This paper examines the processing of height and place contrasts in vowels in words and pseudowords, using mismatch negativity (MMN) to determine firstly whether asymmetries resulting from underlying representations found in the processing of vowels in isolation will remain in a word context and secondly whether there is any difference in the way these phonological differences manifest in pseudowords. The stimuli are two sets of English ablaut verbs and corresponding pseudowords (sit~sat/*sif~*saf and get~got/*gef~*gof) contrasting in vowel height ([HIGH] vs. [LOW]) and place of articulation ([CORONAL] vs. [DORSAL]). In line with previous research, the results show a processing asymmetry for place of articulation in both words and nonwords, while different vowel heights result in symmetrical MMN patterns. These findings confirm that an underspecification account provides the best explanation for featural processing and that phonological information is independent of lexical status.
Interpretivist scholarship in Festival and Knowledge Studies comprise a minority, yet increasing, source of new knowledge with opportunities to generate trustworthy and authentic contributions. Rich, qualitative labours of lived experiences provide alternatives to established modes of research, particularly when exploring the ‘fuzzy concept’ of knowledge. This paper promotes greater methodological plurality, exploring the pathway to selection and adoption of phenomenology through the research process, by examining a study on (organisational) knowledge sharing among volunteers in dynamic and pulsating music festival organisations. Data is gathered utilising in-depth interviews (n=9) and diaries (n=11), while some participants engaged with both methods (n=8), and thematic analysis enabled interpretations by the researcher. This paper advocates the use of rich and deep phenomenological ‘data’ for epistemological developments in knowledge research within Festival Studies. Using interpretations of lived experience…
Background: No large international studies have investigated care transitions during or following acute hospitalisations for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Objectives: To characterise various TBI-care pathways and the number of associated transitions during the first six months after TBI, and to assess the impact of these on functional TBI outcome controlled for demographic and injury-related factors. Methods: A cohort study of patients with TBI admitted to a variety of trauma centres were enrolled in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in TBI (CENTER-TBI) study. Number of transitions and specific care pathways were identified. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess impact of number of transitions and care pathways on functional outcome six months post-injury as assessed by Glasgow Outcome Scale- Extended (GOSE). Results: 3133 patients survived the acute TBI-care pathway, and had at least one documented in-hospital transition at six-months follow-up. The m…
Thomas Elsaesser’s idea of the mind-game film crystallized in written form in 2006. Thomas emphasized in this 2006 paper that the mind-game film covers mainstream, independent, and avant-garde films from across the globe with similar aspects of style, narrative, and character-interaction. In this early formulation, he thought of mind-game films as complex hybrids of horror, science fiction, teen film, and film noir, in which fragments of these prior filmmaking trends interact with each other and are incorporated into the mind-game film. A few years after completing this extraordinary essay on Philip K. Dick, Thomas began rethinking his conception of the mind-game film. The concepts are key to Thomas’s discussion of mind-game films, but what is most important is that he discusses them in terms of his central concept of “productive pathologies”. Mind-game films “work through” paradoxes of representation and paradoxes of time.
This article explores the paradoxical gendering of Charisma in the lives of congregation members at a Charismatic Pentecostal church, the Church of Christ the King (CCK), in Brighton and Hove, UK. Gender is discussed as a ‘Hot Potato’ at CCK, a point of divergence and negotiation, and I show how these dialogues are shaped by specific symbolic and embodied forms of gendered imagination and practice which often operate counter to gender norms outside the church. Looking at the intersection of youth and gender at the church, I show how counter-cultural opposition serves to underwrite a culture of service and submission which buttresses patriarchal authority and cements gendered hierarchies within the church. As I argue, the overlooking of the relationship between religious leadership and gender is being increasingly challenged by the younger generation bringing together self-making processes from both the sacred and secular realm.
Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE) is undergoing changes within UK schools, and many topics, including healthy lifestyles, sex and relationships, and mental resilience/wellbeing will become statutory parts of the curriculum. The overall aim of this study was to describe teachers’ views about these topics and how they should be delivered. A cross sectional online survey was completed by 167 teachers (87.8% female). Questions were asked about what was currently covered in schools, and which topics were important, and appropriate. Rating scales were used to garner attitudes and open ended questions probed for more details from the participants. Peer pressure about drugs and alcohol was commonly discussed (72% of participants) however pleasurable effects of drugs were rated inappropriate by 38.1%. Sexting (75.4%), sexual consent (69.5%) were the most frequently discussed in the sex and relationship topics, while 26.5% said that sexually transmitted diseases were not appropriate to talk a…
Children who struggle with writing are a heterogeneous group and may experience difculties in a range of domains, including spelling, reading, and oral language. These difculties are refected in their writing and may infuence their responsiveness to writing interventions. The efectiveness of a targeted sentence-combining intervention to improve the writing skills of 71 struggling writers, aged 7 to 10 years, was compared with a spelling intervention and a business as usual (waiting list) control condition. Some struggling writers also performed poorly on measures of reading and oral language. Children’s performance on a range of writing measures were assessed at baseline (t1), immediate post-test (t2) and delayed post-test (t3). Children receiving the sentence-combining intervention showed signifcant improvements in the sentence combining measure at t2 and t3 compared to both the spelling intervention and waiting list controls. Exploratory regression analyses found that children in the sentence-combining inte…
Objectives. Our study aimed to explore the influence of Bariatric Surgery (BS) on heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) through a systematic review. Data Sources. Manuscripts were selected based on electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL databases from the inception of each database up to year 2020 and followed the PRISMA protocol. Searching of these studies was systematized using the PICOS strategy. Eligibility Criteria for Selecting Studies. We selected randomized and non-randomized controlled trials and cohorts’ prospective studies that reported the influence of BS on HRV. We assessed the quality rating using the Black and Downs questionnaire. Results. Following the screening and eligibility stages, 14 studies were included in the review. All studies agreed that BS promotes an increase in parasympathetic HR control and HRV and, a decrease in HR. Yet, the literature does not provide evidence that this outcome was directly caused by the surgical procedure. There is limited evidence to support that p…
Food banks are organisations which occupy an uncomfortable position, being seen both as a manifestation of caring communities as well as an undesirable feature of neoliberal government. By focusing on the encounters between volunteers and food bank users within these organisations, we excavate their caring side to find three forms of compassion: compassion ‘for’, compassion ‘with’ and compassion ‘within’. We show that while compassion ‘for’ can lead to countless selfless acts, it remains embedded within neoliberal discourses. This can serve to reinforce distance and inequalities between giver (volunteer) and receiver (food bank user), creating a chain of indebtedness as compassion becomes part of a transactional exchange offered to those seen as worthy. Compassion ‘with’ others focuses on the person rather than the problem of food poverty and manifests itself in expressions of connection and responsibility which can, however, become possessive at times. Compassion ‘within’ is a form of compassion that, altho…