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Purpose: To collect data on efficacy and safety of brolucizumab 6 mg drug product intended for commercialization in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration to support comparability to brolucizumab product used in the Phase III HAWK and HARRIER studies. Methods: The HAWK extension study was a 24-week, double-masked, multicenter study of patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration who completed the 96-week HAWK core study. All patients were planned to receive three intravitreal injections of either brolucizumab 6 mg or aflibercept 2 mg. Key endpoint measures included change in best-corrected visual acuity and central subfield thickness from baseline, and incidence and characteristics of treatment emergent adverse events. Results: Best-corrected visual acuity gain and central subfield thickness reduction observed at the end of the core study were maintained to Week 24 of the extension study. There was no indication of difference in the safety profile of the brolucizumab 6 mg drug product intended for commercialization and the brolucizumab 3 mg or 6 mg drug product used in the Phase III clinical trials. Conclusions: Efficacy and safety with the intended commercial formulation of brolucizumab 6 mg in neovascular age-related macular degeneration patients was consistent with that observed in the Phase III studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

St. George Jackson Mivart is mostly remembered as a cautionary tale. If Mivart is mentioned at all in modern debates, it is to offer an example of how not to do biology and theology. However, in this paper I argue that, ongoing developments in evolutionary biology have produced genuine alternatives to strict neo-Darwinism that not only seek to downplay the role of natural selection, but do so in ways that are strikingly reminiscent of Mivart's unpopular theory. Similarly, modern Thomists are also taking an approach to science and religion that mirrors Mivarts own approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the counseling profession has increased focus on spiritual integration into counseling sessions, such integration brings necessary attention to professional ethics. While ethical guidelines mandate that counselors not impose values on clients, this has oftentimes been confused with the false idea that counselors who are Christian may not or cannot practice ethically due to potential conflicts between ethical practice and religious beliefs. This study helps explore professional counselors' understanding of the integration of Christianity into professional counseling. Such an understanding may help correct biases regarding ethical use of Christianity in professional mental health counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a case study, the co-production of a prostate cancer app with, and for, Black British African-Caribbean communities, to discuss benefits and tensions of inclusive practice and allyship. We view our collaborators as joint partners, and joint allies, for the Black British African-Caribbean community. Here, we document the research process and highlight successful aspects of our collaboration such as mentoring, recruitment, ideas on the format and presentation of the app, supportive data collection practices, useful community feedback and promotion of the app. We also highlight points in the research process that in hindsight needed more discussion and careful negotiation. We end with some recommendations based on our experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical analysis of the Chartered Institute for Management of Sport and Physical Activity's (CIMSPA) transformative aspirations for UK Higher Education (HE) based Sport and Physical Activity Vocational Education and Training (SPAVET) provision. In doing so, we apply selected elements of Giddens' Structuration theory to offer an analysis of CIMSPA's structural properties (as rules and resources) and dimensions (signification, domination and legitimation). Illustration of CIMSPA's structural properties and dimensions was developed through adopting an institutional analysis strategy alongside a document analysis method. Publicly available strategic documents and web-based resources (N = 18) were selected and analysed using open-coding techniques. Our analysis shows how continued state-sanctioned decentralisation of the UK HE sector has led to CIMSPA becoming an increasingly influential transformative structure; attempting to use its structural dimensions and resources as a medium to gain and exercise power, to promote (signification) – market-orientated discourses, practices and pedagogies in HEI provision, (domination) – in an attempt to significantly influence regulatory control over UK SPAVET provision and (Legitimation) – create partnerships which normalise its position and message within selected UK HEIs. We conclude that whilst the transformative aspirations of CIMSPA offer a number of possibilities for the HE SPAVET sector, they also raise critical questions. The central issue requiring debate is how these aspirations shift dialectical control towards vocationally focused, market-orientated principles and away from the liberal educational, research-led principles of some current UK HE SPAVET provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This methodological study analyses the merits of adopting an ambulatory 'hike-along' approach to explore the mobile experiences of women during serious leisure pursuits such as Munro-bagging – climbing Scotland's 3,000 feet high mountains. By walking with participants as they ascended their chosen routes, rather than relying on sedentary, post-hoc interviews, we were able to observe the transient, shifting natures of their pastime, the embodied relationships between self and landscape, previously overlooked moments of 'in-between-ness', liminalities between mobility and immobility, and the ways in which women live their experiences into being, intertwining their self-concepts with emerging understandings of their environment. The 'nowness' of our methodology captured the inseparability of actor, (inter)action, self, movement, and temporospatial and sociocultural contexts. Moreover, the inherent mobility of our approach brought a congruence with the subject matter, participants, settings and phenomena of study, which helped to separate women's adventure identities from the androcentricity permeating the canonical literature on walking. We therefore recommend broader adoption of 'hike-alongs' within similar ethnographic studies of serious leisure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores coaching in boxe popolare (people's boxing) – a style of boxing codified by leftist grassroots groups in contemporary Italy. The paper presents a micro-sociological analysis of data collected during a three-year multi-sited participant observation focusing on Patrick (pseudonym), who is the leading coach of a boxe popolare team. It examines the micropolitics of reproduction via the under-researched notion of 'sociability'. To contextualise this, a Bourdieusian framework, drawing on the concepts of 'field', 'capital', 'habitus', 'doxa' and 'symbolic violence', is employed. Findings highlight how boxe popolare is infused with far-left militant culture. Patrick uses sociability strategically, (a) to reproduce an embodied ethics of this specific boxing style; (b) to strengthen the collective values inherent within boxe popolare political milieu; (c) to perform the boxe popolare network; and finally, (d) to legitimise his own authority in the coaching structure. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of sociability for understanding micropolitical influence in coaching practice and consider the emergent idea of hybrid field as a way to better explore the interplay between coaching pedagogy, the political field and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is divided into two parts. The first responds to the earlier critical essays from Schwoebel and Callaway, in both cases challenging their methodology. In the former case objection is taken to the principle that even in dialogue with others one should start from one's own perspective rather than first make an effort of imagination to enter into the position of one's interlocutor. While with Callaway there is agreement about God working outside Christian boundaries, there is divergence over how easy it might be to proceed to empirical testing. The second part then seeks to expand the discussion into the wider context of the relation between theology and the arts more generally. After noting two reasons why they should be seen as closely allied and three cases where the arts might even provide some corrective to theology, the essay ends by offering a more internally addressed, theological account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various exposure estimates have been used to assess health impact of unconventional natural gas development (UNGD). The purpose of this study was to (1) use an air pollution dispersal screening model and wind direction to characterize the air emissions from UNGD facilities at each residence and (2) assess association of this exposure estimate with respiratory symptoms. Respiratory symptoms were abstracted from health records of a convenience sample of 104 adults from one county in southwestern PA who had completed a standard clinical interview with a nurse practitioner. Using publicly available air emission data, we applied a "box" air pollution dispersion screening model to estimate the median ambient air level of CO, NOx, PM 2.5, VOCs, and formaldehyde at the residence during the year health symptoms were reported. Sources and median emissions were categorized as north, south, east, or west of the residence to account for the effect of wind direction on dispersion. Binary logistic regression was performed for each respiratory symptom. Number of sources had varying magnitudes of association with some symptoms (i.e., cough, shortness of breath, and "any respiratory symptom") and no association with others (i.e., sore throat, sinus problems, wheezing). Air emissions were not associated with any symptom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates surrounding the appropriateness of "humanitarian intervention" remain a key feature of the post-Kosovo international security environment. NATO has attempted, in the past, to intervene on "humanitarian" grounds, both in Kosovo in 1999 and Libya in 2011. By systematically comparing both operations—analyzing three related phases, namely the pre-intervention justifications offered, the manner in which NATO, and particularly the United States, sought to intervene, and the level of commitment shown in the post-intervention phase—it is clear that the best that Western organizations and efforts can hope for is "limited humanitarianism," even with the added boosts—in the case of Libya—of a cleaner international mandate from the United Nations Security Council and normative support from the relatively newly minted but already damaged concept of responsibility to protect (R2P). There are lessons for future operations of this nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-mortem case details, including toxicology, of deaths involving novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are limited due to the relatively recent emergence of NPS as a global problem. Acetyl fentanyl, an illicit fentanyl analogue, is no exception, with its prevalence being documented since 2013. This case report seeks to provide pathology and toxicology findings of a sudden death attributed to acetyl fentanyl use. Following injection of acetyl fentanyl, a 24-year old male died suddenly. The autopsy indicated pulmonary oedema and congestion, and early aspiration pneumonia as the only notable findings. Preliminary toxicology testing was inconclusive until drug paraphernalia found at the scene of death was shown to contain acetyl fentanyl. Subsequent toxicological analysis of the post-mortem samples revealed an acetyl fentanyl blood concentration of approximately 400 μg/L and a liver concentration of approximately 3000 μg/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tanniniferous Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion level on performance of goats fed on a Setaria verticillata grass hay-based diet. Twenty indigenous male Pedi goats with an average initial live weight of 17.44 ± 2 kg were allocated, in a completely randomized design, to five dietary treatments containing Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion levels of 20%, 25%, 30%, 40% and 50% of the total diet. Daily dry matter intakes were similar (P > .05) across the treatments. Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion improved (P < .05) dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre digestibility coefficients. Dietary treatments had no effect on final live weights of goats. However, live weight gains were higher (P < .05) in goats fed a diet containing 50% Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion level. Dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre digestibility coefficients were optimized at Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion levels of 69.4%, 48.3% and 42.7%, respectively. Acacia karroo leaf meal inclusion improved nutrient digestibility and live weight gain of the goats and thus has potential to be utilized as a protein supplement when low-quality roughage is used as a basal diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extension of Anglican church provision in nineteenth-century Staffordshire reflects the importance of rural as well as urban initiative. Despite contemporary concerns, which focussed largely on urban issues, the scale of rural church building shows the donors’ concerns about rural society and status. Although bishops played a key enabling role, individual clerics and donors of both genders were the key forces in church building, the latter especially so through their essential financial contribution. Institutions played a key role in towns but in the countryside aristocrats and ‘new men’ dominated the process. The church’s building efforts were significant but failed to meet rising demographic pressures and so Anglicanism’s emphasis after 1870 changed from building to strengthening its relevance to the poor. However, church extension strengthened the bond between the aspirant middle classes and the aristocracy exemplified by a re-imagined Tory party which represented both land and commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this essay we demonstrate that the concepts of race and racism comprise an applicable theoretical framework for understanding the Erasure - when the authorities of newly independent Slovenia erased 25,671 people from the register of permanent residence in 1992 - and particularly for placing it in the wider context of Europeanization and the transition from socialism to a liberal market economy. Taking into account legal, social, political, and economic aspects, we find parallels to other contexts, enabling us to conclude that the Erasure was more than a legal mistake in a nation-state formation. Rather, we see it as a process connected to the Europeanization of Slovenia, since it was partly a result of European migration policies implemented in its territory. Furthermore, by addressing the Erasure through a discourse on race, and in specifically framing it as a process of internal division and systematic exclusion through state institutions, we recognize these exclusions also as a means of extracting wealth, property, and accumulated labour, an integral part of the liberalization of the former communist states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-Temperature Insulation Wools (HTIW), such as alumino silicate wools (Refractory Ceramic Fibers) and Alkaline Earth Silicate wools, are used in high-temperature industries for thermal insulation. These materials have an amorphous glass-like structure. In some applications, exposure to high temperatures causes devitrification resulting in the formation of crystalline species including crystalline silica. The formation of this potentially carcinogenic material raises safety concerns regarding after-use handling and disposal. This study aims to determine whether cristobalite formed in HTIW is bioactive in vitro. Mouse macrophage (J774A.1) and human alveolar epithelial (A549) cell lines were exposed to pristine HTIW of different compositions, and corresponding heat-treated samples. Cell death, cytokine release, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation were assessed in both cell types. Cell responses to aluminum lactate-coated fibers were assessed to determine if responses were caused by crystalline silica. DQ12 α-quartz was used as positive control, and TiO2 as negative control. HTIW did not induce cell death or intracellular ROS, and their ability to induce pro-inflammatory mediator release was low. In contrast, DQ12 induced cytotoxicity, a strong pro-inflammatory response and ROS generation. The modest pro-inflammatory mediator responses of HTIW did not always coincide with the formation of cristobalite in heated fibers; therefore, we cannot confirm that devitrification of HTIW results in bioactive cristobalite in vitro. In conclusion, the biological responses to HTIW observed were not attributable to a single physicochemical characteristic; instead, a combination of physicochemical characteristics (cristobalite content, fiber chemistry, dimensions and material solubility) appear to contribute to induction of cellular responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After briefly noting Geoffrey Rowell's interest in both themes, this article proceeds to examine Balthasar's equation of beauty and glory, beginning first with glory and beauty as found in the created order. Here the contention is that whereas notions of beauty spring ultimately from a Greek emphasis on proportion and balance, the Hebrew idea of glory is concerned with what overwhelms in its majesty and splendour, and is therefore more naturally equated with the eighteenth-century notion of sublimity. In addition, it is argued that, particularly in a modern context, it should not be presupposed that the arts are necessarily concerned with the creation of beauty. The second half of the article then turns to consider God in act and in internal life. With respect to the former, a critique is offered of the modern practice of describing the crucifixion as in itself beautiful. Finally, the author suggests that Balthasar's attempt to revive accounts of God as beautiful disguises major differences from the earlier tradition where simplicity rather than a rich complexity was taken as the defining criterion for such beauty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on a defining concept of modern surfing: localism. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the data for this study were collected using participant observation, field notes and interviews between 2008 and 2009 with a significant population oflocal surfersin a village location in Cornwall, South West of England, UK. Developing Bennett’s definition of localism, data suggested a benign form of localism and in conveying this, we make a number of associated observations. Our analysis considers how a process of Othering led to the construction of Established Insiders based primarily on location, rather than gender. These Established Insiders saw the need to protect their community and its way of life from Outsiders. The focal point for protection was the liminal space/phase that opened up on ‘their’ local waves, as it was through temporal space that communitas was generated and thus community sustained. We illustrate how benign localism was exacerbated by overcrowding and how local surfers’ experiences of localism made them aware of their becoming Outsiders in other surfing localities, modifying their behaviour accordingly. The paper also suggests that debates about localism need to view the concept as a continuum of attitudes and behaviours ranging from the benign to the heavy, and that attention needs paying to how localism varies between contexts and the ways in which localism may share social antecedents. Lastly, we highlight the utility of viewing the beach and wave as liminal spaces that give rise to communitas for those who surf it together regularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses a comparison between Durham Cathedral and the Temple at Jerusalem to argue for the ability of sacred buildings to exercise a religious role in their own right. Although obviously initially dependent on human action for their existence, when built they can then, it is argued, take on a life of their own. While negative influences are frequently noted, here it is positive dimensions that are stressed: first, in respect of experiences of the divine; then, secondly, of their ability to encourage learning from outside the specific faith context; before, thirdly, note is taken of their potential to encourage appropriate moral and political action. Finally, a response is offered to the common objection to such positive evaluation based on the alleged indifference of the early church to sacred buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: From 1996 to 2013, a 6-day Physical Activity and Public Health Course for Practitioners has been offered yearly in the United States. An evaluation was conducted to assess the impact of the course on building public health capacity for physical activity and on shaping the physical activity and public health careers of fellows since taking the courses.Method: An evaluation quantified time that fellows spent in different course offerings and surveyed fellows.Results: From 1996 to 2012, 410 fellows attended the course, and in 2013, 186 participated in the Web-based survey (56% response rate). The number of fellows attending the course ranged from 15 to 33 yearly. From 1996 to 2012, the course averaged 38 hr of instructional time that included topics on interventions and environment/policy work to increase physical activity, program evaluation, public health research, and health disparities. The course included consultations, collaborative work, and field-based experiences. Fellows who participated in the survey agreed that the course had a positive impact on the physical activity research or practice work they did (98%), met their expectations (96%), helped them with research/practice collaborations with other physical activity professionals (96%), assisted them in conducting higher-quality interventions/programs (95%), helped increase their professional networking in the field (93%), and had a positive impact on other work they did (91%). Following the course, 66% and 56% had further contact with faculty and other fellows, respectively.Conclusion: The Physical Activity and Public Health Course for Practitioners made important contributions toward building the capacity of physical activity and public health practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the subtraction of Section 28 from the 1988 Local Government Act in 2003, a substantial amount of research was published that specifically examined the experiences of lesbian physical education (PE) teachers. This article contributes to the existing academic literature by exploring the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual teachers working in a post-Section 28 school environment. Drawing on life history interviews of two lesbian PE teachers, we offer insights into how the abolition of Section 28 has affected their lives. Comparable to previous studies, both women reported feeling fearful of the consequences of identifying as lesbian and employed various strategies in order to maintain a divide between their public and private lives so as to conceal their sexual identities from colleagues, pupils and parents. However, in contrast to much of the previous literature, we found that the teachers in this study also identified with narratives of resistance. Despite being fearful of coming out at work, they nevertheless remained committed to coming out when the context is appropriate, to challenging the heteronormative symbolic order configured around the heterosexual/homosexual binary and to more proactively promoting sexual diversity and tolerance in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The foundation degree is an intermediate-level qualification designed to widen participation in higher education while providing work-related skills and knowledge. It has a vocational focus and a pedagogic approach that integrates academic and work-based learning. Research into opportunities and the process of learning within foundation degrees is limited, particularly that which looks in depth at personal development occurring within these courses. This study contributes to the literature in this area, reporting on the results of a case study of the foundation degree in medicines management (University of Portsmouth). A key finding of this work was that knowledge was gained within a community of practice, and led to students’ development as individuals. Motivation, learning to learn and guidance and feedback, alongside peer learning within the course, were central aspects of this process. The learning and personal development taking place resulted in increased awareness, confidence and empowerment in students, which was reported to influence their work and personal lives. However, the development of specialist work-related skills and knowledge was found to be limited, questioning the fitness for purpose of the course researched. While key aspects of the subject investigated have been described in this work, further research is needed to understand this complex phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing of shale gas and oil bring industrial activity into close proximity to residences, schools, daycare centers and places where people spend their time. Multiple gas production sources can be sited near residences. Health care providers evaluating patient health need to know the chemicals present, the emissions from different sites and the intensity and frequency of the exposures. This research describes a hypothetical case study designed to provide a basic model that demonstrates the direct effect of weather on exposure patterns of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Because emissions from unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) sites are variable, a short term exposure profile is proposed that determines 6-hour assessments of emissions estimates, a time scale needed to assist physicians in the evaluation of individual exposures. The hypothetical case is based on observed conditions in shale gas development in Washington County, Pennsylvania, and on estimated emissions from facilities during gas development and production. An air exposure screening model was applied to determine the ambient concentration of VOCs and PM2.5at different 6-hour periods of the day and night. Hourly wind speed, wind direction and cloud cover data from Pittsburgh International Airport were used to calculate the expected exposures. Fourteen months of daily observations were modeled. Higher than yearly average source terms were used to predict health impacts at periods when emissions are high. The frequency and intensity of exposures to PM2.5and VOCs at a residence surrounded by three UNGD facilities was determined. The findings show that peak PM2.5and VOC exposures occurred 83 times over the course of 14 months of well development. Among the stages of well development, the drilling, flaring and finishing, and gas production stages produced higher intensity exposures than the hydraulic fracturing stage. Over one year, compressor station emissions created 118 peak exposure levels and a gas processing plant produced 99 peak exposures over one year. The screening model identified the periods during the day and the specific weather conditions when the highest potential exposures would occur. The periodicity of occurrence of extreme exposures is similar to the episodic nature of the health complaints reported in Washington County and in the literature. This study demonstrates the need to determine the aggregate quantitative impact on health when multiple facilities are placed near residences, schools, daycare centers and other locations where people are present. It shows that understanding the influence of air stability and wind direction is essential to exposure assessment at the residential level. The model can be applied to other emissions and similar sites. Profiles such as this will assist health providers in understanding the frequency and intensity of the human exposures when diagnosing and treating patients living near unconventional natural gas development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports on findings from an ethnographic study (2008–09) conducted in a village with a significant population of local surfers in Cornwall (Southwest England). Stimulated by Goffman's (1961) interpretation of the concept of career and elaborated by the work of Stebbins (1970) on “subjective career,” Stebbins's (1982) framework of “serious leisure” and “serious leisure career” (Stebbins, 2005), we identify moments from local surfer careers lived in this community setting. We suggest that similar to findings from other subcultural studies on sports careers the local surfing career in this context contains shared experiential stages: the nurtured stage, the possible competitive stage, the serious leisure traveller stage, the responsible stage, and the legends stage. We conclude that the shared experiences and pathways of a local surfing career can play a positive cultural role, not just for individuals but also for the construction and maintenance of local community life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil data are largely absent for most of Africa. For landscapes with recognizable catenary elements, this data gap can be filled by mapping the catenary units and assigning them with known soil properties. An example is the landscape map for a region with dambos in central Uganda, which shows the four catenary units in order from well-drained to seasonal wetland: uplands, margins, floors, and bottoms. However, this map was created using optical data, which are cost prohibitive and are also limited by cloud cover. We evaluated the potential of freely available aerial gamma-ray spectrometry (AGRS) data as an alternative source of classification inputs. Analysis of variance based upon field data for a region with dambos in central Uganda showed gamma activity to differ along the catenary sequence, with landscape position explaining an appreciable proportion of variation of potassium (28%), thorium (27%), and uranium (46%). Using the three gamma channels, together with terrain indices derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model (DEM) as inputs, three classifiers were evaluated – conditional inference trees (CITs), random forests (RF), and multinomial-iterative self-organizing data analysis (ISODATA). While untransformed terrain and gamma predictors were used for the first two methods, we applied the ISODATA classification to landscape unit probability maps generated using multinomial principal components regression. For the CIT classification, all decision rules were based on terrain data, which might explain why the map was slightly less accurate (unweighted kappa = 0.61, linear weighted kappa = 0.73) than the map created using a RF classifier (unweighted kappa = 0.63, linear weighted kappa = 0.74), where both terrain and gamma predictors were used. But the existence of artefacts of margins within uplands in the map based on CIT modelling, and not that created using RF, is because the former missed the smoothing effect of gamma, attributed to zonal differences in activity of all three gamma channels. The multinomial-ISODATA predictions were poor (unweighted kappa = 0.56, linear weighted kappa = 0.67), partly because the regression model could not adequately resolve differences between bottoms and floors. However, we did find the probability maps generated using multinomial regression to be useful end products that capture the continuous nature of landscape unit transitions. It is important to note that in this study we used 90 m grid resolution gamma and terrain data to predict features that transition over distances of less than 10 m, so better results might be possible with finer-resolution gamma and terrain data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following an earlier review in 2007, a further review of the academic literature relating to the uses of assistive technology (AT) by children and young people was completed, covering the period 2007-2011. As in the earlier review, a tripartite taxonomy: technology uses to train or practise, technology uses to assist learning and technology uses to enable learning, was used in order to structure the findings. The key markers for research in this field and during these three years were user involvement, AT on mobile mainstream devices, the visibility of AT, technology for interaction and collaboration, new and developing interfaces and inclusive design principles. The paper concludes by locating these developments within the broader framework of the Digital Divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The use of outdoor wood furnaces (OWFs) is common in many parts of the United States. Little published information exists on the concentrations of outdoor and indoor fine particulates found near OWFs. Objective: To compare PM2.5 (cts) and PM0.5 (cts) particle concentrations inside four Connecticut homes located 30.5-259 m from OWFs, and inside six Connecticut control homes located more than 2 km from the nearest OWF. Materials and methods: PM2.5 (cts) and PM0.5 (cts) measurements were made with a Dylos light-scattering particulate counter. Results: Mean PM2.5 (cts) concentrations were 4.21 times as great in the four OWF exposed homes than the six control homes (0.302 × 106 counts/m3 versus 0.0718 counts × 106/m3 p < 0.001). The mean PM2.5 (cts) concentrations inside the four OWF exposed homes roughly corresponds to a mass PM2.5 of 37 µg/m3, which is above the US EPA 24-h PM2.5 limit of 35 µg/m3. Mean PM0.5 (cts) concentrations were 3.44 times as great in the four OWF exposed homes than in the six control homes (0.657 versus 0.191 × 106/m3 p < 0.001). Mean PM2.5 (cts) and PM0.5 (cts) concentrations were significantly higher in the house 259 m from an OWF as compared with the mean of the six control homes. Conclusion: Existing regulations, such as the present Connecticut law requiring a 61 meter distance between an OWF and neighboring homes, are not adequate to protect the health of neighboring residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a course that highlights mathematical experimentation as an introductory course for first year mathematics majors. We discuss the benefits of an experimental approach as an alternate pathway into the mathematics major. We also explain how this course serves as a gentle lead-in to later research experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this initial article of the International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church's special issue on Perspectives on the Church in Scotland, as well as offering a wider context for the contributions that follow, I want to explore what connections in general might be said to exist between Scottish identity and Christianity, and then, more particularly, the impact of religion on the country's artistic culture, written as well as visual. Even those whose interest in the Scottish dimension may be marginal at best may find the discussion of broader relevance, since all nations now face to varying degrees the problem of how to relate their present pluriform identity to a narrower past. England, for instance, is ethnically much more diverse than its near neighbour and so struggles to find an appropriate contemporary self-definition. This can be seen reflected in the way in which politicians, in speaking of 'British core values', often merely reiterate what are universal in the western world, such as democracy, equal respect before the law, gender equality and so on, as with Nick Clegg's recent list on the Today programme on Radio 4 (10 June 2014) in which Gordon Brown's similar list during his premiership was simply reiterated. Others, though, continue to wrestle with what appeal to England's past history might mean and even with whether the established Church might have some continuing role within it, with the philosopher Roger Scruton offering a particularly intriguing instance in his Our Church: A Personal History of the Church of England (2012). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Foundation Degree (FD) is a work-related, intermediate-level higher education qualification. Issues around its recognition can affect success in attracting students where the literature suggests that uptake should be adequate. This research represented a case study which explored for the first time, whether the above applied to the FD for pharmacy technicians. One-to-one and group interviews with stakeholders involved with the FD in Medicines Management (University of Portsmouth) were used for this purpose. Key findings were that the qualification was considered fit for purpose, although of limited value due to basic skills being provided by other training courses. This had a negative effect on the recognition of the FD. As a consequence, dissemination of information about the programme was impaired and a lack of awareness about it existed. Further research is needed to fully describe this situation, particularly around the benefits of this form of education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that we might learn from the ways in which Eastern movement forms with a self-cultivation focus approach the development of spirituality through physicality. It also argues that these movement forms have potential to assist in the development of children’s spirituality in school and Physical Education (PE) settings. First, the paper highlights a distinctive orientation to self-cultivation at the heart of which lies a focus on uniting body and mind through regular movement-based practice. Next, differing relationships between these movement forms and spirituality are identified as: fragments of established religious spirituality; spiritual exercise; and secular religious spirituality. Finally, three common pedagogic principles of these movement forms are highlighted and applied to the school and PE context: identifying self-identity and emotions; prioritising direct experience and changing the body-self through practice. It is suggested that these understandings of self-cultivating Eastern movement forms may help sensitise educators to approaching the cultivation of spirituality through physicality in schools using, not only Eastern movement forms but also Western activities delivered in accordance with these principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most persistent white responses to the ‘problem’ of slavery and race relations in the nineteenth-century United States was to suggest the removal and relocation of African Americans. The transatlantic abolitionist movement, however, decisively rejected colonisation in the early 1830s, and conventional wisdom suggests that they maintained their firm opposition from that point onwards. It is curious, then, that abolitionists in Britain and the United States enthusiastically received a text in 1857 – The Impending Crisis of the South – calling for colonisation as well as abolition. This article explains the reasons why they did so. It demonstrates that the Garrisonians recognised the book's potential for influencing the critical presidential election of 1860 and consequently sought to aid efforts to ensure wide circulation, belying their reputation for avoiding electoral politics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2010, the EU agreed its third five year programme for internal security, with the Stockholm Programme building on pre-existing arrangements from Tampere and The Hague. This article seeks, firstly, to highlight the nature of the problem that has confronted the EU in the area of internal security, by exploring a range of thematic concerns regarding both the institutional and conceptual construction of the EU's internal security regime, from the lack of an effective statistical analysis into the nature of the problem confronting the member states to the continued fragmentation of the European level as a practical venue for policy-making. Having considered the consequences of these continuing structural flaws, in terms of both the EU's wider credibility and legitimacy as an actor in this key security field, the second half of the article proceeds to critically appraise the solutions contained both within the 2010 Stockholm Programme and the Treaty of Lisbon. Having considered both, it will be argued that, at best, the ‘Stockholm solution' simply papers over pre-existing cracks, leaving the EU with a continued credibility gap in this important and developing area of co-operation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study explores the spontaneous explanatory models children construct, critique, and revise in the context of tasks in which children need to predict, observe, and explain phenomena involving magnetism. It further investigates what conceptual resources students use, and in what ways they use them, to construct explanatory models, and the obstacles preventing them from constructing a useful explanatory model. Our findings indicate that several of the children were able to construct explanatory models. However, of the six children interviewed multiple times (three third-graders and three sixth-graders), only one was consistently able to critique and revise her models to arrive at a consistent, coherent, and sophisticated explanatory model. Connecting intuitive knowledge and abstract knowledge was important in her construction of a coherent and sophisticated explanatory model. Students who relied only on intuitive knowledge constructed tentative and non-sophisticated explanatory models. Students who relied only on verbal-symbolic knowledge at an abstract level without connection with their intuition also did not construct coherent and sophisticated models. These results indicate that instruction should help students to become meta-conceptually aware and connect their verbal-symbolic knowledge and intuition in order to construct explanatory models to make sense of abstract scientific knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is widespread use of the undergraduate prospectus as a decision-making tool for prospective university students. Surveys have examined factors that affect student decision-making; none have specifically examined the use of the prospectus as a marketing tool for academic libraries. This study aimed to examine the usefulness of the prospectus as a marketing tool for academic libraries. A content analysis of twenty prospectuses was carried out to determine the portrayal of the library within them. A questionnaire was used to uncover the perceptions of prospective university students. This was distributed to 44 sixth-form students. The prospectus was identified as the most important source of information for prospective students. The library was deemed important in the prospectus in terms of decision-making, but it ranked behind other information, such as course content or entry requirements. The exposure of the library varied within prospectuses; some featured the library heavily, others excluded the library altogether. The most heavily referenced features of the library were information technology, printed and electronic resources, and study space. The prospectus has potential for library marketing, increasing the exposure, and highlighting the value of its services. A 'best practice' policy for library marketing and promotion within prospectuses is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is in three parts. The first section argues for the importance of seeing life as continuing immediately after death. Rather, however, than defending the traditional position of this being conceptualised in terms of a continuing soul, it is suggested that we think in terms of a body analogous to our present condition but neither spatially contiguous with it nor its transmutation. The second part then explores why the state of the dead should be a matter of concern to us: partly because it raises questions of the nature of the ascended Christ's own relation to this world, and partly because the significance of prayers for the dead lies as much in their potential impact on the flourishing of the living as of the dead. Finally, some reasons for identifying saintly lives are noted, and the attempt made to disentangle such status from any hierarchical notion of 'friends at court'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the sociological dynamics of pedagogic transition that occur with the passage of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) of Physical Education (PE) into their first posts. It draws its empirical illustration from life history and ethnographic data collected in 2006, from two first-post NQT status PE teachers with contrasting experiences, Pete and Jayne (pseudonyms). In approaching this task, we utilise the influential theoretical frameworks forwarded by Basil Bernstein and Pierre Bourdieu in a collaborative rather than an oppositional manner. More specifically, by viewing Bernstein's discursive codes and code modalities as embedded in the body through the use of Bourdieu's habitus, we explore the metaphors of resonance and dissonance felt in relation to the 'school acoustic' that occurred through the interplay of strong and weak framing for these individuals. In the two contrasting cases presented, Pete experienced explicit support through strong framing of performance codes and as a consequence found an explicit resonance between these and his own habitus. He quickly negotiated his identity and began reproducing existing pedagogy and discourses. In the second case, Jayne experienced implicit support through the weak framing of valued discursive codes. Consequently, she was forced to draw on her habitus in uncertain ways and oriented towards perfection codes and innovative practices. However, gradually she found her habitus to be dissonant with the perfection code modalities dominating the acoustics of the school and subsequently left the institution. The article reflects on the potential for furthering a principled collaboration of Bernstein and Bourdieu's concepts in the manner undertaken here. It concludes by highlighting the possible uses of such a perspective for helping NQTs entering PE and for schools accepting these teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is important in the toxicity of pathogenic particles such as fibres. We examined the oxidative potential of straight (50 μm and 10 μm) and tangled carbon nanotubes in a cell free assay, in vitro and in vivo using different dispersants. The cell free oxidative potential of tangled nanotubes was higher than for the straight fibres. In cultured macrophages tangled tubes exhibited significantly more ROS at 30 min, while straight tubes increased ROS at 4 h. ROS was significantly higher in bronchoalveolar lavage cells of animals instilled with tangled and 10 μm straight fibres, whereas the number of neutrophils increased only in animals treated with the long tubes. Addition of dispersants in the suspension media lead to enhanced ROS detection by entangled tubes in the cell-free system. Tangled fibres generated more ROS in a cell-free system and in cultured cells, while straight fibres generated a slower but more prolonged effect in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a major cause of morbidity and disability. To update national estimates and examine trends for hospitalization with COPD between 1990 and 2005, we analyzed data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS). The results indicated that an estimated 715,000 hospitalizations with COPD, or 23.6 per 10,000 population, occurred during 2005, an increase in the number and the rate of COPD hospitalizations since 1990 (370,000 hospitalizations; rate === 15.9 per 10,000 population). To reverse increases in the number of COPD hospitalizations and decrease the burden of COPD, public health programs should continue focused efforts to reduce total personal exposure to tobacco smoke, including passive smoke exposure; to occupational dusts and chemicals; and to other indoor and outdoor air pollutants linked to COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilising insights from a qualitative study in the city of Leeds (UK), this paper considers issues related to the housing of dispersed forced migrants. The term 'dispersed forced migrants' is used here as a general label to include four groups of international migrants (i.e. refugees, asylum seekers, those with humanitarian protection status and failed asylum seekers) who have previously been dispersed, on a no choice basis, to a variety of locations across the UK under the requirements of the Immigration and Asylum Act (1999). The tiering of housing entitlement that exists within the generic population of dispersed forced migrants (a consequence of the particular socio-legal status assigned to individuals), and its role in rendering migrants susceptible to homelessness is outlined. The adequacy/standard of accommodation made available to forced migrants is also discussed. It is concluded that current arrangements fail to meet the basic housing needs of many forced migrants. Any future improvement in this situation will require a significant shift in government policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doctoral education in Canada is the constitutional responsibility of provincial governments, which authorize the awarding of degrees by universities, who determine admission criteria and procedures, as well as degree and programme requirements. Admission to a doctoral programme is either with a prior master's degree or by transfer from a master's programme upon excellent academic and research performance. The Canadian doctoral student population includes a high proportion of international students and female students, although both vary by discipline. Tuition fees vary by province, and doctoral students typically receive financial support to cover tuition and living costs through scholarships, teaching assistantships, or research assistantships (from the supervisor's research grants). This article addresses the tensions felt by doctoral students at being both students and employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In this report, we tested the ability of HEPES-buffered culture medium to reduce acidotic cell death in hypoxic monolayer cell cultures and in a diffusion-limited model of engineered heart tissue (EHT). Methods: Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were either plated (monolayers) or suspended in a hydrogel disc containing HEPES. Results: Monolayers cultured in 0% oxygen exhibited a pH drop to 5.46 ± 0.27 after 4 days with no HEPES, or 7.11 ± 0.09 with 50 mM HEPES. The lowest observed pH in EHTs was estimated as 6.2 with no HEPES and 7.1 with 50 mM HEPES, which were endpoints of noticeably different pH gradients across the EHTs. Addition of HEPES to hypoxic monolayers corresponded with fewer propidium iodide-positive cells and TUNEL-positive cells; addition of HEPES to EHTs resulted in greater calcein staining and less LDH release. Conclusion: Effective pH buffering reduces cell death by attenuating the acidosis that accompanies anaerobic metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Teaching styles in physical education (PE) found prominence through Muska Mosston's teaching styles 'Spectrum' model. Mosston's Spectrum has been remarkably successful and its logic currently underpins the conceptualisation of teaching styles in many PE practices in Western education systems, including those in the United States, Australia, Spain and the United Kingdom. While we acknowledge the enormous contribution that Spectrum research has made to the development of PE pedagogy over the years, the Spectrum has evolved in ways that give cause for concern. Purpose: Drawing on a broadly critical pedagogical perspective, it is the purpose of this paper to focus attention on the nature of this evolution and the possible problems it introduces. First, we identify the paradigm shift that occurred in Mosston's second edition that has been further consolidated in subsequent editions. Next we elucidate how this shift involved the original teaching styles Spectrum moving from a versus (opposing) notion of learning and teaching to a non-versus (non-opposing) notion. While seemingly innocuous, we contend that this shift can be seen in epistemological terms as an advance (back) towards a positivism in PE despite years of dialogue from emerging interpretive standpoints. Next, we consider some of the creeping practical consequences of this shift as its emphasis on a continuing drive towards a universalised technocratic delivery of PE knowledge takes hold in institutional culture. More specifically, we consider the impact of this re-objectification of teaching as a form of de-personification of the individual teacher and pupil. Finally, we focus on the way in which the logics embedded with the non-versus model of the Spectrum are vulnerable to manipulation by coalitions of powerful groups who continually seek to impose their own agendas on PE. Conclusions: We conclude with a call for a greater critical scrutiny to be paid to the 'Truth' claims of these and other 'scientific' models of pedagogy that have found renewed vigour in an increasingly neo-liberal, ends-led, performativity culture in Western education systems. In so doing we suggest that a rapprochement of the curriculum and pedagogy literatures in PE research remains an important catalyst for a sustained and sophisticated critique to (re) emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnic gang violence is often depicted as a clash between criminals pursuing instrumental advantage or as one between ideological fanatics pursuing collective nationalist, ethnolinguistic, or ethnoreligious rights. However, there is an apparent tension between the conceptualization of such violence as the rational self-interest of deprived individuals, and as the irrational fanaticism of anomic communities. The examination of one particular ethnic gang, the Betawi Brotherhood Forum which operates in Jakarta, Indonesia, indicates how both dimensions of violence coexist and interweave. The apparent analytical tension between individualistic pragmatism and collectivist moral absolutism is resolved by showing how the gang responds to their disillusionment with the state by constructing for themselves a "state proxy" role. This response is portrayed as based upon "ressentiment" - the "faulty rationality" which marginalized individuals adopt so as to translate their clashes of material self-interests into the moral conflict between stereotyped communities - the virtuous ethnic Us against the demonized ethnic Other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response to a letter to the editor on "An Assessment of Risk from Particulate Released from Outdoor Wood Boilers," by Brown et al is presented.

Use of outdoor wood boilers (OWB) has increased due to cost of fossil fuels. OWB short stacks release particles close to the breathing level, producing high levels of particulate matter ≤2. 5 μm in diameter (PM2. 5). This assessment determines OWB contribution to local cancer risk and estimates thresholds for acute non-cancer risks. Carcinogenic PAHs in wood smoke (PM2. 5) cancer risks range from 2. 7 × 10–3 for the upper bound scenario (95% UCL value of PM2. 5 (665 μg/m3)) to 7. 6 × 10–5 for the lower bound (mean (186 μg/m3)). These risks represent a 7-fold increase of acceptable cancer risk for the lower bound value and 2 orders of magnitude above acceptable levels for the upper bound values. Non-cancer effects such as asthma and cardiopathies include respiratory attacks, hospital emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Inhaled dose acute risk thresholds of 96, 120, and 250 μg PM 2. 5/6 hours are proposed. Operation of an OWB that emits 100 grams PM2. 5/h was modeled and found to increase the exposures that exceed the 120-μg-risk level at and in residences within 500 to 1000 feet. The increases are projected to occur during periods of poor air mixing due to decreased wind speeds or inversions. Our analysis proposes a 6-h PM2. 5 inhaled dose threshold to predict peak periods of unhealthy air quality instead of 24-h and annual averages standards, which mask peak emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventionally, it was Palmerston's political nemesis, Lord Aberdeen (foreign secretary 1841–46), who brokered an entente cordiale with François Guizot and France in the early 1840s, which the belligerent and unequivocally “English” Palmerston then systematically destroyed when he returned to office in 1846. However, not only is this a distortion of the relationship between Britain and France prior to 1846, it also fails to appreciate the nuances of Palmerston's approach to Anglo–French politics. Naval scares and rhetorical constructions of English and British identities certainly drew Palmerston to adopt aggressive positions towards France on occasion, but against this must be set his close personal ties with leading French statesmen, not least Napoleon III himself, and his desire to maintain peaceful harmonious relations with France in order to free Britain's diplomatic hand elsewhere in the world. Although superficially swinging between extremes of amity and enmity, therefore, Anglo–French relations under Palmerston's guidance were in fact far more cordial and close than has sometimes been allowed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]