Power, Profit, and Political Participation: How Neoliberal Rationality Limits Citizen Influence in a Democracy

Democracy’s promise is that citizens hold the ultimate power in government. However, the ascension of neoliberal rationality, an economic rationality that focuses primarily on economic growth with political activity being secondary or merely instrumental to economic growth, acts as a threat to that promise. This paper offers a critical analysis of political participation in a democracy, using two theoretical frameworks, liberalism and neoliberalism. Based in these theoretical frameworks, it provides an analysis of how changes in individual conceptions of self have institutional effects on politics. Laying out the framework of neoliberalism, tracing its ideological roots in liberalism and its subsequent transformations in a United States context, I illustrate these effects through examples of court decisions, public statements by politicians, and newspaper reporting on corporate activity. I then offer two suggestions on how to mitigate neoliberalism’s dominance in the public sphere through an emphasis on a plurality of modes of reason. My primary research question is this: Has neoliberal rationality altered the motivations and actions associated with political participation in the United States, and how has this affected the vitality of democracy

’I am teaching them and they are teaching me’: Experiences of teaching Alexander Technique to people with dementia

Introduction: To enable people with dementia to live well we must support the person as a whole. The Alexander Technique (AT) offers an approach which addresses both physical and psychological issues which may be suitable to help people with dementia. In this new area of research, this study aimed to establish whether the AT is currently taught to people with dementia and if so to bring together the experiences of AT teachers in relation to the perceived benefits and suitability of the AT for this group.Methods: This qualitative study included data from responses to survey questions, interview transcripts and published articles.Results : A total of 84 AT teachers took part in an international survey of whom 18 (21%) had taught one or more people with dementia. Thematic analysis generated the following superordinate themes: ‘The AT can help people with dementia’, ‘How change comes about’, and ‘Adapting the AT for people with dementia’.Conclusions : AT teachers described perceiving improvements in movement, pain and flexibility; increased calm, sociability and environmental awareness. They highlighted the reciprocal nature of the relationship between teacher and student and highly valued this. Touch was seen as a key means of communication, helping people with dementia to feel safe. It seems that the AT does not require major adaptation to work with this group although the challenges of working in a care setting were discussed. The AT offers the potential to be a valuable intervention for people with dementia and further research is warranted

Investigating the use of two-photon polymerisation for the creation of gradient index optics

Metamaterials consist of repeating unit cells resulting in a homogeneous averaged electromagnetic (EM) response. Spatially varying EM properties can be created by introducing variations within each unit cell. In this way gradient index (GRIN) metamaterials offer a route to developing GRIN optics with larger refractive index (RI) gradients compared to traditional GRIN optics. By altering the length scale of the features within the metamaterial, the lens can be designed to work in different parts of the EM spectrum opening up new avenues for telecommunications and integrated optics. The aim of this work was to investigate the use of two-photon polymerisation (TPP), an additive manufacturing technique, to fabricate a GRIN metamaterial lens. The lens was to work in the 1µm−2µm wavelength region (corresponding to 150THz−300THz) necessitating the nanoscale feature sizes TPP provides. Compared to conventional nanofabrication techniques, TPP is a truly 3D fabrication process that can open up the design space of metamaterial geometries. Firstly, the line widths of a commercial resin, IP-L (Nanoscribe GmbH), at different laser powers and scan speeds were measured by fabricating ascending scan arrays using the commercial Nanoscribe GmbH Photonic Professional GT. By changing the laser dose, the focal spot of the laser is changed which results in different cured line dimensions. The minimum achievable line width determines the lowest wavelength the metamaterial would work at. Whereas the range of line widths determines the amount by which the metamaterial unit cells can be altered to produce the spatially varying properties. This work found the maximum line width to be 561 nm ± 21 nm and the minimum to be 273 nm ± 32 nm, resulting in a range of 228 nm ± 53 nm. The capabilities of the TPP system were investigated by fabricating woodpile structures with different laser power parameters across the devices. Two different substrate preparation techniques were compared, as well as fabricating structures with and without frames for added structural stability. The initial investigation led to the design of the metamaterial structure used in this work; the cylindrical fishnet. This structure is made up of layers of concentric rings filled in by an increasing number of spokes in successive rings. This results in a structure somewhat like a circularly deformed fishnet structure. Analytical calculations were undertaken to estimate the RI based on the filling fraction of the cylindrical lens structure for different line widths and number of spokes between each ring. A hyperbolic secant (sech) profile is normalised to the maximum and minimum analytical RI results and different line width / number of spokes combinations were selected which fall along this curve. Four lenses were designed in this way, and the 7 selected unit cells for each were simulated using finite element method modelling in COMSOL to investigate the geometry dependent RI. A rectangular cut out geometry was used to approximate the unit cells for simulation to reduce computational requirements. The results were compared to the ideal sech curve as well as the analytical RI calculations for both the full cylindrical fishnet and the rectangular cut out. The analytical calculations for the rectangular cut out did not appear to predict the simulated results better than the cylindrical fishnet analytical calculations. Using the analytical and simulated RI results, the focal lengths of the four lenses were predicted analytically. COMSOL simulations were used to investigate the focal length and relative focal spot size for each of the four lenses for the ideal and simulated profiles. Finally, proof of concepts lenses were fabricated highlighting the current capabilities of TPP and further areas of research for fabrication

Creative IL embedding at Royal Holloway, University of London 2013

n 2013, Helen Westwood and Russell Burke presented at LILAC about how information literacy was embedded in Geography courses at Royal Holloway. One of our plans for the future was to embed IL across the college. In May 2014, a paper was accepted at the College’s Learning, Teaching and Quality Committee making IL training and assessment a requirement for all first year undergraduate courses from 2014/15. This poster will show the steps involved in achieving this outcome, the challenges we have faced, and how we have used a variety of ways to engage staff and students with information literacy. Our Academic Liaison team is formed of six Information Consultants. We are keen to be creative in the way we deliver IL training and we have used a range of methods in order to make the most of the time we are given for the content. An “Information Literacy for staff” libguide has been developed, which includes an information literacy menu so academics can see what we we offer and choose what they would like us to deliver for their students “a la carte”. We are also using libguides to support our sessions. For example, one has been developed especially for a Geography 1st year core module. This includes a pre-lecture quiz, as well as tabs for the components of IL. In workshops for a range of subjects, we have asked students to suggest keywords on a given topic using padlet.com. In other lectures, we are using the student response system Socrative for instant question and answer segments. We will use screenshots of these on the poster. We are keen to share and discuss our approach to embedding IL with LILAC delegates and hope this poster will provide inspiration for other institutions

Hyaluronan and CD44 control of cell fate

Fibrosis can be charactorised as abberent wound healing resulting from an increased presence of α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-rich, myofibroblasts and a continued influx of immune cell mediators. The pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory cytokines TGF-β1 and IL-1β, respectivley, have been implicated in fibrotic progression by activating hyaluronan (HA)/CD44-mediated pathways. CD44, the principal HA receptor, exists as multiple spliced variants which mediate multiple celluar functions through their association with HA. The aim of this Thesis was to investigate the expression and interactions of CD44 variants asociated with fibroblast activation induced by TGF-β1 or IL-1β. Multiple forms of CD44 spliced variants were identified in fibroblasts. Stimulation with TGF-β1 decreased the expression of all variants, whereas IL-1β-increased global CD44 expression. CD44s was the variant identified as essential for both TGF-β1 induction of myofibroblasts and IL-1β-induced monocyte binding to fibroblasts. CD147 is a matrix metaloproteinase (MMP) inducer that mediates receptor interactions within the plasma mebrane; and contributes to ECM re-arrangment in response to various stimuli. CD147-medaited-αSMA incorporation into F-actin stress fibres that were essential for the myofibroblast contractile phenotype. It associated with CD44s and the EDA-Fibronectin-associated integrin, α4β7, suggesting that through receptor interaction it mediated the mechanotransduction properties required for differentiation. Decreased expression of CD147 prevented intracellular activativation of ERK1/2, an essential kinase involved in mechanotransdction. These data suggest that CD44s regulates both a fibrotic and inflammatory response by fibroblasts through two separate mechanistic pathways. It also implicates CD44s in mechanotransduction, via its association with CD147. In conclusion, both CD44s and CD147 are essential mediators of fibrosis and further research into downstream mediators could lead to potential therapeutic targets to combat fibrotic progression

Investigating the use of two-photon polymerisation for the creation of gradient index optics

Metamaterials consist of repeating unit cells resulting in a homogeneous averaged electromagnetic (EM) response. Spatially varying EM properties can be created by introducing variations within each unit cell. In this way gradient index (GRIN) metamaterials offer a route to developing GRIN optics with larger refractive index (RI) gradients compared to traditional GRIN optics. By altering the length scale of the features within the metamaterial, the lens can be designed to work in different parts of the EM spectrum opening up new avenues for telecommunications and integrated optics. The aim of this work was to investigate the use of two-photon polymerisation (TPP), an additive manufacturing technique, to fabricate a GRIN metamaterial lens. The lens was to work in the 1µm−2µm wavelength region (corresponding to 150THz−300THz) necessitating the nanoscale feature sizes TPP provides. Compared to conventional nanofabrication techniques, TPP is a truly 3D fabrication process that can open up the design space of metamaterial geometries. Firstly, the line widths of a commercial resin, IP-L (Nanoscribe GmbH), at different laser powers and scan speeds were measured by fabricating ascending scan arrays using the commercial Nanoscribe GmbH Photonic Professional GT. By changing the laser dose, the focal spot of the laser is changed which results in different cured line dimensions. The minimum achievable line width determines the lowest wavelength the metamaterial would work at. Whereas the range of line widths determines the amount by which the metamaterial unit cells can be altered to produce the spatially varying properties. This work found the maximum line width to be 561 nm ± 21 nm and the minimum to be 273 nm ± 32 nm, resulting in a range of 228 nm ± 53 nm. The capabilities of the TPP system were investigated by fabricating woodpile structures with different laser power parameters across the devices. Two different substrate preparation techniques were compared, as well as fabricating structures with and without frames for added structural stability. The initial investigation led to the design of the metamaterial structure used in this work; the cylindrical fishnet. This structure is made up of layers of concentric rings filled in by an increasing number of spokes in successive rings. This results in a structure somewhat like a circularly deformed fishnet structure. Analytical calculations were undertaken to estimate the RI based on the filling fraction of the cylindrical lens structure for different line widths and number of spokes between each ring. A hyperbolic secant (sech) profile is normalised to the maximum and minimum analytical RI results and different line width / number of spokes combinations were selected which fall along this curve. Four lenses were designed in this way, and the 7 selected unit cells for each were simulated using finite element method modelling in COMSOL to investigate the geometry dependent RI. A rectangular cut out geometry was used to approximate the unit cells for simulation to reduce computational requirements. The results were compared to the ideal sech curve as well as the analytical RI calculations for both the full cylindrical fishnet and the rectangular cut out. The analytical calculations for the rectangular cut out did not appear to predict the simulated results better than the cylindrical fishnet analytical calculations. Using the analytical and simulated RI results, the focal lengths of the four lenses were predicted analytically. COMSOL simulations were used to investigate the focal length and relative focal spot size for each of the four lenses for the ideal and simulated profiles. Finally, proof of concepts lenses were fabricated highlighting the current capabilities of TPP and further areas of research for fabrication

Why is reporting quality improvement so hard? A qualitative study in perioperative care.

OBJECTIVES: Quality improvement (QI) may help to avert or mitigate the risks of suboptimal care, but it is often poorly reported in the healthcare literature. We aimed to identify the influences on reporting QI in the area of perioperative care, with a view to informing improvements in reporting QI across healthcare. DESIGN: Qualitative interview study. SETTING: Healthcare and academic organisations in Australia, Europe and North America. PARTICIPANTS: Stakeholders involved in or influencing the publication, writing or consumption of reports of QI studies in perioperative care. RESULTS: Forty-two participants from six countries took part in the study. Participants included 15 authors (those who write QI reports), 12 consumers of QI reports (practitioners who apply QI research in practice), 11 journal editors and 4 authors of reporting guidelines. Participants identified three principal challenges in achieving high-quality QI reporting. First, the broad scope of QI reporting-ranging from small local projects to multisite research across different disciplines-causes uncertainty about where QI work should be published. Second, context is fundamental to the success of a QI intervention but is difficult to report in ways that support replication and development. Third, reporting is adversely affected by both proximal influences (such as lack of time to write up QI) and more distal, structural influences (such as norms about the format and content of biomedical research reporting), leading to incomplete reporting of QI findings. CONCLUSIONS: Divergent terminology and understandings of QI, along with existing reporting norms and the challenges of capturing context adequately yet succinctly, make for challenges in reporting QI. We offer suggestions for improvement