A comparative study of the perceptions of professional staff on their contribution to student outcomes

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis Group in Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management on 14/8/2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1360080X.2014.936093This journal articles examines the perceptions of professional staff on their contribution to student outcomes

Young People’s Perceptions of Smoking Behaviour and the Implications for Social and Health Workers

OBJECTIVES: Addiction to smoking has serious health implications, particularly as addiction may lead to a lifetime smoking. Social workers work with socially deprived clients and therefore can have a role in assisting in health behaviour choices. THEORETICAL BASE: Social constructionism - what constitutes young people’s need to smoke. METHODS: To understand why young people smoke qualitative phase one interviews (n=40) took place in six deprived areas of Essex, in England. A quantitative questionnaire was sent to 14 districts of Essex. Comparison was made between Higher deprivation (HD) and Lower Deprivation (LD) areas (Total n=1711). Ethical approval was via Anglia Ruskin University Faculty Research Ethics Panel, and Essex, Thurrock and Southend local authorities. OUTCOMES: Phase One: The phase one results demonstrate that young people who smoke are mainly stimulated by stress (14 of the 40 participants). Phase Two: Found that 70.1% of high deprived area (HD) and 62.6% of less deprived area (LD) Smokers identified ‘stress’ as the most significant reason for smoking. IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL WORK: Social workers can help people understand their feelings of needing to smoke cigarettes / smoking behaviour, and to help them manage stress without the need to smoke

Imaging of Iso-frequency Contours via Resonance-Enhanced Scattering in Near-Pristine Photonic Crystals

The iso-frequency contours of a photonic crystal are important for predicting and understanding exotic optical phenomena that are not apparent from high-symmetry band structure visualizations. Here, we demonstrate a method to directly visualize the iso-frequency contours of high-quality photonic crystal slabs that shows quantitatively good agreement with numerical results throughout the visible spectrum. Our technique relies on resonance-enhanced photon scattering from generic fabrication disorder and surface roughness, so it can be applied to general photonic and plasmonic crystals, or even quasi-crystals. We also present an analytical model of the scattering process, which explains the observation of iso-frequency contours in our technique. Furthermore, the iso-frequency contours provide information about the characteristics of the disorder and therefore serve as a feedback tool to improve fabrication processes.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Substrate-Independent Light Confinement in Bioinspired All-Dielectric Surface Resonators

Traditionally, photonic crystal slabs can support resonances that are strongly confined to the slab but also couple to external radiation. However, when a photonic crystal slab is placed on a substrate, the resonance modes become less confined, and as the index contrast between slab and substrate decreases, they eventually disappear. Using the scale structure of the Dione juno butterfly wing as an inspiration, we present a low-index zigzag surface structure that supports resonance modes even without index contrast with the substrate. The zigzag structure supports resonances that are contained away from the substrate, which reduces the interaction between the resonance and the substrate. We experimentally verify the existence of substrate-independent resonances in the visible wavelength regime. Potential applications include substrate-independent structural color and light guiding.United States. Army Research Office (W911NF-13-D-0001)Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy Conversion Center (DE-SC0001299)National Science Foundation (U.S.) (1122374

Exploring how age influences sensory perception, thirst and hunger during the consumption of oral nutritional supplements using the check-all-that-apply methodology

The Check-all-that-apply (CATA) method has been widely used for the sensory characterisation of many different foods and beverages. However, this methodology has been rarely used with older adults. The aim of this study was to measure the effectiveness of the CATA methodology to investigate the differences in sensory perception of Oral Nutritional Supplements (ONS) between younger and community dwelling older adults over successive sips of a full volume of two ONS. The study also sought to measure the effects of ONS on thirst, hunger and fullness. 160 participants (eighty aged over 65 and eighty aged 18-35) evaluated two ONS over two different days. They consumed five 40 ml aliquots of ONS amounting to one serving. After each 40 ml they completed a CATA questionnaire, which recorded liking using a 9-point hedonic scale and hunger, fullness, desire, and thirst using 100 mm visual analogue scales. The results indicated significantly lower levels in hunger (p ≤ 0.01) and thirst (p ≤ 0.01) in the older cohort than the younger cohort. Significant differences in texture perception with age were also observed with the younger cohort selecting ‘Watery’ significantly more (p ≤ 0.05) than the older cohort for ONS 1 and ‘Thick’ and ‘Viscous’ significantly more (p ≤ 0.05) for ONS 2. The study showed that the CATA methodology is appropriate for use with older adults. The findings enhanced our understanding of how an older population experience ONS and drivers of ‘liking’. This information has the potential to enhance ONS adherence and ultimately improve the nutritional status of older people

Resolving spin, valley, and moir\'e quasi-angular momentum of interlayer excitons in WSe2/WS2 heterostructures

Moir\'e superlattices provide a powerful way to engineer properties of electrons and excitons in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures. The moir\'e effect can be especially strong for interlayer excitons, where electrons and holes reside in different layers and can be addressed separately. In particular, it was recently proposed that the moir\'e superlattice potential not only localizes interlayer exciton states at different superlattice positions, but also hosts an emerging moir\'e quasi-angular momentum (QAM) that periodically switches the optical selection rules for interlayer excitons at different moir\'e sites. Here we report the observation of multiple interlayer exciton states coexisting in a WSe2/WS2 moir\'e superlattice and unambiguously determine their spin, valley, and moir\'e QAM through novel resonant optical pump-probe spectroscopy and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. We demonstrate that interlayer excitons localized at different moir\'e sites can exhibit opposite optical selection rules due to the spatially-varying moir\'e QAM. Our observation reveals new opportunities to engineer interlayer exciton states and valley physics with moir\'e superlattices for optoelectronic and valleytronic applications

Exploring the relationship between mastitis risk perceptions and farmers’ readiness to engage in milk recording

peer-reviewedThe need to move towards Selective Dry Cow Therapy (SDCT) has become increasingly pertinent as a means to reduce the use of antibiotics in the dairy sector. With the EU 2022 ban on prophylactic antibiotics at drying off, practices on some farms will need to drastically change. In Ireland, one particular challenge to the sector-wide transition to SDCT is the lack of widespread uptake of milk recording across dairy farms, a decision support tool which can support mastitis control and help identify cows to select for SDCT. The current study examined readiness to engage in milk recording amongst Irish dairy farmers, and specifically investigated the role of mastitis risk perceptions in shaping farmers’ readiness. The study explores the multifaceted nature of risk perception as a construct shaping farmers’ attitudes. An online survey was carried out with 197 Irish dairy farmers exploring their attitudes towards mastitis and milk recording. A cluster analysis classified farmers according to their mastitis risk perceptions, with 3 segments identified with differing risk perception profiles. Elevated mastitis risk perceptions were linked to an increased readiness to milk record. However, this relationship was not universal across all farmers. One segment of farmers in the current study maintain low mastitis risk perceptions and remain unmotivated to engage in milk recording. The study concludes that targeted risk communication strategies related to mastitis and milk recording are needed to encourage the move towards SDCT and reduced AMR. Results suggest that the types of risk communication strategies – message framing and two-way risk communication – should reflect farmers’ types of mastitis risk perceptions to have the most effective impact on milk recording uptake

Surveillance and Control Measures during Smallpox Outbreaks

Targeted surveillance and containment interventions have been successful for outbreak control and should be explored as alternatives to mass vaccination