University of Westminster

About: University of Westminster 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 2944 authors who have published 8426 publications receiving 200236 citations. The organization is also known as: Westminster University & Royal Polytechnic Institution.

The Necropolitics of Drones

Abstract: The rapid increase in the use and capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or “drones,” has led to debates on their place in US strategy, particularly their use in assassination missions, or so-called targeted killings. However, this debate has tended to focus narrowly on two questions: first, whether the US use of UAVs to assassinate its enemies, including US citizens, is legal, and second, whether drones should be given the autonomy to decide when to kill humans. This paper uses the concept of “necro-politics”—the arrogation of the sovereign's right both to command death and to assign grievable meaning to the dead—as it emerges in the work of Achille Mbembe to criticize the assumptions of these questions. It is argued that debates over endowing drones with the autonomy to kill humans assume that the current human operators of drones work outside of the context of racial distinction and colonial encounter in which they already make decisions to kill. The paper supports this argument with reference to the text of a US investigation into a strike which killed civilians in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan.

Fleet mix in container shipping operations

Abstract: In the context of container shipping, carrying capacity can be one of the resources for better firm performance. Shipping is one of the most capital intensive industries as carriers need to acquire ships to offer shipping services to their customers. Although it seems intuitive for carriers to deploy mega ships to achieve cost efficiency, it requires a balance between shipping services and ship size in determining their fleet mix. This study provides empirical evidence to examine the issue of scale operations and service scope in the container shipping industry. Our findings suggest that carrying capacity of shipping firms positively affect their firm performance. As fleet mix is concerned with the number of ships and the size of ships, we used path analysis to examine the impact of number of ships and average ship size on firm performance. In comparing the magnitude of the effect, the number of ships has stronger impact on firm performance than ship size. In this study, we also introduce a 'SCOPE' framework which consists of the dimensions concerning service frequency, customer value, optimal vessel size, ports of call and extensive market coverage, which is useful for shipping managers to determine their fleet mix in liner shipping services.

Electrospun Contrast-Agent-Loaded Fibers for Colon-Targeted MRI.

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic tool used for detecting abnormal organs and tissues, often using Gd(III) complexes as contrast-enhancing agents. In this work, core–shell polymer fibers have been prepared using coaxial electrospinning, with the intent of delivering gadolinium (III) diethylenetriaminepentaacetate hydrate (Gd(DTPA)) selectively to the colon. The fibers comprise a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) core loaded with Gd(DTPA), and a Eudragit S100 shell. They are homogeneous, with distinct core–shell phases. The components in the fibers are dispersed in an amorphous fashion. The proton relaxivities of Gd(DTPA) are preserved after electrospinning. To permit easy visualization of the release of the active ingredient from the fibers, analogous materials are prepared loaded with the dye rhodamine B. Very little release is seen in a pH 1.0 buffer, while sustained release is seen at pH 7.4. The fibers thus have the potential to selectively deliver Gd(DTPA) to the colon. Mucoadhesion studies reveal there are strong adhesive forces between porcine colon mucosa and PEO from the core, and the dye-loaded fibers can be successfully used to image the porcine colon wall. The electrospun core–shell fibers prepared in this work can thus be developed as advanced functional materials for effective imaging of colonic abnormalities.

The neuropsychology of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)

Abstract: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) accounts for one of the few known forms of reversible dementia. Varied aetiology and clinical presentation contribute to difficulties with early or differential diagnoses, and delayed surgical treatment may be less efficacious. Clinical neuropsychology provides a means of determining a cognitive profile for NPH, assisting in differential diagnosis, tracking the disorder's progression and assessing the efficacy of treatment. This article will review possible applications of clinical neuropsychology and propose a clinical assessment protocol for NPH.

The Causal Role of the Occipital Face Area (OFA) and Lateral Occipital (LO) Cortex in Symmetry Perception

Abstract: Symmetry is an important cue in face and object perception. Here we used fMRI-guided transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to shed light on the role of the occipital face area (OFA), a key region in face processing, and the lateral occipital (LO) cortex, a key area in object processing, in symmetry detection. In the first experiment, we applied TMS over the rightOFA, its left homolog (leftOFA), rightLO, and vertex (baseline) while participants were discriminating between symmetric and asymmetric dot patterns. Stimulation of rightOFA and rightLO impaired performance, causally implicating these two regions in detection of symmetry in low-level dot configurations. TMS over rightLO but not rightOFA also significantly impaired detection of nonsymmetric shapes defined by collinear Gabor patches, demonstrating that rightOFA responds to symmetry but not to all cues mediating figure-ground segregation. The second experiment showed a causal role for rightOFA but not rightLO in facial symmetry detection. Overall, our results demonstrate that both the rightOFA and rightLO are sensitive to symmetry in dot patterns, whereas only rightOFA is causally involved in facial symmetry detection.