Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2011

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 33211 - 33240 of 36103

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Activism, Art Practice And The Vulnerability Of Message, Ralph Darbyshire Jan 2011

Activism, Art Practice And The Vulnerability Of Message, Ralph Darbyshire

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This research project uses practical work and a supporting text to explore activism in contemporary art. Its chief concern is to consider what constitutes an activist art practice by clarifying the terms of engagement of such work. In the textual part of this submission the production of recent and contemporary artists who are widely presumed to make activist art has been examined. Their different approaches have been identified and critical evaluations of them have been offered. The artists under review include Christian Boltanski, Agnes Denes, Hans Haacke, Thomas Hirschhorn, Edward Kienholz, Doris Salcedo, and others. The analysis differentiates between them …

Go to article

Late Medieval Roof Bosses In The Churches Of Devon, Susan Andrew Jan 2011

Late Medieval Roof Bosses In The Churches Of Devon, Susan Andrew

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Susan Andrew LATE MEDIEVAL ROOF BOSSES IN THE CHURCHES OF DEVON Abstract The extensive survival of late medieval bosses in the roofs of many parish churches in Devon has long been recognised. These carvings escaped the widespread destruction of images during the Reformation through their relative inaccessibility, and yet most have never before been recorded; nor has systematic study been made of their design, their positioning within a sacred space, or the ways in which they may have been viewed and used by a largely illiterate audience. This thesis rectifies this oversight in its detailed documentation and photography of figural …

Go to article

Ageing Futures: Towards Cognitively Inclusive Digital Media Products, John Charles Vines Jan 2011

Ageing Futures: Towards Cognitively Inclusive Digital Media Products, John Charles Vines

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis is situated in a moment when the theory and practice of inclusive design appears to be significantly implicated in the social and economic response to demographic changes in Western Europe by addressing the need to reconnect older people with technology. In light of claims that cognitive ageing results in an increasing disconnection from novel digital media in old age, inclusive design is apparently trapped in a discourse in which digital media products and interfaces are designed as a response to a deterministic decline in abilities. The thesis proceeds from this context to ask what intellectual moves are required …

Go to article

Application Of Intermediate Multi-Agent Systems To Integrated Algorithmic Composition And Expressive Performance Of Music, Alexis Kirke Jan 2011

Application Of Intermediate Multi-Agent Systems To Integrated Algorithmic Composition And Expressive Performance Of Music, Alexis Kirke

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

We investigate the properties of a new Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) for computer-aided composition called IPCS (pronounced “ipp-siss”) the Intermediate Performance Composition System which generates expressive performance as part of its compositional process, and produces emergent melodic structures by a novel multi-agent process. IPCS consists of a small-medium size (2 to 16) collection of agents in which each agent can perform monophonic tunes and learn monophonic tunes from other agents. Each agent has an affective state (an “artificial emotional state”) which affects how it performs the music to other agents; e.g. a “happy” agent will perform “happier” music. The agent performance …

Go to article

Eniatype: Transdisciplinary Practice For Methodologies Of Communication, Shaun Patrick Murray Jan 2011

Eniatype: Transdisciplinary Practice For Methodologies Of Communication, Shaun Patrick Murray

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The thesis demonstrates a rethinking of methodologies of communication through ecological design. Human communication and ecological accountability are inextricably linked in architectural design: the current global ecological crisis underscores this fundamental connection. Within architectural practice the communication from architect to participant or environment is not at all straightforward. This is also true of the dyadic relation between context, design and communication in architectural education. Notational systems within architectural education used as a communication tool have made the composition of architecture an activity like the composition of fiction: the activity of communication. So deep is the connection between architecture and communication …

Go to article

Gender, Genre And Politics In The Literary Work Of Sylvia Townsend Warner, Mary Elizabeth Jacobs Jan 2011

Gender, Genre And Politics In The Literary Work Of Sylvia Townsend Warner, Mary Elizabeth Jacobs

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis brings together a collection of works, all of which explore ways in which the prolific twentieth-century writer, Sylvia Townsend Warner, engaged with politics. A committed communist from the 1930s onwards, Warner was also a feminist writer and the works discussed here examine the interface between the politics of gender and the politics of the left. The sexual politics of Warner's private life with her long-term partner, Valentine Ackland, also inform her writings, often providing a homosexual undercurrent that offers multiple possible readings. Warner worked in a range of genres over a writing career that spanned five decades. The …

Go to article

A Sociological Investigation Of Sure Start Children's Centres: Understanding Parental Participation, Marie Lavelle Jan 2011

A Sociological Investigation Of Sure Start Children's Centres: Understanding Parental Participation, Marie Lavelle

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Sure Start Children’s Centres and their predecessors, the Sure Start Local Programmes, were central to New Labour’s drive to reduce social exclusion through early intervention in the lives of families with young children. Where previous research predominantly focused on the impact and effectiveness of programme delivery, there has also been a great deal of emphasis on those families who do not use these services. However, in attempting to understand why parents do not use Children’s Centres, the approach has been one that placed non-participation experiences away from Centres, distanced and unrelated. This thesis presents a sociological analysis of two Children’s …

Go to article

Ludics For A Ludic Society. The Art And Politics Of Play, Margarete Jahrmann Jan 2011

Ludics For A Ludic Society. The Art And Politics Of Play, Margarete Jahrmann

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This dissertation provides an analysis of, and critical commentary on, the practice of playfulness as persistent phenomenon in the arts, technology and theory. Its aim is to introduce political reflections on agency through the study of playful technological artefacts, which were largely ignored in the recent discussions on game and play. Following the critical analysis of historic discourses and actual studies of play under differing auspices, and in order to understand play as inherently political agency, this thesis’ research question addresses the immersive effects of playful agency in symbolic exchange systems and in the material consciousness of the player. This …

Go to article

A Cortical Model Of Object Perception Based On Bayesian Networks And Belief Propagation., Salvador Durá-Bernal Jan 2011

A Cortical Model Of Object Perception Based On Bayesian Networks And Belief Propagation., Salvador Durá-Bernal

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Evidence suggests that high-level feedback plays an important role in visual perception by shaping the response in lower cortical levels (Sillito et al. 2006, Angelucci and Bullier 2003, Bullier 2001, Harrison et al. 2007). A notable example of this is reflected by the retinotopic activation of V1 and V2 neurons in response to illusory contours, such as Kanizsa figures, which has been reported in numerous studies (Maertens et al. 2008, Seghier and Vuilleumier 2006, Halgren et al. 2003, Lee 2003, Lee and Nguyen 2001). The illusory contour activity emerges first in lateral occipital cortex (LOC), then in V2 and finally …

Go to article

Extreme Wave Loading On Offshore Wave Energy Devices Using Cfd, Jan Westphalen Jan 2011

Extreme Wave Loading On Offshore Wave Energy Devices Using Cfd, Jan Westphalen

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Two commercial Navier-Stokes solvers are applied to wave-wave and wave-structure interaction problems leading to the final application of simulating a single float of the wave energy converter (WEC) Manchester Bobber in extreme waves and a fixed section of the Pelamis in regular waves. First the two software packages CFX and STAR CCM+ are validated against measured results from physical tank tests concerning the interaction of 3 non-linear focused wave groups of different steepness (Ning et al. 2007). The agreement for all of these cases is very good and could even be improved from first order to second order wave setup …

Go to article

The Construction Of Sport Heritage Attractions, Gregory Ramshaw Jan 2011

The Construction Of Sport Heritage Attractions, Gregory Ramshaw

Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice

Sport can be heritage, and sport heritage attractions such as halls of fame, museums, and stadium tours can be one of the more potent forms of heritage tourism. However, few studies have examined sport heritage attractions, nor considered their construction. This paper examines three ways in which sport heritage attractions are constructed, exploring in particular the human dimensions of sport heritage, the link between sport heritage and legacy, and the relationship between sport heritage, tourism and globalization. Several outcomes of these constructions are examined, both in terms of the representation sport heritage as well as implications for the attractions themselves. …

Go to article

Diversification Of The Tourist Landscape On Ghana’S Atlantic Coast: Forts, Castles And Beach Hotel / Resort Operations In The Tourism Industry, Edward Addo Jan 2011

Diversification Of The Tourist Landscape On Ghana’S Atlantic Coast: Forts, Castles And Beach Hotel / Resort Operations In The Tourism Industry, Edward Addo

Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice

European settlements, trans-Atlantic trade in commodities and slaves, and colonization are indispensable components of Ghana’s political history, heritage, and tourism industry. European forts and castles built as far back as 1482 still characterize the Atlantic coast of Ghana. Since March 6, 1957 when Ghana became the first sub-Sahara African country to gain political independence from European colonial rule, the country has faced many socio-economic and political challenges. Tourism did not receive significant political attention until the late 1990s. In more recent years, the industry has experienced remarkable growth and increasing operations of beach hotels and resorts on the Atlantic coast …

Go to article

Conference Reports: Journal Of Tourism Consumption And Practice Volume 3 No.2 2011, Graham Busby Jan 2011

Conference Reports: Journal Of Tourism Consumption And Practice Volume 3 No.2 2011, Graham Busby

Journal of Tourism Consumption and Practice

British and American Studies XXI, Timisoara, 19-21 May 2011 Sixth Annual International Conference on Tourism, held at St George Lycabettus Hotel, Athens, 1-4 July 2010

Go to article

Biofilm Formation And Control In A Novel Warm Water Distribution System, Paul Waines Jan 2011

Biofilm Formation And Control In A Novel Warm Water Distribution System, Paul Waines

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Biofilm Formation and Control in a Novel Warm Water Distribution System By Paul Lewis Waines Abstract Investigations were carried out to assess biofilm formation within a model warm water distribution system (test rig) under a variety of conditions. Analysis methods included ATP-/ culture-based analysis, SEM and confocal microscopy. Molecular-based community analysis was carried out using PCR/DGGE. High pH (9.53-10.08), induced by the presence of a sacrificial anode within the water heater, had a profound inhibitive effect on the culturability of biofilm bacteria on copper (Cu) pipe within the test rig. Concurrent investigations into the effect of stagnation (varied periods of …

Go to article

Modelling Coarse-Grained Beach Profile Evolution, Mohamad Hidayat Jamal Jan 2011

Modelling Coarse-Grained Beach Profile Evolution, Mohamad Hidayat Jamal

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Coarse-grained beaches are particularly prevalent in the UK, composed of accumulations of either gravel, or mixed sand and gravel sediments. The aim of the work presented in this thesis is to improve capabilities for predicting coarse-grained beach 2D profile development. In particular, the effects of infiltration and sediment sorting are considered. In this study, the public domain numerical model, XBeach (v12) is developed further. This model was initially developed for studying sandy environments especially for the case of dune erosion. Here, the model is modified to enhance its capability to predict beach profile change on coarse-grained beaches. Improvements include: use …

Go to article

Pyramidal Cell Diversity In The Rat Prefrontal Cortex: Electrophysiology, Dopamine Modulation And Morphology, Ullrich Bartsch Jan 2011

Pyramidal Cell Diversity In The Rat Prefrontal Cortex: Electrophysiology, Dopamine Modulation And Morphology, Ullrich Bartsch

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critically involved in many higher cognitive functions such as goaldirected behaviour, affective behaviour and especially working memory. In vivo extracellular recordings of PFC neural activity during working memory tasks show high variety in observed spiking patterns. These complex dynamics are critically shaped by intrinsic, synaptic and structural parameters of respective prefrontal networks. Moreover, dopamine (DA) is crucial for correct functioning of the PFC during working memory tasks. DA modulates a number of synaptic and intrinsic biophysical properties of single neurons, in particular deep layer pyramidal cells, which represent the major output neurons of the PFC. …

Go to article

The Molecular And Behavioural Ecology Of Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) In Agricultural Land, Carly Marie Benefer Jan 2011

The Molecular And Behavioural Ecology Of Click Beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) In Agricultural Land, Carly Marie Benefer

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The larvae (wireworms) of some click beetle genera inhabit the soil in agricultural land and are crop pests. In the UK, a pest complex of Agriotes species, A. obscurus, A. sputator and A. lineatus, has been identified as the cause of the majority of damage. However, studies on their ecology are lacking, despite knowledge of this being important for the development of sustainable risk assessment and pest management strategies, in part due to the morphologically cryptic nature of wireworms. The ecology of economically important click beetle species was investigated, focusing on UK Agriotes species. The relationship between sex pheromone trapped …

Go to article

Necessity, Possibility And The Search For Counterexamples In Human Reasoning, Sylvia Mary Parnell Serpell Jan 2011

Necessity, Possibility And The Search For Counterexamples In Human Reasoning, Sylvia Mary Parnell Serpell

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Abstract Necessity, Possibility and the Search for Counterexamples in Human Reasoning Sylvia Mary Parnell Serpell This thesis presents a series of experiments where endorsement rates, latencies and measures of cognitive ability were collected, to investigate the extent to which people search for counterexamples under necessity instructions, and alternative models under possibility instructions. The research was motivated by a syllogistic reasoning study carried out by Evans, Handley, Harper, and Johnson-Laird (1999), and predictions were derived from mental model theory (Johnson-Laird, 1983; Johnson-Laird & Byrne, 1991). With regard to the endorsement rate data: Experiment 1 failed to find evidence that a search …

Go to article

Population Structuring And Dispersal In The Highly Pelagic Leach's Storm-Petrel: Implications For The Eu Population, Anthony William James Bicknell Jan 2011

Population Structuring And Dispersal In The Highly Pelagic Leach's Storm-Petrel: Implications For The Eu Population, Anthony William James Bicknell

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Dispersal is a fundamental process that shapes many aspects of population ecology and evolution. Dramatic local population declines brought about by anthropogenic-driven changes to ecological processes are unfortunately becoming ubiquitous and increasing the urgency to understand dispersal behaviour in many species. For species where direct methods of tracking movement and dispersal are unsuitable, other indirect methods need to be employed to understand and characterise these behaviours. The steep population decline, due to predation, at the largest EU population of Leach’s storm-petrels Oceanodroma leucorhoa (St Kilda, Scotland), and the potential part immigrant birds have in buffering this threat, highlighted the need …

Go to article

Full-Field Modelling Of Crack Tip Shielding Phenomena, Yanwei Lu Jan 2011

Full-Field Modelling Of Crack Tip Shielding Phenomena, Yanwei Lu

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The application of fracture mechanics to engineering design has provided significant advances in understanding of the causes and mechanisms of failure and crack growth. Despite this, there are still some aspects that remain incompletely understood, such as the crack closure/crack shielding effect. The presence of crack closure/shielding acts to reduce . The mechanisms of crack closure/shielding are complicated, and have not been fully understood. This work focuses on the plasticity-induced crack tip shielding mechanism and presents a novel approach to characterise the elastic stress fields under the influence of the plastic enclave surrounding the crack tip. The model is successfully …

Go to article

Motivational Factors In The Placebo Response: The Role Of Effort And Intrinsic Motivation On Well-Being In Therapeutic Interventions, Linda Carolina Gaitan-Sierra Jan 2011

Motivational Factors In The Placebo Response: The Role Of Effort And Intrinsic Motivation On Well-Being In Therapeutic Interventions, Linda Carolina Gaitan-Sierra

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

One of the most interesting aspects of human beings is their ability to choose a course of action and strive to achieve it. When participating in therapeutic interventions involving physical activities, people may allocate different amounts of effort, persistence and commitment to succeed in them. The reason for this difference lies in their motivation. The present thesis focuses on the energising of behaviour, that is, the differential effort and motivation that people put into therapeutic activities. Placebo responses are generally explained by the mechanisms of response expectancy, conditioning and motivational concordance. Findings presented in this thesis partially supported motivational concordance, …

Go to article

An Integrated Ecotoxicological Assessment Of The Engineered Nanoparticles, C60 Fullerenes In Different Life Stages Of Marine Mussels, Mytilus Edulis, Sherain Al-Subiai Jan 2011

An Integrated Ecotoxicological Assessment Of The Engineered Nanoparticles, C60 Fullerenes In Different Life Stages Of Marine Mussels, Mytilus Edulis, Sherain Al-Subiai

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Studies were undertaken to determine ecotoxicological effects of model manufactured or engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), either alone or in combination with a representative polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (i.e. PAHs: fluoranthene) at different levels of biological organisation (viz. biochemical, histological and behavioural levels) in a sentinel, widely distributed marine invertebrate species, Mytilus edulis. With the current and predicted levels of pollution in the marine and coastal environment, there is an urgent need to establish the potential effects of persistent and emerging contaminants which includes ENPs and PAHs, to protect human and environmental health. In this study, initially, it was aimed to optimise the …

Go to article

Effect Of Quality Of Wheat And Maize Flour In Tempura Batter, Chew Kwee Tan Jan 2011

Effect Of Quality Of Wheat And Maize Flour In Tempura Batter, Chew Kwee Tan

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Tempura batters are stand-alone systems that are not further breaded. They provide a protective coating which can range in texture from crispy/crunchy to cake-like. Recipes for batter systems are adjusted empirically, and the choice of ingredients, especially flour, will determine the quality and acceptability of coating. This study aims to characterise wheat and maize flours that would optimise fried tempura quality, and to study their effect on behaviour of batters, and quality of fried products. In aqueous ethanol, results showed RVA to be useful to characterise wheat flours for batter applications. There is a close relationship between flour attributes and …

Go to article

William Peckitt’S Great West Window At Exeter Cathedral, Caroline Sarah Atkinson Jan 2011

William Peckitt’S Great West Window At Exeter Cathedral, Caroline Sarah Atkinson

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis examines the Great West Window at Exeter Cathedral designed by William Peckitt of York (1731-95). Peckitt was arguably the most important glass designer of the eighteenth century and undertook prestigious commissions at York, Oxford and elsewhere. In 1764 he was contracted by the Dean of Exeter, Jeremiah Milles, to supply glass to complete the restoration of the Cathedral’s glazing and to make the new window, which has often been considered to be his masterpiece. Peckitt’s Great West Window is no longer extant (although portions of it have been salvaged), having been replaced in 1904 with a window, designed …

Go to article

The Exceptions In Documentary Credits In English Law, Lu Lu Jan 2011

The Exceptions In Documentary Credits In English Law, Lu Lu

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

The main subject of this thesis is the exceptions in documentary credits in English law. The exceptions were established during the development of the documentary credits system to solve drawbacks of the payment means caused by its distinctive feature of autonomy. A rationale of the research is the current decline of the market share of documentary credits as a recognized means of settlement in international trade. This thesis aims to explore an appropriate and efficient way to apply certain necessary exceptions in documentary credits system. And hopefully, the current high rate of the rejection of the documents by banks by …

Go to article

The Artistic Discovery Of Assyria By Britain And France 1850 To 1950, Donato Esposito Jan 2011

The Artistic Discovery Of Assyria By Britain And France 1850 To 1950, Donato Esposito

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis provides an overview of the engagement with the material culture of Assyria, unearthed in the Middle East from 1845 onwards by British and French archaeologists. It sets the artistic discovery of Assyria within the visual culture of the period through reference not only to painting but also to illustrated newspapers, books, journals, performances and popular entertainments. The thesis presents a more vigorous, interlinked, and widespread engagement than previous studies have indicated, primarily by providing a comprehensive corpus of artistic responses. The artistic connections between Britain and France were close. Works influenced by Assyria were published, exhibited and reviewed …

Go to article

A Mythography Of The Crossroads:How Is The Severance/Threshold/Return Progression In Both Mythology And Modern Wilderness Rites-Of-Passage Established Through Metaphor? An Enquiry Conducted Through Contemporary Storytelling Practice, Martin Shaw Jan 2011

A Mythography Of The Crossroads:How Is The Severance/Threshold/Return Progression In Both Mythology And Modern Wilderness Rites-Of-Passage Established Through Metaphor? An Enquiry Conducted Through Contemporary Storytelling Practice, Martin Shaw

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

How is the Severance/Threshold/Return progression in both mythology and modern wilderness rites-of-passage established through metaphor? An enquiry conducted through contemporary storytelling practice. This research examines the metaphorical structures within seven selected myths in relation to wilderness rites-of-passage, and the key thematic progression of Severance/Threshold/Return. These rites-of-passage are an essential component of an ongoing programme offered to the general public. The research is primarily creative in that the oral texts have been developed from extant myth over several years, and adapted to a variety of performance contexts. The evolution of these oral texts is examined in an analytical text, which draws …

Go to article

Communicating The Unspeakable: Linguistic Phenomena In The Psychedelic Sphere, Diana R. Slattery Jan 2011

Communicating The Unspeakable: Linguistic Phenomena In The Psychedelic Sphere, Diana R. Slattery

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Psychedelics can enable a broad and paradoxical spectrum of linguistic phenomena from the unspeakability of mystical experience to the eloquence of the songs of the shaman or curandera. Interior dialogues with the Other, whether framed as the voice of the Logos, an alien download, or communion with ancestors and spirits, are relatively common. Sentient visual languages are encountered, their forms unrelated to the representation of speech in natural language writing systems. This thesis constructs a theoretical model of linguistic phenomena encountered in the psychedelic sphere for the field of altered states of consciousness research (ASCR). The model is developed from …

Go to article

Eastern European Time-Based Art During And After Communism, Kenneth Mcbride Jan 2011

Eastern European Time-Based Art During And After Communism, Kenneth Mcbride

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Soviet-era Communism was a project of emergence that failed to realise its Utopian ambition. Nevertheless, it created an unprecedented simulacrum whose visual language was appropriated by a number of artists as a readymade. This artistic response to everyday reality shaped an unofficial narrative of the Communist epoch. Operating beyond the official realm these artists were subject to varying degrees of censorship, and their activities led to what became known as ‘non-official’ art. Non-official artists suffered from inferior materials, lack of exposure, and were forced to radicalize their methods of production. Without official support the everyday domestic realm and a diverse …

Go to article

The Supervisory Assemblage: A Singular Doctoral Experience, Elizabeth Done Jan 2011

The Supervisory Assemblage: A Singular Doctoral Experience, Elizabeth Done

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

In this thesis, I apply Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s ontology of becoming to my own learning, thinking and writing. The adopted method - nomadic inquiry, is derived from the philosophising of Deleuze, whose concepts function as pedagogic values that I mobilise throughout my writing and perform – not merely explain, to problematise common perceptions of the thesis, supervision and doctoral experience. Deleuze resists models that inhibit context-specific creativity, yet I can readily identify the defining features of my own supervision: resolutely student-centred, facilitative of free experimentation, supportive of my becoming as an academic subject and the writing through which …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last