Beyond all reason:spaces of hope in the struggle for England’s universities

This essay examines how academics and students in England have been primed to comply with a political agenda of “deep” neoliberalization through cumulative processes of institutional and subjective undermining and considers what might be an appropriate logic of critical response. It first describes how the embedding of principles and mechanisms of market governance within academic life has depoliticized methods for critically theorizing and collectively resisting these processes and then explores the work of recent student-led opposition to the British government’s new policies, teasing out some theoretical implications of the logic of occupation being cultivated there. It suggests that by fusing a determination for autonomy with a transgressive cultivation of new forms of thinking and social practice, the occupations illustrate new critical-experimental work in the politics of possibility. The underlying logic thus offers some resources for reimagining modalities of resistance to processes of deep neoliberalization; however, becoming receptive to them may also require a critique of professional academic subjectivities and reevaluation of attachments to existing forms of the university itself.

A combinatorial approach to the chemical synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,4,5-trisubstiituted furan-2(5H)-ones

Many important natural products contain the furan-2(5H)-one structure. The structure of this molecule lends itself to manipulation using combinatorial techniques due to the presence of more than one site for the attachment of different suhstituents. By developing different reaction schemes at the three sites available for attachment on the furan-2(5H)-one scaffold, combinatorial chemistry techniques can be employed to assemble libraries of novel furan 2(5H)-ones. These libraries can then be entered into various biological screening programmes. This approach will enable a vast diversity or compounds to be examined, in the hope or finding new biologically active Iead structures. The work in this thesis has investigated the potential that combinatorial chemistry has in the quest for new biologically active lead structures based on the furan-2(5H)-one structure. Different reactions were investigated with respect to their suitability for inclusion in a library. Once sets of reactions at the various sites had been established, the viability of these reactions in the assembly of combinatorial libraries was investigated. Purification methods were developed, and the purified products entered into suitable biological screening tests. Results from some of these tests were optimised using structure activity relationships, and the resulting products re-screened. The screening tests performed were for anticancer and antimicrobial activity, cholecystokinin (CCK-B) antagonism and anti-inflammatory activity (in the quest for novel cyclo-oxygenase (COX-2) selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). It has been shown that many reactions undergone by the furan-2(5H)-one structure are suitable for the assembly of a combinatorial library. Investigation into the assembly of different libraries has been carried out with initial screening results included. From this work, further investigation into combinatorial library assembly and structure activity relationships of screened reaction products can be undertaken.

Editorial:welcome to the LRN2004 annual conference special issue of the International journal of logistics: research and applications

It is a great pleasure to be Guest Editor for this issue – I hope that the papers which are included will be stimulating and support you in your ongoing research activities. A number of guiding principles were adopted in selecting the papers for inclusion in this issue. Firstly, the papers cover a wide range of logistics and supply chain management (SCM) topics. This is a reflection of the evolution of the field in recent years. In terms of the “buy-make-store-move-sell” model of SCM all the main constituent areas are addressed. Secondly, it is important that the conference issue of this Journal reflects the emphasis and content of the conference itself. I have tried to achieve this in terms of the papers included. One interesting point to note is that outsourcing is a theme which is a major issue in a number of papers. This reflects the increasing importance of this issue to organisations of all kinds and sizes. Economic globalisation and the trend towards vertical disintegration of supply chain architectures have sharpened the focus on outsourcing as a key element of supply chain strategy. The need to move beyond the notion that sourcing of certain activities can be some kind of panacea in evident from the relevant contributions. Thirdly, the LRN Annual Conference has become a more international event in recent years...the number of delegates and papers presented from outside the UK has continued to grow. The papers collected in this issue reflect this internationalization. Two papers are worthy of particular comment from an LRN perspective. The contribution by Jaafar and Rafiq has been developed from the submission which won the best paper prize at the LRN 2004 event. The paper by Pettit and Beresford is based on research which was supported by LRN seed corn funding. It was developed form the final report on this work submitted to CITL (UK) via the LRN. The seed corn funding is an important mechanism whereby the LRN supports research in innovative aspects of logistics in UK universities. In many ways, the LRN2004 event in Dublin seems like a long time ago. From my point of view it was one of the most professionally rewarding activities in which I have been involved in my career. It was a time to meet old friends and new and to keep abreast of the multitude of interesting projects being undertaken in over 20 countries. There are too many people to thank for the smooth running of the event. However, my colleague John Mee does warrant a special mention. His logistical skills were seriously put to the test in the weeks and months leading up to September 9th. 2004. I want to acknowledge his particular contribution to the success of the event. Since then we have had the 2005 event at the University of Plymouth. This was again a great opportunity to network with colleagues and many congratulations are due to John Dinwoodie and his team. We now look forward to LRN 2006 in Newcastle...form my part I hope and trust that this issue provides some useful perspectives and insights into the range of topics addressed.

Satisfaction with primary care:the perspectives of people with schizophrenia

Background. Schizophrenia affects up to 1% of the population in the UK. People with schizophrenia use the National Health Service frequently and over a long period of time. However, their views on satisfaction with primary care are rarely sought. Objectives. This study aimed to explore the elements of satisfaction with primary care for people with schizophrenia. Method. A primary care-based study was carried out using semi-structured interviews with 45 patients with schizophrenia receiving shared care with the Northern Birmingham Mental Health Trust between 1999 and 2000. Results. Five major themes that affect satisfaction emerged from the data: the exceptional potential of the consultation itself; the importance of aspects of the organization of primary care; the construction of the user in the doctor-patient relationship; the influence of stereotypes on GP behaviour; and the importance of hope for recovery. Conclusion. Satisfaction with primary care is multiply mediated. It is also rarely expected or achieved by this group of patients. There is a significant gap between the rhetoric and the reality of user involvement in primary care consultations. Acknowledging the tensions between societal and GP views of schizophrenia as an incurable life sentence and the importance to patients of hope for recovery is likely to lead to greater satisfaction with primary health care for people with schizophrenia.

Problematising the construction of journal quality:an engagement with the mainstream

Journal ranking studies have generally adopted citation techniques or academic perceptions as the basis for assessing journal quality. They have traditionally been a source of information about potential research outlets, new journals, and an aid to developing a consensus about the relative merit of publications for promotion decisions. The aim of our research is to address specific shortcomings in the conventional literature and construct an alternative view of how we might more appropriately assess journal ‘quality’. We attempt to engage with the conventional literature by applying an approach that does not privilege either citation techniques or academic perceptions. We have adopted from Zeff (1996) an objective measure of academic journal library holdings, which Zeff describes as a ‘market test’. Our construct provides evidence of an important difference in journal holdings for the Australasian region that could significantly influence further research on journal quality. The method itself is entirely mundane but may be considered to reflect a complex of historic and more contemporary variables which impact on academic and administrative decisions, influencing the makeup of academic library holdings and providing a proxy for journal ‘quality’.

The boundary lubricated friction and wear of low alloy steel

Pin on disc wear machines were used to study the boundary lubricated friction and wear of AISI 52100 steel sliding partners. Boundary conditions were obtained by using speed and load combinations which resulted in friction coefficients in excess of 0.1. Lubrication was achieved using zero, 15 and 1000 ppm concentrations of an organic dimeric acid additive in a hydrocarbon base stock. Experiments were performed for sliding speeds of 0.2, 0.35 and 0.5 m/s for a range of loads up to 220 N. Wear rate, frictional force and pin temperature were continually monitored throughout tests and where possible complementary methods of measurement were used to improve accuracy. A number of analytical techniques were used to examine wear surfaces, debris and lubricants, namely: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES), Powder X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), optical microscopy, Back scattered Electron Detection (BSED) and several metallographic techniques. Friction forces and wear rates were found to vary linearly with load for any given combination of speed and additive concentration. The additive itself was found to act as a surface oxidation inhibitor and as a lubricity enhancer, particularly in the case of the higher (1000 ppm) concentration. Wear was found to be due to a mild oxidational mechanism at low additive concentrations and a more severe metallic mechanism at higher concentrations with evidence of metallic delamination in the latter case. Scuffing loads were found to increase with increasing additive concentration and decrease with increasing speed as would be predicted by classical models of additive behaviour as an organo-metallic soap film. Heat flow considerations tended to suggest that surface temperature was not the overriding controlling factor in oxidational wear and a model is proposed which suggests oxygen concentration in the lubricant is the controlling factor in oxide growth and wear.

Ultra-long raman laser with a feedback based on the Rayleigh scattering

This paper reports the Rayleigh scattering effects in ultra-long Raman fibre laser. It has been found that in a long fibre cavity (-100 km) the distributed feedback due to Rayleigh back scattering at propagation of light between fibre Bragg grating reflectors may be comparable with the lumped feedback provided by the FBG itself. As a result, Raman lasing in the fibre span limited by lumped (FBG) reflector at one side only appears possible due to significant reflection from the RS-based "random" distributed mirror at the other side. Thus, it concludes that a distributed Rayleigh scattering "random" mirror can form a cavity together with a single FBG spliced to the opposite cavity end.

An Investigation of the destruction of ion exchange resins

Ion exchange resins are used for many purposes in various areas of science and commerce. One example is the use of cation exchange resins in the nuclear industry for the clean up of radioactively contaminated water (for example the removal of 137Cs). However, during removal of radionuclides, the resin itself becomes radioactively contaminated, and must be treated as Intermediate Level Waste. This radioactive contamination of the resin creates a disposal problem. Conventionally, there are two main avenues of disposal for industrial wastes, landfill burial or incineration. However, these are regarded as inappropriate for the disposal of the cation exchange resin involved in this project. Thus, a method involving the use of Fenton's Reagent (Hydrogen Peroxide/soluble Iron catalyst) to destroy the resin by wet oxidation has been developed. This process converts 95% of the solid resin to gaseous CO2, thus greatly reducing the volume of radioactive waste that has to be disposed of. However, hydrogen peroxide is an expensive reagent, and is a major component of the cost of any potential plant for the destruction of ion exchange resin. The aim of my project has been to discover a way of improving the efficiency of the destruction of the resin thus reducing the cost involved in the use of hydrogen peroxide. The work on this problem has been concentrated in two main areas:-1) Use of analytical techniques such as NMR and IR to follow the process of the hydrogen peroxide destruction of both resin beads and model systems such as water soluble calixarenes. 2) Use of various physical and chemical techniques in an attempt to improve the overall efficiency of hydrogen peroxide utilization. Examples of these techniques include UV irradiation, both with and without a photocatalyst, oxygen carrying molecules and various stirring regimes.

The French Communist Party and the Algerian war : an ideological turning point?

The subject-matter of this thesis is the interaction between the Parti Communiste Français and the National Liberation struggle in Algeria , and the debate that ensued within the Party itself.For a detailed study of the Party ' s line on the war, PCF publications were contrasted with the texts produced by the opposition.Three main axes were identified crystallising discussion within the Party during the Algerian war: The relationship between France and Algeria and the Party ' s attitude to the French nation; The nature of the Algerian nation and its genesis; France's military engagement in Algeria.The dichotomy between the Party's national and internationalist responsibilities is shown to have resolved itself by the fundamental integration of the PCF into the political structure and value system of the French Republic. This study demonstrates the birth of a substantial internal opposition to the PCF during the Algerian war.

An investigation into the use of knowledge representation in computer-integrated manufacturing

In a certain automobile factory, batch-painting of the body types in colours is controlled by an allocation system. This tries to balance production with orders, whilst making optimally-sized batches of colours. Sequences of cars entering painting cannot be optimised for easy selection of colour and batch size. `Over-production' is not allowed, in order to reduce buffer stocks of unsold vehicles. Paint quality is degraded by random effects. This thesis describes a toolkit which supports IKBS in an object-centred formalism. The intended domain of use for the toolkit is flexible manufacturing. A sizeable application program was developed, using the toolkit, to test the validity of the IKBS approach in solving the real manufacturing problem above, for which an existing conventional program was already being used. A detailed statistical analysis of the operating circumstances of the program was made to evaluate the likely need for the more flexible type of program for which the toolkit was intended. The IKBS program captures the many disparate and conflicting constraints in the scheduling knowledge and emulates the behaviour of the program installed in the factory. In the factory system, many possible, newly-discovered, heuristics would be awkward to represent and it would be impossible to make many new extensions. The representation scheme is capable of admitting changes to the knowledge, relying on the inherent encapsulating properties of object-centres programming to protect and isolate data. The object-centred scheme is supported by an enhancement of the `C' programming language and runs under BSD 4.2 UNIX. The structuring technique, using objects, provides a mechanism for separating control of expression of rule-based knowledge from the knowledge itself and allowing explicit `contexts', within which appropriate expression of knowledge can be done. Facilities are provided for acquisition of knowledge in a consistent manner.

The evaluation of information systems in the organisational context of the National Health Service. Available in 2 volumes.

This thesis describes a project which has investigated the evaluation of information systems. The work took place in, and is related to, a specific organisational context, that of the National Health Service (NHS). It aims to increase understanding of the evaluation which takes place in the service and the way in which this is affected by the NHS environment. It also investigates the issues which surround some important types of evaluation and their use in this context. The first stage of the project was a postal survey in which respondents were asked to describe the evaluation which took place in their authorities and to give their opinions about it. This was used to give an overview of the practice of IS evaluation in the NHS and to identify its uses and the problems experienced. Three important types of evaluation were then examined in more detail by means of action research studies. One of these dealt with the selection and purchase of a large hospital information system. The study took the form of an evaluation of the procurement process, and examined the methods used and the influence of organisational factors. The other studies are concerned with post-implementation evaluation, and examine the choice of an evaluation approach as well as its application. One was an evaluation of a community health system which had been operational for some time but was of doubtful value, and suffered from a number of problems. The situation was explored by means of a study of the costs and benefits of the system. The remaining study was the initial review of a system which was used in the administration of a Breast Screening Service. The service itself was also newly operational and the relationship between the service and the system was of interest.

Hand in hand:privatising five star hotels in Egypt through the stock market will enhance the latter's role as well as set an example of the benefits that could be gained from privatisation

This thesis examines the possibility of privatising public owned five star hotels in Egypt through its stock market in order to give a boost to the Egyptian privatisation programme and to help activate its stock market. To explore these aspects, two main technical exercises were executed. First the writer constructed, for the first time in Egypt, a daily price index for Cairo Stock Exchange and an index for the tourism sector, in order to analyze the efficiency of the capital market. This technical analysis showed that Cairo stock exchange is inefficient, stagnant and undergoes minimal fluctuations, especially when compared to other developed and emerging markets. Second, given the importance and complexity of the valuation of SOEs prior to their privatisation, a sample of three five star hotels that could be prime candidates for privatisation via the stock market in Egypt were selected and a detailed financial analysis for the three hotels was concluded. The result was a valuation range for the three hotels using various valuation methods. Nevertheless it was found out that the final value of hotels will be determined by the market itself. Depite the inefficiency of Cairo Stock Exchange, the thesis did not rule out privatisation through the stock market. On the contrary it cited several examples of developing countries that were able to successfully privatise some of their SOEs via their rudimentary capital markets. Finally, the thesis recommended that five star hotels could be pefect candidates for privatisation via the stock market in Egypt. This is because five star hotels are profitable, privately managed, non strategic and not highly capital intensive businesses. In addition, they do not suffer from overstaffing and the industry in which they operate i.e. tourism sector, has high growth prospects and is of an international nature. Therefore it is anticipated that privatisation of five star hotels can attract a lot of investors because of the relatively high returns. This in turn will help activate and popularize the capital market in Egypt. At the same time the benefits of privatisation would be more visible which will give more momentum to the privatisation programme and make it more politically acceptable.

Investigation into the mechanisms responsible for muscle atrophy in cancer cachexia

Cachexia inducing tumours are known to produce a glycoprotein called proteolysis inducing factor (PIF), which induces skeletal muscle atrophy via increased protein degradation and decreased protein synthesis. The objective of this study was to investigate the signalling pathway by which PIF reduces protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and to determine the link, if any, to the ability to induce protein degradation. In murine myotubes PIF induced an increase in expression of the active form of the dsNRA dependent protein kinase (PKR), as well as the phosphorylated form of the translation initiator elF2a, possibly through the release of calcium, at the same concentration as that inhibiting protein synthesis. Inhibition of PKR reversed the inhibition of protein synthesis by PIF and also the induction of protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway by a reduction in the nuclear migration of NK-?B. The expression of phosphorylated forms of PKR and elF2a was also increased in the muscle of cancer patients experiencing weight loss, and in gastrocnemius muscle of mice bearing the cachexia inducing MAC16 tumour, as well as in the tumour itself. Treatment of mice bearing the MAC16 tumour with a PKR inhibitor attenuated muscle atrophy and inhibited tumour growth, through the inactivation of PKR and the consequent reduction of nuclear accumulation of NF-?B. A decreased translational efficiency of the elF-4F complex of initiation factors through dephosphorylation of 4E-BP1 and an increase eEF2 phosphorylation was seen in response to PIF in vitro. The same pattern of events also occurred in gastrocnemius muscle of mice bearing the MAC16 tumour demonstrating weight loss, where a depression of mTOR and p70S6K activation was also observed as weight loss increased.

A survey of some small firms in the rural areas of England: their structure and functions, with special reference to factors that affect their development

This study was concerned with the structure, functions and development, especially the performance, of some rural small firms associated with the Council for Small Industries in Rural Areas (C?SIRA) of England. Forty firms were used as the main basis of analysis. For some aspects of the investigation, however, data from another 54 firms, obtained indirectly through nine CoSIRA Organisers, were also used. For performance-analysis, the 40 firms were firstly ranked according to their growth and profitability rates which were calculated from their financial data. Then each of the variables hypothesised to be related to performance was tested to ascertain its relationship with performance, using the Spearman's Rank Correlation technique. The analysis indicated that each of the four factors .. the principal, the firm itself, its management, and the environment - had a bearing upon the performance of the firm. Within the first factor, the owner-manager's background and attitudes were found to be most important; in the second, the firm's size, age and scope of activities were also found to be correlated with performance; with respect to the third, it was revealed that firms which practised some forms of systems in planning, control and costing performed better than those which did not and, finally with respect to the fourth factor, it was found that some of the services provided by CoSIRA, especially credit finance, were facilitative to the firm's performance. Another significant facet of the firms highlighted by the study was their multifarious roles. These, meeting economic, psychological, sociological and political needs, were considered to be most useful to man and his society. Finally, the study has added light to the structural characteristics of the sampled firms, including various aspects of their development, orientation and organisation, as well as their various structural strengths and weakness. ' .

The campaign to save Croxteth comprehensive: an ethnographic study of a protest movement

This thesis is based on ethnographic research carried out on a Liverpool protest movement which occurred between November, 1980 and July,1983. The protest movement was waged by residents of the working class community of Croxteth Liverpool who wished to retain their state secondary school, Croxteth Comprehensive. The Liverpool City Council voted in favour of closing Croxteth Comprehensive in January, 1981 because of its declining roles. Residents began theIr campaign as soon as they became aware of intentions to close the school at the end of the previous year. The campaIgn itself went through a number of different phases, distinguishable accordIng to the groups of people involved, the strategy and tactics they employed, the ways in which they justified their campaign, and the goals they pursued. In July of 1982 the organisation which led the protest, the Croxteth Community Action Committee, took illegal possession of the school buildings and ran a pilot summer school project. In September of 1982 they opened the school doors for all secondary pupils on the council estate and began running classes, with the help of volunteer teachers. The school was run successfully in this way for the entire 1982/83 school year. By the end of this period the school was officially reinstated by a new Labour Party majorIty on the city council. This thesis presents a comprehensive account of the entire campaign, from its beginning to end. The campaign is analysed in a number of ways: by situating the closure itself in the economic and political conditions of Liverpool in the 1980s, by examining the relation of Croxteth Comprehensive to its community, by describing the conditions in which different groups of people contributed to the campaign and the changes it went through in its use of tactics, and through a close examination of the activities which took place inside the school during its year of occupation. A number of levels of analysis are used in the study. To explain the closure and the early forms of resistance which developed to oppose it, the structural location of the local government of Liverpool in the late 1970s and early 1980s is described. To explain the relationship of the school to its community, the formation of a group of activists and their leaders, and the resources available to the protestors for pursuing their aims, a single-group model of social action is used. To analyse the establishment of social routines and schooling practices within the school during its occupation, action-theoretica1 models are drawn upon., The chapters of literature review and concept analysis with which this thesis begins link these different levels theoretIcalIy through a model of actIon and its conditions. The theoretical framework employed is reviewed in the last chapter. It is one which could be used to study any social movement, and has applications to other social phenomena as well. Lastly various issues within the sociology of education are examined in light of the events which took place in Croxteth Comprehensive, especially the theory of community education.