Legitimating Leader Admiration: A Social Constructionist Perspective on a Classroom Experiment

MBA student teams at a Middle-Eastern, American-style, universityself-organized to complete a ‘Follower Analysis Project’ based on interviewing prominent acquaintances about leaders who inspired them. The relationship of respect they constructed with interviewees shaped subsequent learning. They sought to manage the anxiety surrounding raising dissonant facts and interpretations from their own research. Interviewees defused this anxiety by convincing the students that their leader admiration was based on appreciative learning. The outcome of the interview was that students formed a consensual admiration of the leaders and revisited the leadership literature to find a vocabulary and rationale for the lessons they derived from the interview. The projects provided rich qualitative data for reflection on practice. The persistence of the pattern we observed and its sensitivity to instructor interventions designed to address the biases associated with the social construction of respect could be a subject of further research

Experimental insights into the airtightness measurement of a house-sized chamber in a sheltered environment using blower door and pulse methods

This paper introduces a comparison study of measuring the airtightness of a house-sized test chamber using the novel pulse technique and a low range blower door method in a sheltered environment. Eight different testing plates were prepared and applied to the improvised envelope of the chamber to establish different leakage characteristics. Each testing plate has a unique opening in its centre, achieved by obtaining different combinations of shape and thickness of the opening. By using the sheltered environment, the vagaries of the natural condition when testing within buildings have been reduced providing a more robust testing environment. This investigation focuses on how the air leakage rate calculated from the measurements made by both techniques compare with each other. Comparable results (0-5.3%) under most scenarios have been obtained. Larger discrepancies (14.6% and 21.8%) were observed in the two airtight scenarios due to insufficient pressure range achieved in a standard pulse test. This finding guided further improvement on the testing performance. Further pulse tests under different scenarios, involving the use of an internal barrier and various location of the pulse unit were also performed to investigate the uniform pressure distribution and resilience to external interferences. It showed the internal barrier and location had minor impact (1.62% to 4.65%) on the test results

A comparison study of the blower door and novel pulse technique on measuring enclosure airtightness in a controlled environment

This paper introduces a comparison study of measuring the airtightness of a house sized test chamber using the novel pulse technique and the standard blower door method in a controlled environment. Eight different testing plates have been applied to the improvised envelope of the chamber to establish different leakage characteristics. Each testing plate has a unique opening in the centre of the plate, achieved by obtaining a different combination of shape and thickness of the opening. By using the controlled environment, the vagaries of the natural condition when testing within buildings have been reduced providing a more robust testing environment. This investigation focuses on how the air leakage rate calculated from the measurements made by both techniques compare with each other. Comparable results (within 3 %) under most scenarios have been obtained. Additionally, other aspects such as usability of the equipment used for the pulse testing have also been appraised

Experimental study of enclosure airtightness of an outdoor chamber using the pulse technique and blower door method under various leakage and wind conditions

This paper introduces an experimental study of enclosure airtightness testing of an outdoor chamber using both the pulse technique and the blower door method. This investigation is a 2nd stage comparison study following the previous testing of a house-sized chamber in a sheltered environment. The outdoor chamber in this study has dimensions, approximately half that of a standard 20ft long shipping container. Multiple openings were installed into the chamber’s envelope to provide a leakage level and characteristics similar to an average UK house. Two sets of experimental tests were carried out independently at different times to investigate: a) How the pulse technique and blower door method compare on measuring enclosure airtightness of an outdoor chamber at various leakage levels; b) How the steady wind at various wind speed affects the measurement of chamber airtightness using the pulse technique. The comparison tests were performed in the chamber with various leakage levels achieved by sealing up different vents. Both blower door and pulse have given comparable results (±16%) of air permeability at 4 Pa in most testing scenarios, which is a slightly larger discrepancy than that found in the previous sheltered environment study. In the steady wind tests, the external fabric of the chamber was subjected to wind at various wind speed levels, by utilising a multi-gear portable trailer fan. Initial findings have shown that the impact of steady wind on the measurement of chamber airtightness using the pulse technique is mostly insignificant when it is under 3.5 m/s. The measured air permeability at 4 Pa (P4) at high wind speed (4 m/s - 9.5 m/s) in one direction is 16%-24% less than that measured under fan off condition in the steady wind tests

Airtightness measurement of an outdoor chamber using the Pulse and blower door methods under various wind and leakage scenarios

As a continued investigation following the previous testing of a house-sized chamber in a sheltered environment, this paper introduces an experimental study of airtightness measurement of an outdoor chamber using both the novel Pulse technique and the steady pressurisation method. The chamber has dimensions of approximately half that of a standard 20ft long shipping container. The chamber’s envelope was modified with multiple openings to provide a leakage level similar to that of an average UK house. Two sets of experimental tests were carried out independently at different times to investigate: a) How both methods compare on measuring the airtightness of an outdoor chamber at various leakage levels; and b) How the steady wind at various wind speed may affect the Pulse measurement of the chamber airtightness. Results show that the air permeability at 4 Pa measured by both methods has a percentage difference less than 16% in most testing scenarios, which is a slightly larger discrepancy than that found in the sheltered environment study. In steady wind tests, artificial wind at various speed levels was introduced in the Pulse tests by utilising a multi-gear portable trailer fan. Initial findings have shown that the impact of steady wind on the Pulse test is mostly insignificant when it is under 3.5 m/s. However, high wind speeds (4 m/s-9.5 m/s) decrease the value of air permeability at 4 Pa by 16%-24% in comparison to that measured under the fan-off condition in the steady wind tests

Trust, guilds and kinship in London, 1330-1680

How was trust created and reinforced between the inhabitants of medieval and early modern cities? And how did the social foundations of trusting relationships change over time? Current research highlights the role of kinship, neighbourhood and associations, particularly guilds, in creating ‘relationships of trust’ and social capital in the face of high levels of migration, mortality and economic volatility, but tells us little about their relative importance or how they developed. We uncover a profound shift in the contribution of family and guilds to trust networks among the middling and elite of one of Europe’s major cities, London, over three centuries, from the 1330s to the 1680s. We examine the networks of sureties created to secure the inheritances of children whose fathers died while they were minors, surviving in the records of London’s Orphans Court. Our analysis of almost fifteen thousand networks evaluates the presence of trusting relationships connected with guild membership, family and place over several centuries. We show a profound increase in the role of kinship – a re-embedding of trust within the family - and a decline of the importance of shared guild membership in connecting Londoner’s who secured orphans’ inheritances together. We suggest these developments are best explained as a result of the impact of the Reformation on the form and intensity of sociability fostered by guilds and the enormous growth of the metropolis

Population Study of Ovarian Cancer Risk Prediction for Targeted Screening and Prevention

Unselected population-based personalised ovarian cancer (OC) risk assessment combining genetic/epidemiology/hormonal data has not previously been undertaken. We aimed to perform a feasibility study of OC risk stratification of general population women using a personalised OC risk tool followed by risk management. Volunteers were recruited through London primary care networks. Inclusion criteria: women ≥18 years. Exclusion criteria: prior ovarian/tubal/peritoneal cancer, previous genetic testing for OC genes. Participants accessed an online/web-based decision aid along with optional telephone helpline use. Consenting individuals completed risk assessment and underwent genetic testing (BRCA1/BRCA2/RAD51C/RAD51D/BRIP1, OC susceptibility single-nucleotide polymorphisms). A validated OC risk prediction algorithm provided a personalised OC risk estimate using genetic/lifestyle/hormonal OC risk factors. Population genetic testing (PGT)/OC risk stratification uptake/acceptability, satisfaction, decision aid/telephone helpline use, psychological health and quality of life were assessed using validated/customised questionnaires over six months. Linear-mixed models/contrast tests analysed impact on study outcomes. Main outcomes: feasibility/acceptability, uptake, decision aid/telephone helpline use, satisfaction/regret, and impact on psychological health/quality of life. In total, 123 volunteers (mean age = 48.5 (SD = 15.4) years) used the decision aid, 105 (85%) consented. None fulfilled NHS genetic testing clinical criteria. OC risk stratification revealed 1/103 at ≥10% (high), 0/103 at ≥5%−10% (intermediate), and 100/103 at 5% (low) lifetime OC risk. Decision aid satisfaction was 92.2%. The telephone helpline use rate was 13% and the questionnaire response rate at six months was 75%. Contrast tests indicated that overall depression (p = 0.30), anxiety (p = 0.10), quality-of-life (p = 0.99), and distress (p = 0.25) levels did not jointly change, while OC worry (p = 0.021) and general cancer risk perception (p = 0.015) decreased over six months. In total, 85.5−98.7% were satisfied with their decision. Findings suggest population-based personalised OC risk stratification is feasible and acceptable, has high satisfaction, reduces cancer worry/risk perception, and does not negatively impact psychological health/quality of life

Determining propensity for sub-optimal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol response to statins and future risk of cardiovascular disease

Background: Variability in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) response to statins is underappreciated. We characterised patients by their statin response (SR), baseline risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 10-year CVD outcomes.Methods and Results: A multivariable model was developed using 183,213 United Kingdom (UK) patients without CVD to predict probability of sub-optimal SR, defined by guidelines as <40% reduction in LDL-C. We externally validated the model in a Hong Kong (HK) cohort (n=170,904). Patients were stratified into four groups by predicted SR and 10-year CVD risk score: [SR1] optimal SR & low risk; [SR2] sub-optimal SR & low risk; [SR3] optimal SR & high risk; [SR4] sub-optimal SR & high risk; and 10-year hazard ratios (HR) determined for first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE).Our SR model included 12 characteristics, with an area under the curve of 0.70 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–0.71; UK) and 0.68 (95% CI 0.67–0.68; HK). HRs for MACE in predicted sub-optimal SR with low CVD risk groups (SR2 to SR1) were 1.39 (95% CI 1.35–1.43, p<0.001; UK) and 1.14 (95% CI 1.11–1.17, p<0.001; HK). In both cohorts, patients with predicted sub-optimal SR with high CVD risk (SR4 to SR3) had elevated risk of MACE (UK HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.32–1.40, p<0.001: HK HR 1.25, 95% CI 1.21–1.28, p<0.001). Conclusions: Patients with sub-optimal response to statins experienced significantly more MACE, regardless of baseline CVD risk. To enhance cholesterol management for primary prevention, statin response should be considered alongside risk assessment