Showing papers by "University of Bedfordshire published in 2014"
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TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that the perceived distinction between the objectivity of science and the subjectivity of culture is itself a social fact (a common perception) and attribute the absence of awareness of the cultural dimensions of scientific practice to this distinction, especially for macrocultures and large societies.
517 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the impact of collaborative planning, decision making of supply chain partners and collaborative execution of all supply chain processes in the success of collaboration is investigated in textile supply chains.
306 citations
TL;DR: Data indicate that OCD patients have a tendency to develop excessive avoidance habits, providing support for a habit account of OCD.
295 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a review of the literature of risk modelling and assessment of construction projects and conclude that a simple analytical tool that uses risk cost as a common scale and utilises professional experience could be a viable option to facilitate closing the gap between theory and practice of risk assessment.
277 citations
TL;DR: Arrested justice framed within a black feminist perspective of activism and resistance is an excellent read as mentioned in this paper. In search of social justice for low-income black (African American) women, the text is...
Abstract: ‘Arrested Justice’ framed within a black feminist perspective of activism and resistance is an excellent read. In search of social justice for low-income black (African American) women, the text is...
233 citations
TL;DR: The relationship of frailty and sarcopenia to diabetes mellitus is explored and it is shown that persons with diabetes are at increased risk of mobility disability and disability in instrumental activities of daily living and activities ofdaily living.
219 citations
TL;DR: A review of the game-centred approaches (GCAs) to teaching and coaching literature highlighting a number of core concepts thought to provide justification for the use of GCAs including (a) its potential to enhance participant motivation, (b) potential for tactical transfer, and (c) development of decision-making skills and effective decision-makers.
Abstract: Background: In 2006, Oslin and Mitchell published a review of the game-centred approaches (GCAs) to teaching and coaching literature highlighting a number of core concepts thought to provide justification for the use of GCAs including (a) its potential to enhance participant motivation, (b) potential for tactical transfer, and (c) development of decision-making skills and effective decision-makers. Oslin and Mitchell also suggested recommendations for future GCA research.Purpose: The purpose of this paper was threefold: (a) to present a review of Anglophone research into GCAs building on the previous review of Oslin and Mitchell published in 2006; (b) to identify new trends in research since 2006; and (c) to investigate the extent to which the initial suggestions and future research directions suggested by Oslin and Mitchell have been addressed.Data collection: GCA literature since 2006 was searched systematically using a three-phase approach. Phase 1 included initial searches of the EBSCO database using ...
205 citations
27 Oct 2014
TL;DR: An overview on current research state, challenges, potentials of VANETs as well the way forward to achieving the long awaited ITS is provided.
Abstract: Recent advances in wireless communication technologies and auto-mobile industry have triggered a significant research interest in the field of VANETs over the past few years. VANET consists of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications supported by wireless access technologies such as IEEE 802.11p. This innovation in wireless communication has been envisaged to improve road safety and motor traffic efficiency in near future through the development of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). Hence, government, auto-mobile industries and academia are heavily partnering through several ongoing research projects to establish standards for VANETs. The typical set of VANET application areas, such as vehicle collision warning and traffic information dissemination have made VANET an interested field of wireless communication. This paper provides an overview on current research state, challenges, potentials of VANETs as well the way forward to achieving the long awaited ITS.
173 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the literature base around models-based practice (MBP) and ask if this multi-models approach to curriculum planning has the potential to be the great white hope of pedagogical change or, if in fact, it is a white elephant that should be reconsidered or abandoned.
Abstract: Background: Many critical curriculum theorists in physical education have advocated a model- or models-based approach to teaching in the subject This paper explores the literature base around models-based practice (MBP) and asks if this multi-models approach to curriculum planning has the potential to be the great white hope of pedagogical change or, if in fact, it is a white elephant that should be reconsidered or abandonedPurpose: To review the literature around pedagogical and curricular change in physical education that relates to teachers experience of models-based practice This review of research on teachers’ perceptions and use of MBP was undertaken in an effort to ascertain the ways in which practitioners’ interpreted this type of change in practiceData collection: Papers were selected by searching EBSCO databases with the identifiers “Instructional Models”, “Sport Education”, “Teaching Games for Understanding” and their hybrids, “Cooperative learning”, “Teaching Personal and Social Responsib
161 citations
TL;DR: Coll collaborative performance measurement will act as a testing tool to identify conducive environment to collaborate, by the way of pinpointing areas requiring improvements before initializing collaboration, to help the supply chains to obtain maximum benefit of collaborative relationships.
Abstract: In the past few decades several supply chain management initiatives such as Vendor Managed Inventory, Continuous Replenishment and Collaborative Planning Forecasting and Replenishment (CPFR) have been proposed in literature to improve the performance of supply chains. But, identifying the benefits of collaboration is still a big challenge for many supply chains. Confusion around the optimum number of partners, investment in collaboration and duration of partnership are some of the barriers of healthy collaborative arrangements. To evolve competitive supply chain collaboration (SCC), all SC processes need to be assessed from time to time for evaluating the performance. In a growing field, performance measurement is highly indispensable in order to make continuous improvement; in a new field, it is equally important to check the performance to test conduciveness of SCC. In this research, collaborative performance measurement will act as a testing tool to identify conducive environment to collaborate, by the way of pinpointing areas requiring improvements before initializing collaboration. We use actual industrial data and simulation to help managerial decision-making on the number of collaborating partners, the level of investments and the involvement in supply chain processes. This approach will help the supply chains to obtain maximum benefit of collaborative relationships. The use of simulation for understanding the performance of SCC is relatively a new approach and this can be used by companies that are interested in collaboration without having to invest a huge sum of money in establishing the actual collaboration.
143 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a novel birefringent photonic crystal fiber (PCF) biosensor constructed on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) model is presented.
Abstract: A numerical analysis of a novel birefringent photonic crystal fiber (PCF) biosensor constructed on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) model is presented in this paper. This biosensor configuration utilizes circular air holes to introduce birefringence into the structure. This PCF biosensor model shows promise in the area of multiple detection using HE
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and HE
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modes to sense more than one analyte. A numerical study of the biosensor is performed in two interrogation modes: amplitude and wavelength. Sensor resolution values with spectral interrogation yielded 5 × 10
-5
RIU (refractive index units) for HE
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modes and 6 × 10
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RIU for HE
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modes, whereas 3 × 10
-5
RIU for HE
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modes and 4 × 10
-5
RIU for HE
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modes are demonstrated for the amplitude interrogation.
TL;DR: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is still a relatively recent approach as discussed by the authors and it first emerged in the early 1980s as a result of Miller's reflections on how to improve his clinical psychology practice.
Abstract: Motivational Interviewing (MI) is still a relatively recent approach. It first emerged in the early 1980s as a result of Miller's reflections on how to improve his clinical psychology practice. How...
TL;DR: ITS-NANO has delivered a detailed, stakeholder driven and flexible research prioritisation tool, which identifies specific research needs, suggests connections between areas, and frames this in a time-perspective.
Abstract: Background
To assess the risk of all nanomaterials (NMs) on a case-by-case basis is challenging in terms of financial, ethical and time resources. Instead a more intelligent approach to knowledge gain and risk assessment is required.
TL;DR: This article explored how social media operates as a communicative space, external to the physical site of an emerging community of practice (CoP) that supported teachers' professional learning and their subsequent longer term changing practice.
Abstract: While e-support has been positioned as a means, to overcome some of the time and financial constraints to professional learning, it has largely failed to act as a medium for professional learning in physical education. Consequently, this paper positions teachers prior interest with social media acts as a type of ‘leverage’ for using sites such as Facebook and Twitter for professional learning purposes. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore how social media operates as a communicative space, external to the physical site of an emerging community of practice (CoP) that supported teachers' professional learning and their subsequent longer term changing practice. This study is nested within a wider longitudinal project that explores how teachers learnt and refined their use of a pedagogical innovation (Cooperative Learning) through the overarching methodology, participatory action research. Social media emerged as a form of communication that was not in the study's original design. The paper expl...
TL;DR: A unified MIE definition is presented: an MIE is the initial interaction between a molecule and a biomolecule or biosystem that can be causally linked to an outcome via a pathway and the field can look toward defining, classifying, and characterizing more MIEs.
Abstract: Consumer and environmental safety decisions are based on exposure and hazard data, interpreted using risk assessment approaches. The adverse outcome pathway (AOP) conceptual framework has been presented as a logical sequence of events or processes within biological systems which can be used to understand adverse effects and refine current risk assessment practices in ecotoxicology. This framework can also be applied to human toxicology and is explored on the basis of investigating the molecular initiating events (MIEs) of compounds. The precise definition of the MIE has yet to reach general acceptance. In this work we present a unified MIE definition: an MIE is the initial interaction between a molecule and a biomolecule or biosystem that can be causally linked to an outcome via a pathway. Case studies are presented, and issues with current definitions are addressed. With the development of a unified MIE definition, the field can look toward defining, classifying, and characterizing more MIEs and using kn...
TL;DR: In this paper, a conceptual framework of SC collaboration for environmental sustainability is developed to help companies improve their level of collaboration between suppliers and buyers in terms of meeting their environmental objectives, in line with governmental green regulatory requirements.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the relationship between marketing capability, operations capability, and financial performance and found that marketing capability has a significant impact on operations capability and that operations capability is significantly and positively related to retail efficiency.
TL;DR: A novel phage, DRA88, was isolated and mixed with phage K to produce a high-titer mixture that showed strong lytic activity against a wide range of S. aureus isolates, including representatives of the major international MRSA clones and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus.
Abstract: Biofilms are major causes of impairment of wound healing and patient morbidity. One of the most common and aggressive wound pathogens is Staphylococcus aureus, displaying a large repertoire of virulence factors and commonly reduced susceptibility to antibiotics, such as the spread of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Bacteriophages are obligate parasites of bacteria. They multiply intracellularly and lyse their bacterial host, releasing their progeny. We isolated a novel phage, DRA88, which has a broad host range among S. aureus bacteria. Morphologically, the phage belongs to the Myoviridae family and comprises a large double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome of 141,907 bp. DRA88 was mixed with phage K to produce a high-titer mixture that showed strong lytic activity against a wide range of S. aureus isolates, including representatives of the major international MRSA clones and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus. Its efficacy was assessed both in planktonic cultures and when treating established biofilms produced by three different biofilm-producing S. aureus isolates. A significant reduction of biofilm biomass over 48 h of treatment was recorded in all cases. The phage mixture may form the basis of an effective treatment for infections caused by S. aureus biofilms.
TL;DR: The Safewards Model allows the generation of a number of different interventions in order to reduce rates of conflict and containment, and properly conducted trials are now needed to test its validity.
Abstract: ACCESSIBLE SUMMARY:
In the previous paper we described a model explaining differences in rates of conflict and containment between wards, grouping causal factors into six domains: the staff team, the physical environment, outside hospital, the patient community, patient characteristics and the regulatory framework. This paper reviews and evaluates the evidence for the model from previously published research. The model is supported, but the evidence is not very strong. More research using more rigorous methods is required in order to confirm or improve this model.
ABSTRACT:
In a previous paper, we described a proposed model explaining differences in rates of conflict (aggression, absconding, self-harm, etc.) and containment (seclusion, special observation, manual restraint, etc.). The Safewards Model identified six originating domains as sources of conflict and containment: the patient community, patient characteristics, the regulatory framework, the staff team, the physical environment, and outside hospital. In this paper, we assemble the evidence underpinning the inclusion of these six domains, drawing upon a wide ranging review of the literature across all conflict and containment items; our own programme of research; and reasoned thinking. There is good evidence that the six domains are important in conflict and containment generation. Specific claims about single items within those domains are more difficult to support with convincing evidence, although the weight of evidence does vary between items and between different types of conflict behaviour or containment method. The Safewards Model is supported by the evidence, but that evidence is not particularly strong. There is a dearth of rigorous outcome studies and trials in this area, and an excess of descriptive studies. The model allows the generation of a number of different interventions in order to reduce rates of conflict and containment, and properly conducted trials are now needed to test its validity.
TL;DR: Experimental results show that the proposed method can provide relatively good accuracy and precision for passive RFID location applications, with an improved performance over the typical particle filter algorithm and a state-of-the-art deterministic method.
Abstract: The means of distributing dense passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags has been widely utilized for accurate indoor localization. However, they suffer a disadvantage on low localization precision due to the increasing interference of RFID tag collisions and the variation of behavior of tags. Current localization algorithms used in passive RFID location systems are mostly deterministic and have a limited capability on improving localization precision in a dynamic environment with uncertain sensor measurement. This paper investigates the feasibility of using particle filter technique as an efficient localization approach to deliver both relatively good accuracy and precision in dense passive RFID tag distribution applications. A position feature-based system model is first built to apply the typical particle filter technique in passive RFID location applications. Then, a new particle filter algorithm by using a moving direction estimation-based feature improvement scheme is proposed to enhance localization precision in a dense passive RFID tag environment. Experimental results show that the proposed method can provide relatively good accuracy and precision for passive RFID location applications, with an improved performance over the typical particle filter algorithm and a state-of-the-art deterministic method.
TL;DR: Differences in motivation, access, skills, and usage that appear to underlie and perpetuate differences in online content creation practices between social groups are outlined.
Abstract: Despite considerable interest in online content creation there has been comparatively little academic analysis of the distribution of such practices, both globally and among social groups within countries. Drawing on theoretical frameworks used in digital divide studies, I outline differences in motivation, access, skills, and usage that appear to underlie and perpetuate differences in online content creation practices between social groups. This paper brings together existing studies and new analyses of existing survey datasets. Together they suggest online content creators tend to be from relatively privileged groups and the content of online services based on their contributions may be biased towards what is most interesting or relevant to them. Some implications of these findings for policymakers and researchers are considered.
01 Mar 2014
TL;DR: This article provided an overview of research that has examined the benefits of emotional resilience for the wellbeing and employability of helping professionals such as social workers, nurses and midwives, and highlighted evidence-based strategies to help academic staff develop an emotional curriculum to foster emotional resilience in students training for the helping professions.
Abstract: This paper provides an overview of research that has examined the benefits of emotional resilience for the wellbeing and employability of helping professionals such as social workers, nurses and midwives. It outlines the competencies that have been associated with emotional resilience (such as emotional literacy, reflective ability, appropriate empathy and social competence) and considers how they have the potential to help people to cope with the emotional demands inherent in the helping professions. Some evidence-based strategies are highlighted to help academic staff develop an ‘emotional curriculum’ to foster emotional resilience in students training for the helping professions.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors draw on Game Sense pedagogy and complex learning theory (CLT) to make suggestions for improving decision-making ability in team sports by adopting a holistic approach to coaching with a focus on decision making "at-action".
Abstract: This article draws on Game Sense pedagogy and complex learning theory (CLT) to make suggestions for improving decision-making ability in team sports by adopting a holistic approach to coaching with a focus on decision-making ‘at-action’. It emphasizes the complexity of decision-making and the need to focus on the game as a whole entity, where players, individually and collectively, attempt to manage disorder in the face of an opposition. It rejects the complicated, mechanistic approach to learning and cognitivist views that dominate the literature on decision-making in team sports that see it as being a linear process of conscious thinking limited to the individual mind. It offers an alternative, holistic view grounded in a practical example of how this might be achieved in coaching rugby union football and theorized within a CLT framework.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present four pedagogical applications within sport education that physical education teachers as well as youth sport practitioners and administrators may find useful to promote ethical development: ethical contracts, sports panels, modified games, and awards and rewards.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to consider four pedagogical applications within the Sport Education model to examine the ways in which a young person can become a literate sports person and develop ethical behaviour through engagement in physical education and youth sport. Through a systematic review of the Sport Education research literature we present evidence to suggest that although notions such as inclusion, responsibility and ownership, personal and social development and social justice are part of the architecture of this pedagogical model, our findings show that rather than simply being caught, ethical conduct must be taught. Consequently, in the final part of the paper, we present four pedagogical applications within Sport Education that physical education teachers as well as youth sport practitioners and administrators may find useful to promote ethical development: (1) ethical contracts; (2) sports panels; (3) modified games; and (4) awards and rewards.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether emotional and stressfulness intensity, and certain types of experiences influence the likelihood of a waking-life experience being incorporated into a dream, and found that those that were incorporated into the dream were significantly more emotionally and stressier but no more stressful.
Abstract: The continuity hypothesis of dreaming states that waking life is continuous with
dreams, but many of the factors that have been postulated to influence wake–dream
continuity have rarely been studied. The present study investigated whether certain
factors—emotional and stressfulness intensity, and certain types of experiences—
influence the likelihood of a waking-life experience being incorporated into a dream.
Participants (N � 32) kept dream diaries and waking-life experience logs for 14
consecutive days, and waking-life experiences were matched to dream reports.
Waking-life experiences that were incorporated into dreams were significantly more
emotional, but no more stressful, than those that were not incorporated into dreams.
Major daily activities were incorporated significantly less than the combination of
personally significant experiences, major concerns, and novel experiences. Results are
discussed in terms of dream functionality, particularly in relation to a postulated
emotional memory assimilation theory of dream function.
TL;DR: BE demonstrates the potential to enhance performance in power tasks such as jumps and sprints and the role of acute augmentations in lower limb stiffness is proposed as an additional mechanism that may further explain the PAP response following BE.
Abstract: Post-activation potentiation (PAP) refers to the acute enhancement of muscular function as a direct result of its contractile history. Protocols designed to elicit PAP have commonly employed heavy resistance exercise (HRE) as the pre-activation stimulus; however, a growing body of research suggests that low-load ballistic exercises (BE) may also provide an effective stimulus. The ability to elicit PAP without the need for heavy equipment would make it easier to utilise prior to competition. It is hypothesised that BE can induce PAP given the high recruitment of type II muscle fibres associated with its performance. The literature has reported augmentations in power performance typically ranging from 2 to 5 %. The performance effects of BE are modulated by loading, recovery and physical characteristics. Jumps performed with an additional loading, such as depth jumps or weighted jumps, appear to be the most effective activities for inducing PAP. Whilst the impact of recovery duration on subsequent performance requires further research, durations of 1–6 min have been prescribed successfully in multiple instances. The effect of strength and sex on the PAP response to BE is not yet clear. Direct comparisons of BE and HRE, to date, suggest a tendency for HRE protocols to be more effective; future research should consider that these strategies must be optimised in different ways. The role of acute augmentations in lower limb stiffness is proposed as an additional mechanism that may further explain the PAP response following BE. In summary, BE demonstrates the potential to enhance performance in power tasks such as jumps and sprints. This review provides the reader with some practical recommendations for the application of BE as a pre-activation stimulus.
TL;DR: In this paper, the use of cooperative learning and video cameras to bring about a positive change to the learning environment for girls who were identified as being disengaged in physical education was discussed.
Abstract: Research suggests that girls are disengaged in physical education due to the ‘traditional’ way that it is taught, i.e. teacher-centred approaches with a primary focus on motor performance. In contrast, Cooperative Learning, a student-centred pedagogy focusing on learning in multiple domains, has had success in engaging girls in physical education. Furthermore, when cooperative group work has been combined with technology, student engagement with learning is heightened. This article discusses the use of Cooperative Learning and video cameras to bring about a positive change to the learning environment for girls who were identified as being disengaged in physical education. Two classes of adolescent girls were taught an eight-lesson unit of Basketball using Cooperative Learning. Students worked in learning teams, participating in different roles, such as a coach or a camerawoman, to help each other learn and to film video clips of their learning. Data collection included a teacher's reflective journal, post...
TL;DR: The new horizon of understanding which developed as a result of this research is framed within the context of moral stress, moral integrity and moral residue with the overall synthesis being that these mentors’ stories presented anew horizon of moral courage.
Abstract: The factors preventing registered nurses from failing students in practice are multifaceted and have attracted much debate over recent years. However, writers rarely focus on what is needed to fail an incompetent pre-registration nursing student in their final placement. This hermeneutic study explored the mentor experience of failing a pre-registration nursing student in their final placement. A total of 19 mentors were recruited from 7 different healthcare organisations in both inner city and rural locations in the southeast of England. Participants took part in individual reflective interviews about their experience of failing a pre-registration nursing student in their final placement. These experiences were interpreted through a hermeneutic discovery of meaning. The new horizon of understanding which developed as a result of this research is framed within the context of moral stress, moral integrity and moral residue with the overall synthesis being that these mentors' stories presented a new horizon of moral courage.
TL;DR: By applying different treatment scenarios to the runoff from a hypothetical car park, it is shown that optimal performance, in terms of ecological benefits for the receiving water, can be achieved using a treatment train incorporating permeable paving and bioretention systems.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effect of pre-task planning in a paired format and found that planning had limited effect on performance, and analysis of the questing process of co-constructing processes.
Abstract: Despite the growing popularity of paired format speaking assessments, the effects of pre-task planning time on performance in these formats are not yet well understood. For example, some studies have revealed the benefits of planning but others have not. Using a multifaceted approach including analysis of the process of speaking performance, the aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of pre-task planning in a paired format. Data were collected from 32 students who carried out two decision-making tasks in pairs, under planned and unplanned conditions. The study used analyses of rating scores, discourse analytic measures, and conversation analysis (CA) of test-taker discourse to gain insight into co-constructing processes. A post-test questionnaire was also administered to understand the participants’ perceptions toward planned and unplanned interactions. The results from rating scores and discourse analytic measures revealed that planning had limited effect on performance, and analysis of the quest...