Women and the mental health system : the social impact of the biological model

British psychiatry is dominated by a biological model of mental illness. To date, there has been considerable research which has focused on the validity of the biological of mental illness. There has been a dearth of research which has aimed to investigate the social impact of the biological model by reference to mental health service users' perspectives. Indeed, overall there has been little research that has aimed to evaluate mental health service provision by means of an analysis of service users' views. In the research that has been carried out previously, the specific issues affecting women service users have often been overlooked. This thesis contends that women service users' experiences must be taken into account in order to effectively analyse the operation of the mental health system. The research is based on interviews with women mental health service users and ex-users. These interviews suggest that many women are dissatisfied with mental health service provision. A recurrent criticism made by the interviewees was that they felt objectified by medical professionals who did not allow them to become involved in decisions relating to their treatment. In some cases the women described how oppressive experiences that were significant in causing their mental health problems were repeated within statutory service provision. The majority of participants criticised the policy of 'care in the community' for failing to address their needs; they opposed the programme of psychiatric hospital closure despite expressing reservations about hospital treatment. In this thesis it is argued that women's dissatisfaction with statutory mental health service provision often stems from the inherently conservative nature of psychiatry. The biological model serves to disempower service users, whilst providing a secure power base for psychiatrists. It also serves to divert attention from oppressive social processes and plays a role in maintaining the social status quo

Dietary protein in older adults: adequate daily intake but potential for improved distribution

Daily distribution of dietary protein may be important in protecting against sarcopenia, specifically in terms of per meal amounts relative to a proposed threshold for maximal response. The aims of this study were to determine total and per meal protein intake in older adults, as well as identifying associations with physical activity and sedentary behavior. Three-day food diaries recorded protein intake in 38 participants. Protein distribution, coefficient of variation (CV), and per meal amounts were calculated. Accelerometry was used to collect physical activity data as well as volume and patterns of sedentary time. Average intake was 1.14 g·kg−1·day−1. Distribution was uneven (CV = 0.67), and 79% of participants reported <0.4 g·kg−1 protein content in at least 2/3 daily meals. Protein intake was significantly correlated with step count (r = 0.439, p = 0.007) and negatively correlated with sedentary time (r = −0.456, p = 0.005) and Gini index G, which describes the pattern of accumulation of sedentary time (r = −0.421, p = 0.011). Total daily protein intake was sufficient; however, distribution did not align with the current literature; increasing protein intake may help to facilitate optimization of distribution. Associations between protein and other risk factors for sarcopenia may also inform protective strategies

Measuring platform return on participation

While industry platforms can transform industries and drive the digital economy, little guidance exists to help managers decide which industry platform to join. Derived from industry research, we propose a six-step return-on-participa- tion (ROP) method that enables managers to clearly and logically review how their firms are affected by a platform, what the benefits are, how current and future var- iable and fixed costs vary, as well as the often-hidden joining costs. We suggest this technique could also be used by managers to compare competing platforms and by platform owners to evaluate the attractiveness of their offerings

Identification and characterization of new mutations in mitochondrial cytochrome b that confer resistance to bifenazate and acequinocyl in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae

BACKGROUND In spider mites, mutations in the mitochondrial cytochrome b Qo pocket have been reported to confer resistance to the Qo inhibitors bifenazate and acequinocyl. In this study, we surveyed populations of the two‐spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae for mutations in cytochrome b, linked newly discovered mutations with resistance and assessed potential pleiotropic fitness costs. RESULTS We identified two novel mutations in the Qo site: G132A (equivalent to G143A in fungi resistant to strobilurins) and G126S + A133T (previously reported to cause bifenazate and acequinocyl resistance in Panonychus citri ). Two T. urticae strains carrying G132A were highly resistant to bifenazate but not acequinocyl, whereas a strain with G126S + A133T displayed high levels of acequinocyl resistance, but only moderate levels of bifenazate resistance. Bifenazate and acequinocyl resistance were inherited maternally, providing strong evidence for the involvement of these mutations in the resistance phenotype. Near isogenic lines carrying G132A revealed several fitness penalties in T. urticae ; a lower net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and finite rate of increase (LM); a higher doubling time (DT); and a more male‐biased sex ratio. CONCLUSIONS Several lines of evidence were provided to support the causal role of newly discovered cytochrome b mutations in bifenazate and acequinocyl resistance. Because of the fitness costs associated with the G132A mutation, resistant T. urticae populations might be less competitive in a bifenazate‐free environment, offering opportunities for resistance management. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industr

Painting as Technology

This paper presents an articulation of the activities and research attached to the ongoing research thematic ‘Painting as Technology’, which forms part of the programme of paintingresearch at Wimbledon College of Arts. The value of the research thematic is in its extension outwards from painting into diverse fields via a methodological framework. Incorporating research by staff on the BA Fine Art Painting course as well as invitations to visiting artists and academics, the series offers opportunities for students to connect with these themes in both contextual and practical ways. In this instance the theme emerged via an assumption that painting acts in response tothe mechanical or digital rather being mechanical - and digital in itself. Painting as Technology examines: Painting as a mechanical pursuit engaging the brush/stylus as a prosthetic. Painting as a mode of enhancing the optical and lenticular. In this way, it becomes a form of human extension, driving forms of supra-production or a supra-visual. Painting as a critical envoy from history - its longevity allowing commentary and critical distance on newer media and allowing for their reflection and deflection into supposedly ‘known’ terrain, reimagined. The series launched with a symposium that looked at the concept of techne – the importance of craft practice in art making – as it relates to painting through film, the digital, painting processes and via performative means. This paper examines teaching painting as technology via its own intrinsic engagement with the virtual, the mechanical, the prosthetic and hand-eye relationships

Extreme wet conditions coincident with Bronze Age abandonment of upland areas in Britain

Abandonment of farming systems on upland areas in southwest Britain during the Late Bronze Age – some 3000 years ago – is widely considered a ‘classic’ demonstration of the impact of deteriorating climate on the vulnerability of populations in such marginal environments. Here we test the hypothesis that climate change drove the abandonment of upland areas by developing new chronologies for human activity on upland areas during the Bronze Age across southwest Britain (Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor). We find Bronze Age activity in these areas spanned 3900–2950 calendar years ago with abandonment by 2900 calendar years ago. Holocene Irish bog and lake oak tree populations provide evidence of major shifts in hydroclimate across western Britain and Ireland, coincident with ice rafted debris layers recognized in North Atlantic marine sediments, indicating significant changes in the latitude and intensity of zonal atmospheric circulation across the region. We observe abandonment of upland areas in southwest Britain coinciding with a sustained period of extreme wet conditions that commenced 3100 calendar years ago. Our results are consistent with the view that climate change increased the vulnerability of these early farming communities and led to a less intensive use of such marginal environments across Britain

Temperature and bias voltage dependence of Co/Pd multilayer-based magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Temperature- and bias voltage-dependent transport measurements of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with perpendicularly magnetized Co/Pd electrodes are presented. Magnetization measurements of the Co/Pd multilayers are performed to characterize the electrodes. The effects of the Co layer thickness in the Co/Pd bilayers, the annealing temperature, the Co thickness at the MgO barrier interface, and the number of bilayers on the tunneling magneto resistance (TMR) effect are investigated. TMR-ratios of about 11 % at room temperature and 18.5 % at 13 K are measured and two well-defined switching fields are observed. The results are compared to measurements of MTJs with Co-Fe-B electrodes and in-plane anisotropy

A virtual co-creation collaboration between a university physics research group and school students

[EN] This work aims to inspire, ignite and engage school students to consider STEM at university, by collaborating between a university research group and school students. Learning resources will be co-created with students, based on what they have learnt and their new ideas. These resources will be used to teach future students, in a multiplying effect. We specifically target a widening participation school. Numerous engagement techniques have been used to sustain participation whilst teaching online. Breakout rooms have been used extensively, to provide close interactions between researchers and students. Both male and female researchers deliver the project, to provide role models in particular for the girls amongst the students, who are in the minority. Surveys are being employed before, during and after the project to evaluate the evolution of students’ attitudes towards STEM. Given the projected success of this pilot, plans are in place for a national roll-out of virtual co-creation collaborations.Evans, M.; Abrahams, R.; Baskill, D.; Earnshaw, Z.; Golton, P.; Shaw, K.; Stevenson, T.... (2021). A virtual co-creation collaboration between a university physics research group and school students. En 7th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'21). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 27-35. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd21.2021.13109OCS273