Editorial

Welcome to the first issue of Visual Methodologies, a new on-line visual studies journal which will critically engage with the development, utilisation and influence of visual experience in the production and consumption of knowledge of contemporary social and material conditions. Visual Methodologies provides a forum for debating emerging visual research methods across a constellation of visual domains and fields of enquiry, embracing perspectives beyond the bounded parameters of disciplinary tradition and towards hybridity, mobility and postdisciplinarity

Investor-State Arbitration and Human Rights

After decades of growth and popularity, the international investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) regime has come under intense criticism recently-particularly concerning the perceived chilling effect the regime imposes on states\u27 ability to regulate in the public interest. This Article seeks to contextualize this criticism by examining the historical antecedent of ISDS in international law: the law of diplomatic protection. It proceeds to focus on the flexibility of ISDS as a critical advance over diplomatic protection, and shows how ISDS has evolved over time-particularly as developed states have moved from approaching the regime from a predominantly investment-exporting perspective to a more balanced perspective that accounts for inbound foreign investments. In concrete terms, the inherent flexibility of ISDS has permitted it increasingly to protect states\u27 interests in regulating in the public interest, while at the same time protecting foreign investment against inappropriate governmental interference. The Article ultimately argues that the ISDS system should be permitted to continue to evolve to arrive at the appropriate equilibrium for its tim

Educational looping and retention in the middle school setting

Educational looping is an educational method where teachers remain with the same core group of students over multiple academic years. The current research on this topic shows a strong positive correlation between the effects of looping and the growth of personal relationships between students and teachers, but neglects to examine the connection between looping and student educational growth. This paper explores the relationship between looping and academic gains, as well as between looping and retention of content material over time. This paper explores both the relationship between looping and academic gains and between looping and retention of content material, and attempts to explain the relationship between looping and student performance on state assessments. Additionally, the research also examines whether students who looped with one teacher throughout their middle school years retain more content knowledge than students who had different teachers during middle school. The focus on middle school is important to the academic community because most research on looping has focused on younger students. In order to compare the quantitative effects of looping, this study compared student performance on the Louisiana state assessments at the end of each school year in 2009, 2010, and 2011. By analyzing two groups of students in Louisiana, one that looped with the same science teacher for three years, and one that had three different science teachers, we can determine that based on the state test scores, the two student populations were significantly similar at the end of the first year, significantly different at the end of the second year, and significantly similar at the end of the third year. In addition to the results from the state tests, the students were also given a retention assessment in August 2011 and May 2012 to see if students who looped retained more information than students who did not loop. Results from these assessments showed that looping did not cause a positive change in student retention of content knowledge. By breaking down the groups into different categories, a few small positive trends were found, but overall, the study was thwarted by a number of complicating systematic factors. Subsequently, a positive trend is seen in favor of looping after the first two years of the study, yet after the third year, an overwhelming amount of external factors prevented this trend from continuing

(Re)membering England: a disclosure analysis of the governance of diversity

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of LutonStudies on the representation of 'local' populations, in and through tourism, have tended to focus on 'traditional' peoples in 'developing' countries. In this study of the representation of ethno-cultural diversity in the discourse of Official Tourism Organisations (OTOs), by contrast, I focus on a 'developed' West European country: England. This study was carried out in order critically to inspect the representation/signification of 'minority' ethnic populations in the text and talk of OTOs in England within the period 2000-2003. The study is framed within an anti foundational dialogue of social constructionism. In analysing OTO discursive practices I use Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to explore the representation of ethno-cultural diversity in a number of 'interview', 'operational' and 'promotional' texts. The CDA framework employed is designed to reveal patterns of discourse in the text as well as to provide a basis for understanding the micro context (for 'operational' and 'promotional' texts) of text production and distribution. Also, the framework facilitates a consideration of the macro institutional context within which OTOs in England operate. From the analysis of OTO texts carried out in this study I propose a number of interpretative findings, including 'discourses' of denial, equality and otherness. Overall, the 'interpretative findings' suggest that OTO texts are produced and circulated within a discourse of silence on matters of ethno-cultural diversity in England. I conclude this study by suggesting a number of transforrnative actions for the development by OTOs in England of an ethical 'politics of articulation'. In addition I identify a number of problematic arenas within which tourism studies scholars might pursue future research agendas and to that end I propose some potentially useful points of entry into the broader social science literature

A Combined Field And Laboratory Investigation Into The Transport Of Fecal Indicator Microorganisms Through A Shallow Drinking Water Aquifer In Bangladesh

This dissertation presents an examination of the causes and mechanisms underlying the widespread contamination of a shallow groundwater aquifer by fecal bacteria. The context for this study is a field site located in a rural area of Bangladesh that represents a microcosm for the many challenges facing the approximately 2 billion people worldwide who rely upon groundwater for their daily needs. The unique contributions of this work include an improved numerical model for fitting column test results, a conceptual model to explain seasonal patterns of well contamination based on the hydraulic interaction of ponds and irrigation/drainage canals and a new understanding of the important role that such canals might play in predicting the microbial contamination of shallow aquifers in flood-protected areas. The mechanisms responsible for filtration of the fecal indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli, during passage through the fine sand aquifer were first investigated through laboratory column experiments using intact sediment cores from the field site as well as repacked sediment that had been dried and, in some experiments, chemically cleaned. To fit the hyper-exponential spatial profiles of attached bacteria in one third of the experiments, a finite difference two-population model with reversible and irreversible attachment modes incorporating bacterial die-off was developed. Where the two-population phenomenon was observed, one population typically was highly irreversible while the other was reversible with a smaller irreversible attachment rate. When applied to transport in the field, this model predicted only a two-fold reduction in bacterial concentrations over a distance of 10 m and transport was limited mainly by the bacterial die-off rate, which was also measured using microcosm experiments. The occurrence of the second population was associated with larger grain size and lower percentage of fine particles and the attachment rates in general increased linearly with increasing percentage of fines. Transport from contaminated surface water to nearby tubewells was studied in the field through measurements of bacterial infiltration below canals and ponds both inside and outside of the flood control embankment. A two-dimensional finite element model of the field-pond-canal system was built and fitted to heads measured at three monitoring wells and 2 surface water bodies. Using parameters from the field measurements, the model was not able to explain the seasonal pattern of E. coli concentrations in tubewells, even when reversible attachment assumptions from the column test results were applied. An alternative conceptual model that incorporates the seasonal shift in flow direction caused by the canal network was developed using the fitted finite element model and could explain the observed pattern of well contamination. The importance of the irrigation/drainage canals in determining the frequency of tubewell contamination by E. coli at the site was further demonstrated by applying a logistic regression model using the intensity of latrines, canals and ponds as predictors, after applying spatial decay rates drawn from the infiltration literature. The resulting Intensity Model found that population density, unsanitary latrines and canals together could explain 48% of the variation in the frequency of E. coli detection in tubewells, but these parameters were only significant at a low spatial decay rate (0.01 m-1). A less complex Proximity Model provides nearly the same explanatory power but only required population with 25 m and the distance to the nearest canal as predictors. These models could be useful in predicting water-related health risks, evaluating contamination risk for groundwater sources based on the sanitary environment around the well or estimating the potential benefits from improvements to sanitation infrastructure in a given region

Integrating Immersive Experiences to Instruction through BreakoutEDU: Lessons Learned

This study employed an escape room motif to engage students to use information literacy course material to solve puzzles. Students practiced research techniques in a classroom environment that bypassed their expectations of traditional course instruction. Instructor objectives were to increase student engagement with the course material, and to foster teamwork among students in a cooperative learning environment. Authors initially obtained 9 kits from Breakout EDU, a company specializing in immersive games. Games were devised for three of the course units, with each unit identifying 4-5 information literacy skills or concepts. The puzzles were focused on reinforcement of the key concepts. After each escape room class session, students completed a short survey. At the end of the semester students completed another survey about their experiences. Over 80% of students indicated the games helped them understand course concepts. Comparisons of final grades in the gamified courses with previous, non-gamified courses revealed that students achieved more A’s and fewer D’s and F’s in the gamified courses.  Future directions for study include flipping game design to student groups, and further analysis of correlations between concepts learned through traditional teaching techniques and those learned in Breakout EDU classes.

Peptide length significantly influences in vitro affinity for MHC class II molecules

Class II Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules have an open-ended binding groove which can accommodate peptides of varying lengths. Several studies have demonstrated that peptide flanking residues (PFRs) which lie outside the core binding groove can influence peptide binding and T cell recognition. By using data from the AntiJen database we were able to characterise systematically the influence of PFRs on peptide affinity for MHC class II molecules

Atmospheric Monitoring Strategy for Ground Testing of Closed Ecological Life Support Systems

This paper reviews the evolution and current state of atmospheric monitoring on the International Space Station to provide context from which we can imagine a more advanced and integrated system. The unique environmental hazards of human space flight are identified and categorized into groups, taking into consideration the time required for the hazard to become a threat to human health or performance. The key functions of a comprehensive monitoring strategy for a closed ecological life support system are derived from past experience and a survey of currently available technologies for monitoring air quality. Finally, a system architecture is developed incorporating the lessons learned from ISS and other analogous closed life support systems. The paper concludes by presenting recommendations on how to proceed with requirements definition and conceptual design of an air monitoring system for exploration missions

Water for Two Worlds: Designing Terrestrial Applications for Exploration-class Sanitation Systems

At the United Nations Millennium Summit in September of 2000, the world leaders agreed on an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and improving lives: the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) , a list of issues they consider highly pernicious, threatening to human welfare and, thereby, to global security and prosperity. Among the eight goals are included fundamental human needs such as the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the promotion of gender equality, the reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health, and ensuring the sustainability of our shared environment. In order to help focus the efforts to meet these goals, the United Nations (UN) has established a set of eighteen concrete targets, each with an associated schedule. Among these is Target 10: "By 2015, reduce by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water." A closely related target of equal dignity was agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, September 2002): "By 2015, reduce by half the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation"