William James and the Evolution of Consciousness

Despite having been relegated to the realm of superstition during the dominant years of behaviourism, the investigation and discussion of consciousness has again become scientifically defensible. However, attempts at describing animal consciousness continue to be criticised for lacking independent criteria that identify the presence or absence of the phenomenon. Over one hundred years ago William James recognised that mental traits are subject to the same evolutionary processes as are physical characteristics and must therefore be represented in differing levels of complexity throughout the animal kingdom. James's proposals with regard to animal consciousness are outlined and followed by a discussion of three classes of animal consciousness derived from empirical research. These classes are presented to defend both James's proposals and the position that a theory of animal consciousness can be scientifically supported. It is argued that by using particular behavioural expressions to index consciousness and by providing empirical tests by which to elicit these behavioural expressions a scientifically defensible theory of animal consciousness can be developed

An experimental study of interceptors for drag reduction on high-performance sailing yachts

Interceptors have been widely used in recent years in fast ferries and small high-speed leisure and commercial craft for ride and trim control, and steering. In the context of high-performance sailing yachts, they first appeared in 2008 on the yacht Ecover 3 which was dismasted while leading the Vendee Globe Challenge race. However, in spite of their popularity in power craft, few studies have been published investigating the impact of interceptors on vessel performance, and apparently none in the case of sailing yachts. In the current study, interceptors are compared with an aerodynamic device known as a Gurney flap. It is shown that interceptors are generally substantially smaller than Gurney flaps. A comprehensive experiment programme is presented exploring the impact of interceptors on the performance of an Open 60 yacht hull. Results show a marked reduction in calm-water resistance over a wide speed range, with benefits of 10–18% in the speed range between 8 and 20 knots, accompanied by reduced sinkage and trim. The gains observed are much larger than those observed in powercraft, and also substantially greater than those achievable through trim changes by moving ballast longitudinally. The benefits appear to be largely sustained in small waves

Sexual networks and the transmission of HIV in London

Copyright @ 1998 Cambridge University Press.This paper discusses ways in which empirical research investigating sexual networks can further understanding of the transmission of HIV in London, using information from a 24-month period of participant observation and 53 open-ended, in-depth interviews with eighteen men and one woman who have direct and indirect sexual links with each other. These interviews enabled the identification of a wider sexual network between 154 participants and contacts during the year August 1994-July 1995. The linked network data help to identify pathways of transmission between individuals who are HIV + and those who are HIV -, as well as sexual links between 'older' and 'younger' men, and with male prostitutes. There appears to be considerable on-going transmission of HIV in London. The majority of participants reported having had unprotected anal and/or vaginal sex within a variety of relationships. The implications of these findings for policies designed to prevent the transmission of HIV are discussed.The Wellcome Trust and The Health Education Authority

Human serum haptoglobin is toxic to Plasmodium falciparum in vitro

Innate immune responses are important in the control of malaria, particularly in those who have not yet mounted an effective adaptive response. Here we report that the human serum acute phase protein, haptoglobin is toxic to Plasmodium falciparum cultured in vitro. This effect is phenotype-dependent and occurs during the trophozoite phase of the asexual life cycle. We propose that the increased levels of haptoglobin seen in the acute phase response may be protective against malaria in humans

Computer program samples digital data for CRT display

High volume, multichannel data reduction computer program permits selection of the rates at which digital data is sampled. The program, written in FORTRAN 4 source language, also permits accessibility to the original mass of data

An exploration of what stakeholders reveal about personality traits and associated behaviours of registered nurses working in older people’s acute care settings

Background Concern around poor standards of nursing care for older people in hospital has been explored in relation to workload and operational pressures. What is less evident from existing literature in this field is an explanation as to why nurses behave differently under the same pressures within the same concrete situations. Notions of personality traits and associated behaviours as possible influencers on nursing care delivery are variables that require consideration. Aim To critically explore behaviours of registered nursing staff working in older people's acute care settings from perspectives gathered from key stakeholders, and to identify whether there are any distinguishing personality traits that influence effective care delivery for older people. Methodology Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, semi structured interviews were conducted to gather data from 12 stakeholder participants. Representation was from patient governors, carers and others from a nursing or relevant professional background. Data was analysed through a process of initial, focussed and finally theoretical coding. Findings Analysis of data gathered from stakeholders identified a rubric, describing specific behaviours aligned with associated trait headings. A range of behaviours were identified spanning between two distinct types of nursing staff. One group of nurses who work with older people are perceived to have no real desire to do so and in turn their care behaviours are perceived as ‘cold’ and task based. A second group of nurses are perceived as having a commitment to older people’s wellbeing and their behaviours lead to the delivery of care that is perceived as being highly skilled and compassionate. A theoretical framework was constructed from this data analysis that identifies four key personality traits related to nursing behaviours. These are referred to as: conscientiousness, sociability, integrity and coping under a core category heading of ‘the authentic self’. Whilst authentic self is identified as being a direct influencer on how care is delivered, defined as the consequence, the influence of context is also taken into account. Conclusion This research offers new insights into four key personality traits and associated behavious displayed by nurses working in the acute older people’s healthcare setting and what effect these behaviours have on nursing care delivery, derived from perspectives of various older people’s nursing key stakeholders. Implications for healthcare practice are presented, which includes potential for further research that can inform the development of educational and recruitment strategies for older people’s nurses. This will ultimately have a positive impact on the quality of care older patients can expect to receive when in hospital

Horizontal-axis tidal turbine blade loading for multi-frequency oscillatory motion

This paper presents results from an experimental study which analysed the hydrodynamic response of the out-of-plane blade root bending moment for a horizontal-axis turbine exposed to multi-frequency oscillatory motion. Estimates of the amplitude and phase agree well with those for single frequency oscillatory motion, which suggests that a model based on the principles of linear superposition is applicable. When minor flow separation is experienced, linear superposition is likely to offer conservative estimates. The findings are likely to be of interest to designers of turbines deployed in tidal streams, rivers or canals, and who are seeking low computational approaches for assessing the dynamic blade loads