The Crystal Palace

From the moment of its construction, London's Crystal Palace (Fig. 4), the iron and glass structure designed by Joseph Paxton for the 1851 Great Exhibition in Hyde Park and subsequently moved to Sydenham Hill in South London, where it stood until its destruction by fire in 1936, was subject to intense international interest and viewed as a symbol of modernity. It also became the central image of Dostoevsky's critique of western rationalism, particularly of the radicals and their utopian aspirations. His appropriation of this symbol incorporated ideas about the Crystal Palace's all-encompassing and contradictory nature that characterized its history and reception. From the original idea for the Great Exhibition in 1851 to its subsequent interpretation by historians, the meaning and use of the Crystal Palace has seen significant changes. The project, for the first world's fair, showcasing industry, manufactures, and applied arts from Britain and the rest of the world, was initially conceived as a means of shaping the image of Britain and the British Empire for the Victorian era (and, equally, of defining the image of the non-Western “other”); of promoting free trade and internationalism (and, therefore, global peace); of proclaiming the superiority of British manufactures; of defining, celebrating, and educating people about industry, manufacturing processes and products; and of bringing together different classes and cultures. Beyond the immediate designs of the royal commission that established the Great Exhibition, the palace led to material changes in Britain's infrastructure and cultural life, as the success of the Great Exhibition resulted in the establishment in London of the Science, Natural History, and Victoria and Albert Museums, Imperial College, and the Royal Albert Hall. The palace also played a crucial role not simply in representing, but in defining the very meaning of modernity, both in terms of its aesthetic form, and in relation to the changes in knowledge and behavior that modernity introduced. In particular, the Crystal Palace has been associated with concepts of the “general public” and of consumerism as spectacle. The function and aims of the reconstructed palace, which opened in Sydenham in 1854, were somewhat different. The educational focus switched from industry to the cultures of different civilizations, as visitors walked through architectural courts that took them on a trip around the world and through the ages

Controlling the polarisation correlation of photon pairs from a charge-tuneable quantum dot

Correlation between the rectilinear polarisations of the photons emitted from the biexciton decay in a single quantum dot is investigated in a device which allows the charge-state of the dot to be controlled. Optimising emission from the neutral exciton states maximises the operating efficiency of the biexciton decay. This is important for single dot applications such as a triggered source of entangled photons. As the bias on the device is reduced correlation between the two photons is found to fall dramatically as emission from the negatively charged exciton becomes significant. Lifetime measurements demonstrate that electronic spin-scattering is the likely cause.Comment: 3 figure

Effect of surface preparation on the strength of FRP-to-mild steel and FRP-to-stainless steel joints

A detailed understanding of the strength and behaviour of the bond between fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to metals is an ongoing field of research. The many different geometrical and ma-terial parameters make for extensive research demands. This paper in turn reports a series of tests on the shear strength and behaviour of FRP-to metal joints in which the main test parameters, which have received limited attention to date, consists of (i) type of metal (i.e. non-galvanised mild steel and stainless steel), and (ii) sur-face preparation technique (i.e. different mechanical abrasion methods). All specimens are loaded in dis-placement control which enables the failure process to be followed and identification of different failure modes to be made. The results enable the effectiveness of different surface preparation techniques upon the bond of FRP to different types of metals to be made.postprintThe 5th International Conference on FRP Composites in Civil Engineering (CICE 2010), Beijing, China, 27-29 September 2010. In proceedings of the 5th CICE, 2010, p. 869-87

Necrotizing meningoencephalitis in atypical dog breeds: a case series and literature review.

BackgroundCanine necrotizing meningoencephalitis (NME) is a fatal, noninfectious inflammatory disease of unknown etiology. NME has been reported only in a small number of dog breeds, which has led to the presumption that it is a breed-restricted disorder.Hypothesis/objectivesOur objective was to describe histopathologically confirmed NME in dog breeds in which the condition has not been reported previously and to provide preliminary evidence that NME affects a wider spectrum of dog breeds than previously reported.AnimalsFour dogs with NME.MethodsArchives from 3 institutions and from 1 author's (BS) collection were reviewed to identify histopathologically confirmed cases of NME in breeds in which the disease has not been reported previously. Age, sex, breed, survival from onset of clinical signs, and histopathologic findings were evaluated.ResultsNecrotizing meningoencephalitis was identified in 4 small dog breeds (Papillon, Shih Tzu, Coton de Tulear, and Brussels Griffon). Median age at clinical evaluation was 2.5 years. Histopathologic abnormalities included 2 or more of the following: lymphoplasmacytic or histiocytic meningoencephalitis or encephalitis, moderate-to-severe cerebrocortical necrosis, variable involvement of other anatomic locations within the brain (cerebellum, brainstem), and absence of detectable infectious agents.Conclusions and clinical importanceUntil now, NME has only been described in 5 small dog breeds. We document an additional 4 small breeds previously not shown to develop NME. Our cases further illustrate that NME is not a breed-restricted disorder and should be considered in the differential diagnosis for dogs with signalment and clinical signs consistent with inflammatory brain disease

Reasoning and rehabilitation cognitive skills programme for mentally disordered offenders: predictors of outcome

AIM To investigate factors predicting treatment completion and treatment outcome of the Reasoning and Rehabili tation Mental Health Programme ( R&R2MHP ) cognitive skills programme for mentally disordered offenders (MDOs). METHODS Secondary analysis of data previously obtain ed from 97 male patients who were sectioned and detained under the U nited Kingdom Mental Health Act in low, medium and high security hospitals and who had completed R&R2MHP. Predictors of treatment completion included background variables and five outcome measures: four self - reported measures of violent attitudes, social problem - solvin g skills, reactive anger and locus of control and an objective measure of behaviour on the ward that was completed by staff. Completion of the 16 session programme, which was delivered on a weekly basis, was classified as ≥ 12 sessions. RESULTS It was fou nd that the R&R2MHP is appropriate for delivery to participants of different ages, ethnic background, and at different levels of security without the completion rate or treatment effectiveness being compromised. Participants taking oral typical psychotropi c medication were over seven times more likely to complete the programme than other participants. Behavioural disturbance on the ward prior to commencing the programme predicted non - completion (medium effect size). As far as treatment completion was concer ned, none of the background factors predicted treatment effectiveness (age, ethnic background, level of security, number of previous convictions and number of previous hospital admissions). The best predictor of treatment effectiveness was attitude towards violence suggesting that this should be the primary outcome measure in future research evaluating outcomes of the R&R2MHP cognitive skills program. CONCLUSION The findings suggest that a stable mental state is a key factor that predicts treatment completion

Juvenile delinquency, welfare, justice and therapeutic interventions: a global perspective

This review considers juvenile delinquency and justice from an international perspective. Youth crime is a growing concern. Many young offenders are also victims with complex needs, leading to a public health approach that requires a balance of welfare and justice models. However, around the world there are variable and inadequate legal frameworks and a lack of a specialist workforce. The UK and other high-income countries worldwide have established forensic child and adolescent psychiatry, a multifaceted discipline incorporating legal, psychiatric and developmental fields. Its adoption of an evidence-based therapeutic intervention philosophy has been associated with greater reductions in recidivism compared with punitive approaches prevalent in some countries worldwide, and it is therefore a superior approach to dealing with the problem of juvenile delinquency