Under the influence? The construction of foetal alcohol syndrome in UK newspapers

Today, alongside many other proscriptions, women are expected to abstain or at least limit their alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This advice is reinforced through warning labels on bottles and cans of alcoholic drinks. In most (but not all) official policies, this is linked to a risk of Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) or one of its associated conditions. However, given that there is little medical evidence that low levels of alcohol consumption have an adverse impact on the foetus, we need to examine broader societal ideas to explain why this has now become a policy concern. This paper presents a quantitative and qualitative assessment of analysis of the media in this context. By analysing the frames over time, this paper will trace the emergence of concerns about alcohol consumption during pregnancy. It will argue that contemporary concerns about FAS are framed around a number of pre-existing discourses including alcohol consumption as a social problem, heightened concerns about children at risk and shifts in ideas about the responsibility of motherhood including during the pre-conception and pregnancy periods. Whilst the newspapers regularly carried critiques of the abstinence position now advocated, these challenges focused did little to refute current parenting cultures.

The influence of high contrast acuity and normalised low contrast acuity upon self-reported situation avoidance and driving crashes

The aim of this study was to determine the cues used to signal avoidance of difficult driving situations and to test the hypothesis that drivers with relatively poor high contrast visual acuity (HCVA) have fewer crashes than drivers with relatively poor normalised low contrast visual acuity (NLCVA). This is because those with poorer HCVA are well aware of their difficulties and avoid dangerous driving situations while those poorer NLCVA are often unaware of the extent of their problem. Age, self-reported situation avoidance and HCVA were collected during a practice based study of 690 drivers. Screening was also carried out on 7254 drivers at various venues, mainly motorway sites, throughout the UK. Age, self-reported situation avoidance and prior crash involvement were recorded and Titmus vision screeners were used to measure HCVA and NLCVA. Situation avoidance increased in reduced visibility conditions and was influenced by age and HCVA. Only half of the drivers used visual cues to signal situation avoidance and most of these drivers used high rather than low contrast cues. A statistical model designed to remove confounding interrelationships between variables showed, for drivers that did not report situation avoidance, that crash involvement decreased for drivers with below average HCVA and increased for those with below average NLCVA. These relationships accounted for less than 1% of the crash variance, so the hypothesis was not strongly supported. © 2002 The College of Optometrists.

The influence of die temperature and hardness on the wear of no. 5 die steel under hot forging conditions

DUE TO COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION AT ASTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES WITH PRIOR ARRANGEMENT

The influence of nutrient supply and cell density on the growth and survival of intervertebral disc cells in 3D culture

The adult human intervertebral disc (IVD) is normally avascular. Changes to the extracellular matrix in degenerative disc disease may promote vascularisation and subsequently alter cell nutrition and disc homeostasis. This study examines the influence of cell density and the presence of glucose and serum on the proliferation and survival of IVD cells in 3D culture. Bovine nucleus pulposus (NP) cells were seeded at a range of cell densities (1.25 × 10(5)-10(6) cells/mL) and cultured in alginate beads under standard culture conditions (with 3.15 g/L glucose and 10 % serum), or without glucose and/or 20% serum. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell senescence were examined after 8 days in culture. Under standard culture conditions, NP cell proliferation and cluster formation was inversely related to cell seeding density, whilst the number of apoptotic cells and enucleated "ghost" cells was positively correlated to cell seeding density. Increasing serum levels from 10% to 20% was associated with increased cluster size and also an increased prevalence of apoptotic cells within clusters. Omitting glucose produced even larger clusters and also more apoptotic and senescent cells. These studies demonstrate that NP cell growth and survival are influenced both by cell density and the availability of serum or nutrients, such as glucose. The observation of clustered, senescent, apoptotic or "ghost" cells in vitro suggests that environmental factors may influence the formation of these phenotypes that have been previously reported in vivo. Hence this study has implications for both our understanding of degenerative disc disease and also cell-based therapy using cells cultured in vitro.

Measuring the influence of similarity on category-specific effects

There is evidence for both advantages and disadvantages in normal recognition of living over nonliving things. This paradox has been attributed to high levels of perceptual similarity within living categories having a different effect on performance in different contexts. However, since living things are intrinsically more similar to each other, previous studies could not determine whether the various category effects were due to perceptual similarity, or to other characteristics of living things. We used novel animal and vehicle stimuli that were matched for similarity to measure the influence of perceptual similarity in different contexts. We found that displaying highly similar objects in blocked sets reduced their perceived similarity, eliminating the detrimental effect on naming performance. Experiment 1 demonstrated a disadvantage for highly similar objects in name learning and name verification using mixed groups of similar and dissimilar animals and vehicles. Experiment 2 demonstrated no disadvantage for the same highly similar objects when they were blocked, e.g., similar animals presented alone. Thus, perceptual similarity, rather than other characteristics particular to living things, is affected by context, and could create apparent category effects under certain testing conditions.

The influence of tool geometry on the performance of drilling tools

The main objective of the work presented in this thesis is to investigate the two sides of the flute, the face and the heel of a twist drill. The flute face was designed to yield straight diametral lips which could be extended to eliminate the chisel edge, and consequently a single cutting edge will be obtained. Since drill rigidity and space for chip conveyance have to be a compromise a theoretical expression is deduced which enables optimum chip disposal capacity to be described in terms of drill parameters. This expression is used to describe the flute heel side. Another main objective is to study the effect on drill performance of changing the conventional drill flute. Drills were manufactured according to the new flute design. Tests were run in order to compare the performance of a conventional flute drill and non conventional design put forward. The results showed that 50% reduction in thrust force and approximately 18% reduction in torque were attained for the new design. The flank wear was measured at the outer corner and found to be less for the new design drill than for the conventional one in the majority of cases. Hole quality, roundness, size and roughness were also considered as a further aspect of drill performance. Improvement in hole quality is shown to arise under certain cutting conditions. Accordingly it might be possible to use a hole which is produced in one pass of the new drill which previously would have required a drilled and reamed hole. A subsidiary objective is to design the form milling cutter that should be employed for milling the foregoing special flute from drill blank allowing for the interference effect. A mathematical analysis in conjunction with computing technique and computers is used. To control the grinding parameter, a prototype drill grinder was designed and built upon the framework of an existing cincinnati cutter grinder. The design and build of the new grinder is based on a computer aided drill point geometry analysis. In addition to the conical grinding concept, the new grinder is also used to produce spherical point utilizing a computer aided drill point geometry analysis.

How brand attribute typicality and consumer commitment moderate the influence of comparative advertising

This study examines how product attribute typicality and brand commitment influence the effects of comparative versus non-comparative ads on brand attitudes. Employing perspectives from the literatures on typicality and commitment, the study examines the effects of commitment to the comparison brand on the effectiveness of comparative versus non-comparative advertising. A between-informants experiment uses data from 466 student informants. It is hypothesized that (a) when the attribute under consideration is typical (atypical), among comparison brand committed informants, a non-comparative ad is more (no more) persuasive than a comparative ad, (b) when the attribute under consideration is typical, among comparison brand non-committed informants, a comparative ad is more persuasive than a non-comparative ad, and (c) when the attribute under consideration is atypical, among comparison brand non-committed informants, a comparative ad is likely to be more persuasive than a non-comparative ad, but the effect will be weaker than in the case of a typical attribute. Hypothesis (a) is supported while (b) has directional support. The results support a three-way interaction between consumer commitment, attribute typicality, and type of advertisement. The findings are relevant to a variety of contexts, such as markets characterized by high levels of market share and commitment for the market leader as well as fragmented markets where market share and commitment levels are low.

Looking under the bonnet:factors affecting student adoption of e-learning systems in Jordan

The primary questions addressed in this paper are the following: what are the factors that affect students’ adoption of an e-learning system and what are the relationships among these factors? This paper investigates and identifies some of the major factors affecting students’ adoption of an e-learning system in a university in Jordan. E-learning adoption is approached from the information systems acceptance point of view. This suggests that a prior condition for learning effectively using e-learning systems is that students must actually use them. Thus, a greater knowledge of the factors that affect IT adoption and their interrelationships is a pre-cursor to a better understanding of student acceptance of e-learning systems. In turn, this will help and guide those who develop, implement, and deliver e-learning systems. In this study, an extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was developed to investigate the underlying factors that influence students’ decisions to use an e-learning system. The TAM was populated using data gathered from a survey of 486 undergraduate students using the Moodle based e-learning system at the Arab Open University. The model was estimated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). A path model was developed to analyze the relationships between the factors to explain students’ adoption of the e-learning system. Whilst findings support existing literature about prior experience affecting perceptions, they also point to surprising group effects, which may merit future exploration.

The influence of pH and fluid dynamics on the antibacterial efficacy of 45S5 Bioglass

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the potential antibacterial properties that bioactive glasses may possess. However, there have been several conflicting reports on the antibacterial efficacy of 45S5 Bioglass®. Various mechanisms regarding its mode of action have been proposed, such as changes in the environmental pH, increased osmotic pressure, and ‘needle like’ sharp glass debris which could potentially damage prokaryotic cell walls and thus inactivate bacteria. In this current study, a systematic investigation was undertaken on the antibacterial efficacy of 45S5 Bioglass® on Escherichia coli NCTC 10538 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCO 6538 under a range of clinically relevant scenarios including varying Bioglass® concentration, direct and indirect contact between Bioglass® and microorganisms, static and shaking incubation conditions, elevated and neutralised pH environments. The results demonstrated that under elevated pH conditions, Bioglass® particles has no antibacterial effect on S. aureus whilst, a concentration dependent antibacterial effect against E. coli was observed. However, the antibacterial activity ceased when the pH of the media was neutralised. The results of this current study therefore suggest that the mechanism of antibacterial activity of Bioglass® is associated with changes in the environmental pH; an environment that is less likely to occur in vivo due to buffering of the system.

Examining the influence of fame in the presence of beauty:an electrodermal 'neuromarketing' study

The use of famous and/or attractive models in brand marketing is ubiquitous yet little work, if any, has been carried out examining differences in their efficiency in driving subsequent consumer behaviour. Such brand platforms have an emotional selling proposition (ESP) that refers to the unique personality and image attributes that a particular endorsement generates. However, celebrity endorsers are also more than likely to be considered attractive and thus differences in the ESP (if any) would be very small. Such differences in an emotional response could be measured by a participant's electrodermal activity (EDA). This is a psychophysiological response, measurement of which is sensitive enough to detect differences engendered by a particular brand platform's ESP. In the present study, EDA measurements were recorded from participants who were shown advertisements containing a target product within four different types of endorsement platforms depicting models who were either famous/non-famous or attractive/average looking. The results showed that average looking celebrity endorsers produced a greater EDA response than any of the other conditions including the attractive looking celebrity endorsers. Furthermore, this effect was only revealed from recordings taken from the left hand side of the participants. Given that the right side of the brain would orchestrate any EDA responses recorded from the subjects' left side, the current results suggest a dedicated neural response for celebrity endorsed brand platforms. Future work examining the relationship between the specific EDA signature and consumer preferences is discussed.

An investigation to determine the influence of illumination sources on colour discrimination in normal subjects and smokers

Accurate colour vision testing requires using the correct illumination. With the plethora of 'daylight' lamps available, is there a cost-effective alternative to the discontinued MacBeth Easel lamp? Smoking is a known risk factor for macula degeneration. As the macula is responsible for colour discrimination, any toxin that affects it has the potential to influence colour discrimination. Aims: To find a costeffective light source for colour vision testing. To investigate the effect of smoking on colour discrimination. To explore how deuteranomalous trichromats compare with normal trichromats. Methods: Using the Ishihara colour vision test subjects were classified into the groups: 'Normal/Control', 'Smoker/Test', and 'Case Study' (subjects who failed the screening test and did not smoke). They completed the Farnsworth Munsell 100 Hue test under each of the three light sources: Phillips EcoHalo Twist (tungsten halogen - THL), Kosnic KCF07ALU/GU10-865 (compact fluorescent- CFL), and Deal Guardian Ltd. GU103X2WA4B-60 (light-emitting diode - LED) Results: 42 subjects took part in the study: 18 in the Normal/Control group, 18 in the Smoker/Test group, and 6 in the Case Study group. For the Normal/Control group the total error scores (TESs) were significantly lower with the CFL than with the THL (p = 0.017) as it was for the Case Study group (p = 0.009). No significant differences were found between the Normal/Control group and the Smoker/Test group for each light source. Decision tree analysis found pack years to be a significant variable for TES. Discussion: All three light sources were comparable with previous studies. The CFL provided better colour discrimination than the LED despite them both being 6500 K. Deuteranomalous trichromats showed a greatest deviation than normal trichromats using the LED. Conclusions: The Kosnic KCF07ALU/GU10-865 is a cost-effective alternative for colour vision testing. Smoking appears to have an effect on colour vision, but requires further investigation.

Polycystic ovary syndrome as a proinflammatory state:the role of adipokines

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex heterogeneous disorder and the most common endocrinopathy amongst women of reproductive age. It is characterized by androgen excess, chronic anovulation and an altered cardiometabolic profile. PCOS is linked to impaired adipose tissue (AT) physiology and women with this disorder present with greater risk for insulin resistance (IR), hyperinsulinemia, central adiposity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than matched for age and body mass index (BMI) women without PCOS. Hyperandrogenaemia appears to be driving adipocyte hypertrophy observed in PCOS under the influence of a hyperinsulinaemic state. Changes in the function of adipocytes have an impact on the secretion of adipokines, adipose tissue-derived proinflammatory factors promoting susceptibility to low grade inflammation. Methods: In this article, we review the existing knowledge on the interplay between hyperandrogenaemia, insulin resistance, impaired adipocyte biology, adipokines and chronic low-grade inflammation in PCOS. Results: In PCOS, more than one mechanisms have been suggested in the development of a chronic low-grade inflammation state with the most prevalent being that of a direct effect of the immune system on adipose tissue functions as previously reported in obese women without PCOS. Despite the lack of conclusive evidence regarding a direct mechanism linking hyperandrogenaemia to pro-inflammation in PCOS, there have been recent findings indicating that hyperandrogenaemia might be involved in chronic inflammation by exerting an effect on adipocytes morphology and attributes. Conclusion: Increasing evidence suggests that there is an important connection and interaction between proinflammatory pathways, hyperinsulinemia, androgen excess and adipose tissue hypertrophy and, dysfunction in PCOS. While lifestyle changes and individualized prescription of insulin-sensitizing drugs are common in managing PCOS, further studies are warranted to eventually identify an adipokine that could serve as an indirect marker of adipocyte dysfunction in PCOS, used as a reliable and pathognomic sign of metabolic alteration in this syndrome.