The Island Race: geopolitics and identity in British foreign policy discourse since 1949

This thesis examines Britain’s foreign policy identity by analysing the use of geopolitical tropes in discursive practices of ontological security-seeking in the British House of Commons since 1949, a period of great change for Britain as it lost its empire and joined NATO and the EC. The Empire was narrated according to a series of geopolitical tropes that I call Island Race identity: insularity from Europe and a universal aspect on world affairs, maintenance of Lines of Communication, antipathy towards Land Powers and the Greater Britain metacommunity. The aim of this thesis is to genealogically historicise and contextualise these tropes through interpretivist analysis of Commons debates concerning a series of events and issues from the establishment of NATO to the current parliament. By conceptualising parliamentary discourse as a social practice involving the fixing of ontologically secure subject positions, it presents a new reading of modern British foreign policy that addresses the traditional neglect of geopolitics and identity in approaches depicting a materially declining state engaging in the pragmatic pursuit of realist national interests. The analysis shows how Britain’s foreign policy identity continues to be reliant on the geopolitical constitutions of islandness that discursively defined the empire. This is not indicative of imperial nostalgia so much as it is evidence of how discursive practices of ontological security-seeking in a political environment with a shared debating culture tend to mobilise established identity tropes that have retained relevance even without their imperial underpinnings. Narrations of the Cold War and NATO, relations with the rest of Europe and globalisation are shown to be reliant on Island Race tropes that, through contextual interactions, fix Britain in subject positions of relevance according to how British values, forged by insular geography, are of universal relevance to a world in which Britain is in a pivotal geopolitical position

Vortices on Hyperbolic Surfaces

It is shown that abelian Higgs vortices on a hyperbolic surface $M$ can be constructed geometrically from holomorphic maps $f:M \to N$, where $N$ is also a hyperbolic surface. The fields depend on $f$ and on the metrics of $M$ and $N$. The vortex centres are the ramification points, where the derivative of $f$ vanishes. The magnitude of the Higgs field measures the extent to which $f$ is locally an isometry. Witten's construction of vortices on the hyperbolic plane is rederived, and new examples of vortices on compact surfaces and on hyperbolic surfaces of revolution are obtained. The interpretation of these solutions as SO(3)-invariant, self-dual SU(2) Yang--Mills fields on $\R^4$ is also given.Comment: Revised version: new section on four-dimensional interpretation of hyperbolic vortices added

The remote exercise monitoring trial for exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (REMOTE-CR): a randomised controlled trial protocol

BACKGROUND: Exercise is an essential component of contemporary cardiac rehabilitation programs for the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease. Despite the benefits associated with regular exercise, adherence with supervised exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation remains low. Increasingly powerful mobile technologies, such as smartphones and wireless physiological sensors, may extend the capability of exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation by enabling real-time exercise monitoring for those with coronary heart disease. This study compares the effectiveness of technology-assisted, home-based, remote monitored exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (REMOTE) to standard supervised exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation in New Zealand adults with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease. METHODS/DESIGN: A two-arm, parallel, non-inferiority, randomised controlled trial will be conducted at two sites in New Zealand. One hundred and sixty two participants will be randomised at a 1:1 ratio to receive a 12-week program of technology-assisted, home-based, remote monitored exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (intervention), or an 8-12 program of standard supervised exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (control).The primary outcome is post-treatment maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max). Secondary outcomes include cardiovascular risk factors (blood lipid and glucose concentrations, blood pressure, anthropometry), self-efficacy, intentions and motivation to be active, objectively measured physical activity, self-reported leisure time exercise and health-related quality of life. Cost information will also be collected to compare the two modes of delivery. All outcomes are assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 6 months, except for V̇O2max, blood lipid and glucose concentrations, which are assessed at baseline and post-treatment only. DISCUSSION: This novel study will compare the effectiveness of technology-supported exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation to a traditional supervised approach. If the REMOTE program proves to be as effective as traditional cardiac rehabilitation, it has potential to augment current practice by increasing access for those who cannot utilise existing services. <br /

Entertaining and Opinionated but Too Controlling: A Large-Scale User Study of an Open Domain Alexa Prize System

Conversational systems typically focus on functional tasks such as scheduling appointments or creating todo lists. Instead we design and evaluate SlugBot (SB), one of 8 semifinalists in the 2018 AlexaPrize, whose goal is to support casual open-domain social inter-action. This novel application requires both broad topic coverage and engaging interactive skills. We developed a new technical approach to meet this demanding situation by crowd-sourcing novel content and introducing playful conversational strategies based on storytelling and games. We collected over 10,000 conversations during August 2018 as part of the Alexa Prize competition. We also conducted an in-lab follow-up qualitative evaluation. Over-all users found SB moderately engaging; conversations averaged 3.6 minutes and involved 26 user turns. However, users reacted very differently to different conversation subtypes. Storytelling and games were evaluated positively; these were seen as entertaining with predictable interactive structure. They also led users to impute personality and intelligence to SB. In contrast, search and general Chit-Chat induced coverage problems; here users found it hard to infer what topics SB could understand, with these conversations seen as being too system-driven. Theoretical and design implications suggest a move away from conversational systems that simply provide factual information. Future systems should be designed to have their own opinions with personal stories to share, and SB provides an example of how we might achieve this.Comment: To appear in 1st International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI 2019

Differences in the gut microbiota between Gurkhas and soldiers of British origin

Previous work indicated that the incidence of travellers’ diarrhoea (TD) is higher in soldiers of British origin, when compared to soldiers of Nepalese descent (Gurkhas). We hypothesise that the composition of the gut microbiota may be a contributing factor in the risk of developing TD in soldiers of British origin. This study aimed to characterise the gut microbial composition of Gurkha and non-Gurkha soldiers of the British Army. Recruitment of 38 soldiers (n = 22 Gurkhas, n = 16 non-Gurkhas) and subsequent stool collection, enabled shotgun metagenomic sequencing-based analysis of the gut microbiota. The microbiota of Gurkhas had significantly (P &lt; 0.05) lower diversity, for both Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, using species level markers than the gut microbiota of non-Gurkha soldiers. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) of the Bray-Curtis distance matrix revealed a significant difference in the composition of the gut microbiota between Gurkhas and non-Gurkha soldiers, at both the species level (P = 0.0178) and the genus level (P = 0.0483). We found three genera and eight species that were significantly enriched in the non-Gurkha group and one genus (Haemophilus) and one species (Haemophilus parainfluenzae) which were enriched in the Gurkha group. The difference in the microbiota composition between Gurkha soldiers and soldiers of British origin may contribute to higher colonization resistance against diarrhoeal pathogens in the former group. Our findings may enable further studies into interventions that modulate the gut microbiota of soldiers to prevent TD during deployment

Differences in the gut microbiota between Gurkhas and soldiers of British origin

Previous work indicated that the incidence of travellers’ diarrhoea (TD) is higher in soldiers of British origin, when compared to soldiers of Nepalese descent (Gurkhas). We hypothesise that the composition of the gut microbiota may be a contributing factor in the risk of developing TD in soldiers of British origin. This study aimed to characterise the gut microbial composition of Gurkha and non-Gurkha soldiers of the British Army. Recruitment of 38 soldiers (n = 22 Gurkhas, n = 16 non-Gurkhas) and subsequent stool collection, enabled shotgun metagenomic sequencing-based analysis of the gut microbiota. The microbiota of Gurkhas had significantly (P &lt; 0.05) lower diversity, for both Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, using species level markers than the gut microbiota of non-Gurkha soldiers. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) of the Bray-Curtis distance matrix revealed a significant difference in the composition of the gut microbiota between Gurkhas and non-Gurkha soldiers, at both the species level (P = 0.0178) and the genus level (P = 0.0483). We found three genera and eight species that were significantly enriched in the non-Gurkha group and one genus (Haemophilus) and one species (Haemophilus parainfluenzae) which were enriched in the Gurkha group. The difference in the microbiota composition between Gurkha soldiers and soldiers of British origin may contribute to higher colonization resistance against diarrhoeal pathogens in the former group. Our findings may enable further studies into interventions that modulate the gut microbiota of soldiers to prevent TD during deployment

The Cuntz-Toeplitz algebras have nuclear dimension one

We prove that unital extensions of Kirchberg algebras by separable stable AF algebras have nuclear dimension one. The title follows.Comment: Minor changes. Accepted Version. J. Funct. Anal., to appea

Earthquake Input Motions and Seismic Site Response in a Centrifuge Test Examining SFSI Effects

This paper describes the ground motion selection process and reports observed seismic site response and SFSI effects during a dynamic centrifuge test (Test-1). The centrifuge test is the first in a series of tests examining the effects of SFSI in dense urban environments. The objective of Test-1 is to examine SFSI effects for two structures that are located a significant distance apart and essentially isolated. The model structures represent a three-story building founded on spread footings and a nine-story structure founded on a threestory basement. The structures are sited on a dry, dense bed of Nevada Sand. The centrifuge model is subjected to a series of shaking events that represent near-fault and “ordinary” ground motions at a site in Los Angeles. Results show that site periods degrade as ground motion intensity increases with more pronounced degradation observed for near-fault ground motions as compared with ordinary ground motions. Additionally, the results indicate the importance of kinematic effects of embedded structures when considering SFSI effects

Getting It Straight: Accommodating Rectilinear Behavior in Captive Snakes-A Review of Recommendations and Their Evidence Base.

Snakes are sentient animals and should be subject to the accepted general welfare principles of other species. However, they are also the only vertebrates commonly housed in conditions that prevent them from adopting rectilinear behavior (ability to fully stretch out). To assess the evidence bases for historical and current guidance on snake spatial considerations, we conducted a literature search and review regarding recommendations consistent with or specifying ≥1 × and <1 × snake length enclosure size. We identified 65 publications referring to snake enclosure sizes, which were separated into three categories: peer-reviewed literature (article or chapter appearing in a peer-reviewed journal or book, = 31), grey literature (government or other report or scientific letter, = 18), and opaque literature (non-scientifically indexed reports, care sheets, articles, husbandry books, website or other information for which originating source is not based on scientific evidence or where scientific evidence was not provided, = 16). We found that recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes shorter than the snakes were based entirely on decades-old 'rule of thumb' practices that were unsupported by scientific evidence. In contrast, recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes that allowed snakes to fully stretch utilized scientific evidence and considerations of animal welfare. Providing snakes with enclosures that enable them to fully stretch does not suggest that so doing allows adequate space for all necessary normal and important considerations. However, such enclosures are vital to allow for a limited number of essential welfare-associated behaviors, of which rectilinear posturing is one, making them absolute minimum facilities even for short-term housing

Seismic Performance Assessment in Dense Urban Environments: Evaluation of Nonlinear Building-Foundation Systems Using Centrifuge Tests

In dense urban areas, buildings are generally constructed in clusters, forming city blocks. New buildings are designed assuming their response is independent of adjacent buildings, which ignores potentially important structure-soil-structure-interaction (SSSI) effects. Although a few studies have revealed the significance of SSSI effects, validated simulation and design tools do not exist. In this paper, we present the results from the first in a series of centrifuge tests intended to investigate SSSI effects. Results herein are focused on the design and measured response of two model building-foundation systems placed on dense dry Nevada sand and tested at 55-g. The two models represent prototypical nine-story and three-story special moment resisting frame buildings, with the former structure supported by a three-level basement-mat and the later on isolated spread footings. Nonlinear response-history simulations are performed to aid in the design of the models, with particular attention to reproducing prototype building periods and nonlinear characteristics. Yielding of the model buildings is achieved using custom-designed fuses placed strategically throughout the superstructures. At present, the two models are placed as far apart as possible to characterize soil-structure interaction on individual buildings; subsequent experiments will move the structures in near proximity, allowing direct experimental assessment of structuresoil- structure-interaction