Towards developing understanding of the drivers, constraints from the consumption values underpinning participation in physical activity.

Overall participation rates in physical activity across the UK have remained relatively static since the mid 1980s, with attendant causes for concern about the inequality of participation rates amongst various target groups that may be worthy of specific investigation. Behaviour change models from the fields of leisure studies, consumer behaviour and social psychology offer conceptualisation of a notion of exchange underpinning the expectancy-value process, noting that, in order to facilitate a voluntary exchange there needs to be a value proposition that induces action and/or motivates effort from the consumer. It is therefore reasonable to assume that such value expectations will also influence health behaviour intentions. This paper therefore aims to offer a more developing understanding of the drivers, constraints and experiential consumption values underpinning participation in physical activity. Results suggest that, rather than focusing on the social and altruistic values of behavioural changes, and given that the functional value of participation is already well-known (if not always acted upon) through social marketing campaigns’ educational efforts and through the media, it may be worth policymakers and leisure service providers focusing more on highlighting the emotional benefits to be gained, especially when targeting women to increase their participation in physical activit

Why don’t people do what’s good for them? : an examination of the value(s) which affect physical activity.

One of the 21st Century’s major public health issues is physical inactivity. Therefore one of the greatest public policy challenges is to find new ways of conferring to an inactive population the health related benefits that arise from being physically active in a way that not only leads to knowledge acquisition, but which also leads to increased levels of participation in physical activity. Participation rates in physical activity across the UK have remained stubbornly static since the mid‐ 1980s and retain a range of gender, age, social‐economic and ethnic participation inequalities. Research has indicated that, when compared to men, women are more likely to: lead sedentary lifestyles (Hausenblas and Symons‐Downs, 2005), experience poor health (Bertakis et al., 2000), and feel more uncomfortable about their body image (Liechty et al., 2006), factors which impact on and/or result in lower participation levels, suggesting that social marketing campaigns to date have been largely ineffective. A central tenet of social marketing is to achieve a voluntary, not forced or coerced behaviour change by emphasising a value proposition that induces action from the consumer. Set in the context of publicly funded leisure facilities this paper offers empirical insights regarding the drivers, constraints and consumption values underpinning women’s participation in physical activity. Our results suggest that value perceptions regarding the costs, benefits and enjoyment of exercise do not differ with gender. However, statistically significant differences exist between the genders regarding: the physical environment within which exercise occurs; the quality of service experience; and intrinsic factors such as social and altruistic value. Insights gained from this research may be able to inform policymakers and leisure services providers regarding more effective methods of engaging ‘hard‐to‐reach’ groups, such as women. Specifically, our findings suggest that exercise adoption is likely to be increased with targeted social marketing campaigns which focus on emphasising the experiential aspects of consuming physical activity viewed from the perspective of value‐in‐use rather than from the traditional price‐based perspective that tends to focus on the trade off of costs against benefits

Reality television portrayals of Kavos, Greece: tourists behaving badly

Reality television programmes are an increasingly ubiquitous element of popular culture. While other forms of popular culture’s impact on tourists’ perceptions of destination image have been considered in the extant literature, the impact of reality television is under-researched. This article provides a qualitative thematic analysis of televisual media portrayals of the tourist destination of Kavos, on the Greek island of Corfu, whose economy is almost solely reliant upon an increasingly short high-summer season. Reality television portrayals of tourist behavior have generated negative publicity about the resort’s image that may negatively affect potential tourists’ perceptions of Kavos as a destination

Novel application of three-dimensional technologies in a case of dismemberment

This case study reports the novel application of three-dimensional technologies such as micro-CT and 3D printing to the forensic investigation of a complex case of dismemberment. Micro-CT was successfully employed to virtually align severed skeletal elements found in different locations, analyse tool marks created during the dismemberment process, and virtually dissect a charred piece of evidence. High resolution 3D prints of the burnt human bone contained within were created for physical visualisation to assist the investigation team. Micro-CT as a forensic radiological method provided vital information and the basis for visualisation both during the investigation and in the subsequent trial making it one of the first examples of such technology in a UK court

Transformation in a changing climate: a research agenda

The concept of transformation in relation to climate and other global change is increasingly receiving attention. The concept provides important opportunities to help examine how rapid and fundamental change to address contemporary global challenges can be facilitated. This paper contributes to discussions about transformation by providing a social science, arts and humanities perspective to open up discussion and set out a research agenda about what it means to transform and the dimensions, limitations and possibilities for transformation. Key focal areas include: (1) change theories, (2) knowing whether transformation has occurred or is occurring; (3) knowledge production and use; (4), governance; (5) how dimensions of social justice inform transformation; (6) the limits of human nature; (7) the role of the utopian impulse; (8) working with the present to create new futures; and (9) human consciousness. In addition to presenting a set of research questions around these themes the paper highlights that much deeper engagement with complex social processes is required; that there are vast opportunities for social science, humanities and the arts to engage more directly with the climate challenge; that there is a need for a massive upscaling of efforts to understand and shape desired forms of change; and that, in addition to helping answer important questions about how to facilitate change, a key role of the social sciences, humanities and the arts in addressing climate change is to critique current societal patterns and to open up new thinking. Through such critique and by being more explicit about what is meant by transformation, greater opportunities will be provided for opening up a dialogue about change, possible futures and about what it means to re-shape the way in which people live

Simulations of thermal Bose fields in the classical limit

We demonstrate that the time-dependent projected Gross-Pitaevskii equation derived earlier [Davis, et al., J. Phys. B 34, 4487 (2001)] can represent the highly occupied modes of a homogeneous, partially-condensed Bose gas. We find that this equation will evolve randomised initial wave functions to equilibrium, and compare our numerical data to the predictions of a gapless, second-order theory of Bose-Einstein condensation [S. A. Morgan, J. Phys. B 33, 3847 (2000)]. We find that we can determine the temperature of the equilibrium state when this theory is valid. Outside the range of perturbation theory we describe how to measure the temperature of our simulations. We also determine the dependence of the condensate fraction and specific heat on temperature for several interaction strengths, and observe the appearance of vortex networks. As the Gross-Pitaevskii equation is non-perturbative, we expect that it can describe the correct thermal behaviour of a Bose gas as long as all relevant modes are highly occupied.Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, revtex4, follow up to Phys. Rev. Lett. 87 160402 (2001). v2: Modified after referee comments. Extra data added to two figures, section on temperature determination expande

Coherent information analysis of quantum channels in simple quantum systems

The coherent information concept is used to analyze a variety of simple quantum systems. Coherent information was calculated for the information decay in a two-level atom in the presence of an external resonant field, for the information exchange between two coupled two-level atoms, and for the information transfer from a two-level atom to another atom and to a photon field. The coherent information is shown to be equal to zero for all full-measurement procedures, but it completely retains its original value for quantum duplication. Transmission of information from one open subsystem to another one in the entire closed system is analyzed to learn quantum information about the forbidden atomic transition via a dipole active transition of the same atom. It is argued that coherent information can be used effectively to quantify the information channels in physical systems where quantum coherence plays an important role.Comment: 24 pages, 7 figs; Final versiob after minor changes, title changed; to be published in Phys. Rev. A, September 200

Bogoliubov approach to superfluidity of atoms in an optical lattice

We use the Bogoliubov theory of atoms in an optical lattice to study the approach to the Mott-insulator transition. We derive an explicit expression for the superfluid density based on the rigidity of the system under phase variations. This enables us to explore the connection between the quantum depletion of the condensate and the quasi-momentum distribution on the one hand and the superfluid fraction on the other. The approach to the insulator phase may be characterized through the filling of the band by quantum depletion, which should be directly observable via the matter wave interference patterns. We complement these findings by self-consistent Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov-Popov calculations for one-dimensional lattices including the effects of a parabolic trapping potential.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figure

Is there a relationship between weather conditions and aortic dissection?

BACKGROUND: Bleeding and rupture of blood vessels has been correlated with weather conditions in the past. This is the first study in the world literature with the aim of investigating the relationship between atmospheric pressure and temperature with the presentation of aortic dissection. METHODS: The dates of all emergency aortic dissection repairs from 1996–2002 in a regional cardiothoracic unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital were obtained. Hourly temperature and pressure data from a regional weather station for this time period was supplied by the Meteorological Office. The mean and standard deviation of hourly temperature and pressure data for that month were compared to the mean and standard deviation of the data 24 and 48 hours prior to the aortic dissection. RESULTS: 26 patients were found to have been operated on during the time period studied. There was no statistically significant correlation between temperature or atmospheric pressure readings, and the incidence of aortic dissection, using a Bonferonni-corrected significance p-value of 0.005 CONCLUSION: This study is the first to examine the relationship between atmospheric pressure, temperature and dissecting thoracic aorta. No statistically significant relationship was demonstrable

Production of cold molecules via magnetically tunable Feshbach resonances

Magnetically tunable Feshbach resonances were employed to associate cold diatomic molecules in a series of experiments involving both atomic Bose as well as two spin component Fermi gases. This review illustrates theoretical concepts of both the particular nature of the highly excited Feshbach molecules produced and the techniques for their association from unbound atom pairs. Coupled channels theory provides the rigorous formulation of the microscopic physics of Feshbach resonances in cold gases. Concepts of dressed versus bare energy states, universal properties of Feshbach molecules, as well as the classification in terms of entrance- and closed-channel dominated resonances are introduced on the basis of practical two-channel approaches. Their significance is illustrated for several experimental observations, such as binding energies and lifetimes with respect to collisional relaxation. Molecular association and dissociation are discussed in the context of techniques involving linear magnetic field sweeps in cold Bose and Fermi gases as well as pulse sequences leading to Ramsey-type interference fringes. Their descriptions in terms of Landau-Zener, two-level mean field as well as beyond mean field approaches are reviewed in detail, including the associated ranges of validity.Comment: 50 pages, 26 figures, to be published in Reviews of Modern Physics, final version with updated reference