Showing papers by "Nottingham Trent University published in 1999"

Negotiating Hegemonic Masculinity: Imaginary Positions and Psycho-Discursive Practices:

Abstract: In this article we provide a critical analysis of the concept of hegemonic masculinity. We argue that although this concept embodies important theoretical insights, it is insufficiently developed as it stands to enable us to understand how men position themselves as gendered beings. In particular it offers a vague and imprecise account of the social psychological reproduction of male identities. We outline an alternative critical discursive psychology of masculinity. Drawing on data from interviews with a sample of men from a range of ages and from diverse occupational backgrounds, we delineate three distinctive, yet related, procedures or psycho-discursive practices, through which men construct themselves as masculine. The political implications of these discursive practices, as well as the broader implications of treating the psychological process of identification as a form of discursive accomplishment, are also discussed.

Knowledge management and innovation: networks and networking

Abstract: Begins with a critical review of the literature on knowledge management, arguing that its focus on IT to create a network structure may limit its potential for encouraging knowledge sharing across social communities. Two cases of interactive innovation are contrasted. One focused almost entirely on using IT (intranet) for knowledge sharing, resulting in a plethora of independent intranets which reinforced existing organizational and social boundaries with electronic “fences”. In the other, while IT was used to provide a network to encourage sharing, there was also recognition of the importance of face‐to‐face interaction for sharing tacit knowledge. The emphasis was on encouraging active networking among dispersed communities, rather than relying on IT networks. Argues for a community‐based model of knowledge management for interactive innovation and contrasts this with the cognitive‐based view that underpins many IT‐led knowledge management initiatives.

Gambling Technologies: Prospects for Problem Gambling

Abstract: Technology his always played a role in the development of gambling practices and will continue to play a critical role in the development of increased gambling opportunities (e.g., internet gambling). Although technological advance his long been associated with improved gambling opportunities, there is little written in the literature explicitly pointing out this link and its implications for problem gamblers. This paper therefore reviews this situation and examines the technological implications of situational and structural characteristics paying particular attention to slot machine gambling as there has been more empirical work on this type of gambling than any other technological form. The impact of technology on the sociability of gambling is also examined followed by a more speculative evolution of internet gambling as an area of potential concern.

Preparation, Characterization, and Performance of Fe−ZSM-5 Catalysts

Abstract: A number of iron−ZSM-5 catalysts have been prepared and characterized by X-ray absorption spectroscopy using fluorescence detection, electron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction, infrared spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Iron has been introduced by aqueous exchange, by a novel method recently proposed by Feng and Hall (Catal. Lett. 1996, 41, 45), by exchange from a rigorously dried methanolic solution accompanied by agitation with ultrasound, and by a method intended to promote solid-state exchange. The degree of interaction with the zeolite framework has been probed by examining the effect on the zeolite proton OH band in the infrared spectrum. Less than 30% of the protons were exchanged from aqueous solution, but almost 80% exchange was achieved using ultrasound, as well as by the method reported by Feng and Hall (FH). Initially, both methods exhibited mainly isolated metal ions; however, calcination of the samples prepared according to FH exhibited rather large oxide clusters. After aq...

Female "birds of passage" a decade later: gender and immigration in the European Union.

Abstract: "First, this article critically assesses the dominant accounts of the sequence of labor migration and family reunification and argues that it is time to reclaim the heterogeneity of women's past migratory experiences in our understanding of European patterns of post-war immigration. Second, it examines family migration, covering diverse forms of family reunification and formation which, although the dominant form of legal immigration into Europe since the 1970s, has received relatively little attention. Third, it explores the implications of the diversification of contemporary female migration in the European Union and argues for the necessity of taking account of the reality of changing patterns of employment, households and social structures to advance our understanding of European immigration."

Imagined futures: young men's talk about fatherhood and domestic life.

Abstract: As part of an extensive series of interviews about men and masculinity, small groups of 17 to 18-year-old male students were invited to look forward to their future romantic and domestic lives. Their responses were analysed using the approach and methods of discourse analysis in order to examine both the interpretative resources used within their accounts and to look at how the young men attempted to manage the ‘ideological dilemma’ (Billig, Condor, Edwards, Gane, Middleton & Radley, 1988) that was framed by these cultural themes. The analysis describes three such strategies while paying particular attention to the ‘action orientation’(Heritage, 1984) of these constructions. Finally, the paper moves on to discuss, albeit briefly, the broader implications of this research.

Art and representation : new principles in the analysis of pictures

Abstract: Preface Pt. IDrawing Systems Ch. 3Topology and Extendedness Pt. IIDenotation Systems Ch. 5Line Drawing Ch. 6Optical Denotation Systems Pt. IIIPicture Production Ch. 8Picture Production as a Process Pt. IVThe Functions of Representational Systems Ch. 10Flattening the Picture Surface Ch. 11Anomaly in the Service of Expression Ch. 12Investigating the Nature of Depiction Pt. VChanges in Representational Systems Over Time Ch. 14Historical Changes Notes Glossary References Index

The effects of slow- and fast-rhythm classical music on progressive cycling to voluntary physical exhaustion.

Abstract: Background. To investigate, based on the parallel information processing model and arousal hypothesis, whether musical tempo and its manipulation during exercise affect the maximal workload (watts) achieved during progressive cycling. Methods. Design: repeated measures experiment that involved one control and four treatment conditions. Settings: the experiment was performed in a controlled laboratory environment. Participants: twenty-four male and female volunteers, recruited from among a University population, were tested. Intervention: the data collection proceeded in five counterbalanced test-sessions that included control (C), slow music (SM), fast music (FM) slow to fast music (SFM) and fast to slow music (FSM) interventions. In the last two conditions, musical tempo was changed when the participant's maximal HR reserve has reached 70%. In all test-sessions, participants started to cycle at 50 watts and then the workload was increased in increments of 25 watts every minute until self-declared exhaustion. Maximal ergometer cycling was defined as the workload at the last completed minute of exercise. Measures: workload, HR, and postexperimental ratings of test-session preferences were the dependent measures. Results. Significantly higher workload was accomplished in the SFM condition. No between-session differences were seen in HR. The results also yielded significantly better efficiency, in terms of workload/HR reserve ratio, in the SFM session. Participants preferred the FM and SFM sessions more than the other sessions. Conclusions. Switching to FM during progressive exercise results in the accomplishment of more work without proportional changes in HR. These effects may be due to distraction from fatigue and are, apparently, dependent on the attention capturing strength of the distracting stimulus.

Information Efficiency in Betting Markets: a Survey

Abstract: The concept of information efficiency is central to many studies of financial markets, and these studies have been well surveyed to date. A betting market is an example of a simple financial market, but one which offers researchers the added advantage that it is characterized by a well-defined termination point at which each asset (or bet) possesses a definite value. In consequence, it is much more convenient to use this particular context to formulate tests of information efficiency, and from these tests to draw useful conclusions. This paper surveys the rapidly growing literature which has to date addressed this issue of information efficiency in betting markets.

The illusion of ‘best practice’ in information systems for operations management

Abstract: This paper explores the adoption of information systems (IS) for operations management by manufacturing firms in four European countries. The notion of ‘best practice’ in information systems for op...

The toxicity of iron to brown trout and effects on the gills: a comparison of two grades of iron sulphate

Abstract: The 96-h LC50 on brown trout Salmo trutta of a commercial iron (III) sulphate liquor, used for treating reservoirs to reduce algal growth, was 28 mg total Fe l−1 (0·05 mg soluble Fe l−1). The 96-h LC50 for analar grade iron (III) sulphate was 47 mg total Fe l−1 (0·24 mg soluble Fe l−1). Lethal and sublethal exposure to both grades of iron resulted in accumulation on the gill, which appears to be the main target for iron toxicity. Greater iron accumulation occurred during exposure to commercial iron sulphate liquor. Physical clogging of gills and gill damage was seen during lethal and sublethal exposure to iron. Gill tissue analysis showed no evidence of iron uptake into gill tissues during lethal or sublethal exposure to iron. Iron did not accumulate in plasma of fish exposed to iron compared to controls. Respiratory disruption due to physical clogging of the gills is suggested as a possible mechanism for iron toxicity.

Regulation of cell surface tissue transglutaminase: effects on matrix storage of latent transforming growth factor-beta binding protein-1

Abstract: Using a cytochemical approach, we examined the role of tissue transglutaminase (tTgase, Type II) in the incorporation of latent TGF-beta binding protein-1 (LTBP-1) in the extracellular matrix of Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts in which tTgase expression can be modulated through a tetracycline-controlled promoter. Increased tTgase expression led to an increased rate of LTBP-1 deposition in the matrix, which was accompanied by an increased pool of deoxycholate-insoluble fibronectin. Matrix deposition of LTBP-1 could also be reduced by the competitive amine substrate putrescine. Immunolocalization at the fluorescence and electron microscopic level showed that extracellular tTgase is located at the basal and apical surfaces of cells and at cell-cell contacts, and that LTBP-1 is co-distributed with cell surface tTgase, suggesting an early contribution of tTgase to the binding of LTBP-1 to matrix proteins. LTPB-1 was also found to co-localize with both intracellular and extracellular fibronectin, and increased immunoreactivity for LTBP-1 and fibronectin was found in large molecular weight polymers in the deoxycholate-insoluble matrix of fibroblasts overexpressing tTgase. We conclude that regulation of tTgase expression is important for controlling matrix storage of latent TGF-beta1 complexes and that fibronectin may be one extracellular component to which LTBP-1 is crosslinked when LTBP-1 and tTgase interact at the cell surface. (J Histochem Cytochem 47:1417-1432, 1999)

Transglutaminase transcription and antigen translocation in experimental renal scarring

Abstract: . It was recently demonstrated that renal tissue transglutaminase (tTg) protein and its catalytic product the ϵ(γ-glutamyl) lysine protein cross-link are significantly increased in the subtotal (5/6) nephrectomy model (SNx) of renal fibrosis in rats. It was proposed that the enzyme had two important physiologic functions in disease development; one of stabilizing the increased extracellular matrix (ECM) by protein crosslinking, the other in a novel form of tubular cell death. This study, using the same rat SNx model, demonstrates first by Northern blotting that expression of tTg mRNA when compared with controls is increased by day 15 (+70% increase, P P P In situ hybridization histochemistry demonstrated that the tubular cells were the major site of the additional tTg synthesis. Immunohistochemistry on cryostat sections revealed a sixfold increase ( P in situ transglutaminase activity demonstrated by the incorporation of fluorescein cadaverine into cryostat sections indicated a 750% increase ( P

Human resource development in small organizations

Abstract: This article draws upon case-study research into human resource development (HRD) within three small organizations in the north west of England. It positions the case-study work within an overall framework of doctoral research and summarizes the research design; discusses the characteristics and values of small organizations and how they influence HRD policies and practices: presents findings and conclusions about HRD in the case-study organizations, focusing in particular upon one case in the voluntary sector; compares and contrasts the different models of HRD in the three cases; and concludes with some suggestions for further research.

The Occupational Motivation, Satisfaction and Health of English School Teachers

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a study of a sample of 609 English teachers and school executive (headteachers, deputies, etc.). The study sought to examine and benchmark teachers’ occupational motivation, satisfaction and health and to test a model of teacher satisfaction developed in Australia in a previous research phase. English teachers were found, in common with their Australian counterparts, to be motivated most strongly by altruism, affiliation and personal growth. They were also found, again like Australian teachers, to be most satisfied with ‘core business’ aspects of teaching‐‐facilitating student learning and achievement, developing as a professional and working with other staff; and the least satisfied with matters from systemic and societal levels‐‐the nature and pace of educational change, and the status and image of teaching. Between these two domains lay factors specific to particular schools: school leadership and communication, school resources and relationships with communi...

Guidelines for Greywater Re-Use: Health Issues

Abstract: This paper discusses the potential threat to health associated with the microbial contamination of greywater. Although it has been shown that greywater may contain large numbers of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, the incidence of disease is dependent upon more than just the concentration of organisms. Other factors include the degree of exposure and the health and age of affected individuals. Proposed guidelines for the re-use of greywater focus upon faecal coliform contamination and suggest limits based upon the end use of recycled water. The paper (a) proposes modifications to the guidelines to better represent the delicate balance between protection of public health and the levels of risk posed by greywater re-use within the context of everyday human activity, and (b) attempts to identify areas where there is either an expectation for responsibility or a personal acceptance of responsibility with regard to public or personal health.

The transfer of management knowledge to China: building learning communities rather than translating Western textbooks?

Abstract: The economic reforms in the People’s Republic of China have begun to open up this very large market. However, a major impediment to quicker or more substantive growth has been the paucity of experienced Chinese managers. In response, there has been a very rapid growth in business and management education in China, especially in MBA education. Given that management as a discipline was not previously taught in China, much of the knowledge base for this education has been imported from the West. However, it is argued that the linear attempt to transfer explicit management knowledge from the West to China is based on false assumptions about the nature of knowledge and so is unlikely to be effective. Instead a community model of knowledge is presented, which suggests that there needs to be an interaction between Chinese and Western ideas, which will benefit all parties.

The collapse of Zaïre: implosion, revolution or external sabotage?

Abstract: The collapse of Mobutu's Zaire in 1996/97 was the result of an unprecedented correspondence of domestic, regional and international interests. The Zairean state was established and sustained during the Cold War with Western support as a bulwark against communism and source of raw materials. It maintained itself after the Cold War by playing on external fears of state collapse and by supporting French regional interests. By 1996, with the failure of French credibility and US refusal to intervene, it had no reliable external protector. Internal support was non-existent, and an opposition alliance was constructed under Kabila's leadership. Regional states, notably Rwanda and Angola, intervened to protect their own security. Though successful, this regional alliance itself proved to be unstable, leading to a recurrence of war in 1998.

Selective MHC expression in tumours modulates adaptive and innate antitumour responses.

Abstract: Progress towards developing vaccines that can stimulate an immune response against growing tumours has involved the identification of the protein antigens associated with a given tumour type. Epitope mapping of tumour antigens for HLA class I- and class II-restricted binding motifs followed by immunization with these peptides has induced protective immunity in murine models against cancers expressing the antigen. MHC class I molecules presenting the appropriate peptides are necessary to provide the specific signals for recognition and killing by cytotoxic T cells (CTL). The principle mechanism of tumour escape is the loss, downregulation or alteration of HLA profiles that may render the target cell resistant to CTL lysis, even if the cell expresses the appropriate tumour antigen. In human tumours HLA loss may be as high as 50%, inferring that a reduction in protein levels might offer a survival advantage to the tumour cells. Alternatively, MHC loss may render tumour cells susceptible to natural killer cell-mediated lysis because they are known to act as ligands for killer inhibitory receptors (KIRs). We review the molecular features of MHC class I and class II antigens and discuss how surface MHC expression may be regulated upon cellular transformation. In addition, selective loss of MHC molecules may alter target tumour cell susceptibility to lymphocyte killing. The development of clinical immunotherapy will need to consider not only the expression of relevant CTL target MHC proteins, but also HLA inhibitory to NK and T cells.

Client Feedback and the Role of the Appraiser

Abstract: Appraisers routinely work at solving ill-structured valuation problems where the normative performance criterion is an objective judgement of market value as of the valuation date. This study, theo...