City University London

About: City University London is a education organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 5735 authors who have published 17285 publications receiving 453290 citations.

Joining The Dots Reconceptualizing Educational Development

Abstract: The emergence of the discourse around learning and teaching in higher education is one of the more remarkable phenomena of the last decade. In the UK, the creation of the national Institute for Learning and Teaching and the discipline-based Learning and Teaching Support Network, the requirement by the English Funding Council that all institutions should develop a learning and teaching strategy which attracts funding, the emphasis by the Quality Assurance Agency through its subject review process on the quality of teaching, and government policy statements are all clear evidence that there has been a major shift at a national level towards reassessing the importance of learning and teaching in universities and higher education colleges. Closely associated with this emerging field of debate and research has been the increasing recognition given to the notion of educational development.The purpose of this article is to argue that this juncture in the history of higher education creates an opportunity to reco...

Long period grating-based humidity sensor for potential structural health monitoring

Abstract: This paper reports the work on the development of novel humidity sensors using long period grating (LPG) technology in an optical fibre. The sensors are created through coating a thin layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), whose refractive index varies as a function of humidity level, onto an LPG. The LPG written in a single mode optical fibre provides a means to change the coupling between the core and cladding modes thus to induce a wavelength shift in the attenuation bands of the transmission spectrum of the optical sensor device created. In this work different sensor configurations were created by coating various LPGs and then characterizing the resulting sensor performance. The work carried out has shown that, compared to the more familiar fibre Bragg grating (FBG)-based humidity sensors, LPG sensors show higher measurement sensitivity, with more relaxed requirements for the coating thickness and uniformity, with the potential for their development as chemical sensors through optimization of the design of the coating materials chosen. In this research, the sensors which were designed and fabricated were created for future applications in determining moisture ingress in a range of concrete materials when subjected to various environmental conditions.

Distress improves after mindfulness training for progressive MS: A pilot randomised trial.

Abstract: Background. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to effectively reduce anxiety, depression and pain in patients with chronic physical illnesses. Objectives. We assessed the potential effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a specially adapted Skype distant-delivered mindfulness intervention, designed to reduce distress for people affected by primary and secondary progressive MS. Methods. Forty participants were randomly assigned to the 8-week intervention (n=19) or a waiting-list control group (n=21). Participants completed standardised questionnaires to measure mood, impact of MS and symptom severity, quality of life and service costs at baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Results. Distress scores were lower in the intervention group compared with the control group at post-intervention and follow-up (p<0.05), effect size -.64 post-intervention and -.94 at follow-up. Mean scores for pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, impact of MS were reduced for the mindfulness group compared with control group at post-therapy and follow-up; effect sizes ranging from -.27 to -.99 post-intervention and -.29 to -1.12 at follow-up. There were no differences in quality-adjusted life years, but an 87.4% probability that the intervention saves on service costs and improves outcome. Conclusions: A mindfulness intervention delivered through Skype video conferences appears accessible, feasible and potentially effective and cost-effective for people with progressive MS.

On the massless modes of the AdS3/CFT2 integrable systems

Abstract: We make a proposal for incorporating massless modes into the spin-chain of the AdS3/CFT2 integrable system. We do this by considering the α → 0 limit of the alternating d(2,1;α)2 spinchain constructed in arXiv:1106.2558. In the process we encounter integrable spin-chains with nonirreducible representations at some of their sites. We investigate their properties and construct their R-matrices in terms of Yangians.

An integral equation formulation of plate bending problems

Abstract: The mathematical theory of thin elastic plates loaded by transverse forces leads to biharmonic boundary value problems. These may be formulated in terms of singular integral equations, which can be solved numerically to a tolerable accuracy for any shape of boundary by digital computer programs. Particular attention is devoted to clamped and simply-supported rectangular plates. Our results indicate support for the generally accepted treatment of such plates and for the intuitive picture of deflection behaviour at a corner.