. Common elements that comprise his unique improvisational style are examined to determine how their usage differs between these settings in terms of frequency and application. This research process has provided insight into how techniques already familiar to modern improvisers, from their study and practice of standard jazz repertoire, can be applied to the form and foreign harmonic landscapes conceived by contemporary composers. This investigation found that the phrasing and melodic elements of Smith’s improvisations are consistent in terms of frequency despite being applied in new ways. There is extensive evidence of a harmonic approach on Stablemates, whilst this approach is practically non-existent on July. Careful study of these techniques will inform how these improvisational devices can be used across both standard jazz and foreign harmonic settings, with the aim of improving my own and the performance practice of other modern improvisers

TikTok as a site of social protest in Iran’s Gen-Z uprising

This paper argues that understanding the power of TikTok’s visual discourse is a crucial part of conceptualising the character, inspiration, and ambition of Iran’s Gen-Z-led uprising, both at home and across the diaspora. TikTok is a social media platform that depends on visuality. As such, it creates its own specific forms of messaging. This paper seeks to apply an innovative methodology of ‘Visual Discourse Tracing’ to the Iranian protests. It uses this carefully devised, process-driven method, to highlight the core ways in which TikTok has amplified the message of the Iranian protests, connecting to the grassroots movement and to the longer history of Iranian women’s struggle for freedom. Visuality and social media have been crucial in shaping the character of these contemporary protests, necessitating proper theorisation when understanding the wider Iranian protest movement

The Saudi savior—justifying Operation Decisive Storm

This paper argues that despite the success of Saudi Arabia's use of discourse to legitimize Operation Decisive Storm, their initial bombing and blockade of Yemen, to the United States, ultimately these discourses were problematic. Via analyzing speeches from Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adel Al-Jubeir, and articles from Saudi news website Arab News, this paper traces Saudi propaganda, showing the way in which it was used to justify the extraordinary bombing of Yemen and blockade of Yemeni ports. The paper meaningfully assesses the resonance of their narratives with US audiences through informed analysis. US discourse created a nexus of reciprocal positionality, in which Washington's discourse began to merge with Riyadh's, justifying it yet further. The US had its own reasons for lending support to KSA's war efforts, which encouraged them to adopt core Saudi narratives. This served to justify the two actors' involvement in the Saudi-led intervention. These propagandized narratives had profound humanitarian consequences for the people of Yemen