University of Bedfordshire

About: University of Bedfordshire is a education organization based out in Luton, Bedford, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Social work. The organization has 3860 authors who have published 6079 publications receiving 143448 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Luton.

Shards of the old looking glass: restoring the significance of identity in promoting positive outcomes for looked-after children

Abstract: There is a driving force within current UK child welfare policies which promotes a strengths led approach to both assessment and care planning for children in need. Social policy emphasizes the importance of tangible outcomes such as education achievement, which have been enshrined in statute. However, other developmental outcomes, such as identity, are subordinated. Notwithstanding the relevance of these more concrete indicators, this paper suggests that this focus has left a gap at theoretical, strategic and operational levels relating to more psychosocial aspects of human growth and development, such as identity. This paper seeks to redress that gap by considering identity as both a process and an outcome. Following a review of the literature on identity development, it presents an analysis of semi-structured interviews with 13 young people and their social workers. The findings show how young people's identity is shaped by their relationships, can be a protective mechanism, and deferred or put on standby. In the concluding discussion the implications for social work practice are highlighted.

Clinical supervision as a model for clinical leadership

Abstract: Clinical leadership and clinical supervision are topical areas of nursing development. A project was established to facilitate the growth of leadership ability with a group of ward sisters through individual clinical supervision. The work revealed that ward managers struggled to fulfil their leadership roles largely because of embodied ways of relating within a prevailing organizational culture that constrained them. The paper also reflects on the impact of supervision to develop leadership practice.

Using Incompletely Cooperative Game Theory in Wireless Mesh Networks

Abstract: Recently, game theory has become a useful and powerful tool in research on wireless mesh networks. In this article the authors present a novel concept of incompletely cooperative game theory and use it to improve the performance of MAC protocols in WMNs. In this game, first, each node estimates the current game state (e.g., the number of competing nodes). Second, the node adjusts its equilibrium strategy by tuning its local contention parameters (e.g., the minimum contention window) to the estimated game state. Finally, the game is repeated several times to get the optimal performance. To use the game effectively in WMNs, the authors present a hybrid CSMA/CA protocol by integrating a proposed virtual CSMA/CA and the standard CSMA/CA protocol. When a node has no packet to send, it contends for the channel in virtual CSMA/CA mode. In this way the node can estimate the game state and obtain the optimal strategy. When a node has packets to send, it contends for the channel in standard CSMA/CA mode with the optimal strategy obtained in virtual CSMA/CA mode, switching smoothly from virtual to standard CSMA/CA mode. At the same time, the node keeps adjusting its strategy to the variable game state. In addition, the authors propose a simplified game-theoretic MAC protocol (G-CSMA/CA) by designing an auto degressive backoff mechanism based on the incompletely cooperative game. G-CSMA/CA can easily be implemented in mesh nodes. Finally, simulation results show that the incompletely cooperative game can increase system throughput, decrease delay, jitter, and packet loss rate, and support the game effectively.

Synthetic Hydrogels as Substrata for Cell Adhesion Studies

Abstract: Synthetic polymer hydrogels have many proven and potential biomedical applications as wound coverings, drug delivery systems, surgical prostheses, contact lenses and in extracorporeal circuitry. Their success in long-term contact with biological fluids and cellular tissue depends upon their interfacial properties in such environments, and in turn, upon their physical and chemical nature. One approach to defining requirements for interfacial events at polymer surfaces in vivo is to investigate cell adhesion behaviour on these materials in culture, and to correlate this behaviour with polymer structure and theories of in vivo biocompatibility. At the same time, polymer hydrogels provide the opportunity to extend existing cell culture systems for the study of environmental cues for cell behaviour under normal and pathological circumstances.