Transatlantic spaces: production, location and style in 1960s-1970s action-adventure TV series

This paper argues that transatlantic hybridity connects space, visual style and ideological point of view in British television action-adventure fiction of the 1960s–1970s. It analyses the relationship between the physical location of TV series production at Elstree Studios, UK, the representation of place in programmes, and the international trade in television fiction between the UK and USA. The TV series made at Elstree by the ITC and ABC companies and their affiliates linked Britishness with an international modernity associated with the USA, while also promoting national specificity. To do this, they drew on film production techniques that were already common for TV series production in Hollywood. The British series made at Elstree adapted versions of US industrial organization and television formats, and made programmes expected to be saleable to US networks, on the basis of British experiences in TV co-production with US companies and of the international cinema and TV market.

Infant sensitivity to negative maternal emotional shifts: Effects of infant sex, maternal postnatal depression, and interactive style

This study examined the effects of infant sex, maternal postnatal depression, and maternal interactive style on infant sensitivity to maternal negative emotional shifts. Face-to-face interactions of 68 mother–infant dyads were analyzed at 8 and 18 weeks. Twenty-five (28%) mothers had postnatal depression. Interactions were analyzed in terms of overall maternal interactive style: “sensitive,” “anxious,” “intrusive,” and “sad.” Episodes of negative shifts in maternal emotional expression were recorded, along with expressions of infant sensitivity to these changes. Daughters of depressed mothers showed higher rates of sensitivity to maternal negative emotion whereas their sons showed lower rates, in comparison to both girl and boy infants of well mothers. While maternal interactive style had no effect on 8-week infant sensitivity to maternal negative emotional shifts, high rates of 18-week infant sensitivity were predicted by both an 8-week and a concurrent, “sad” maternal interactive style. The findings are discussed in relation to theories of emotional and interpersonal development.

UK Food Standards Agency cis-monounsaturated fatty acid workshop report

The UK Food Standards Agency convened a group of expert scientists to review current research investigating the optimal dietary intake for n-9 cis-monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The aim was to review the mechanisms underlying the reported beneficial effects of MUFA on CHD risk, and to establish priorities for future research. The issue of optimal MUFA intake is contingent upon optimal total fat intake; however, there is no consensus of opinion on what the optimal total fat intake should be. Thus, it was recommended that a large multi-centre study should look at the effects on CHD risk of MUFA replacement of saturated fatty acids in relation to varying total fat intakes; this study should be of sufficient size to take account of genetic variation, sex, physical activity and stage of life factors, as well as being of sufficient duration to account for adaptation to diets. Recommendations for studies investigating the mechanistic effects of MUFA were also made. Methods of manipulating the food chain to increase MUFA at the expense of saturated fatty acids were also discussed.

UK Food Standards Agency alpha-linolenic acid workshop report

The UK Food Standards Agency convened a group of expert scientists to review current research investigating whether n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from plant oils (a-linolenic acid; ALA) were as beneficial to cardiovascular health as the n-3 PUFA from the marine oils, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The workshop also aimed to establish priorities for future research. Dietary intake of ALA has been associated with a beneficial effect on CHD; however, the results from studies investigating the effects of ALA supplementation on CHD risk factors have proved equivocal. The studies presented as part of the present workshop suggested little, if any, benefit of ALA, relative to linoleic acid, on risk factors for cardiovascular disease; the effects observed with fish-oil supplementation were not replicated by ALA supplementation. There is a need, therefore, to first prove the efficacy of ALA supplementation on cardiovascular disease, before further investigating effects on cardiovascular risk factors. The workshop considered that a beneficial effect of ALA on the secondary prevention of CHD still needed to be established, and there was no reason to look further at existing CHD risk factors in relation to ALA supplementation. The workshop also highlighted the possibility of feeding livestock ALA-rich oils to provide a means of increasing the dietary intake in human consumers of EPA and DHA.

An LMS style variable tap-length algorithm for structure adaptation

Searching for the optimum tap-length that best balances the complexity and steady-state performance of an adaptive filter has attracted attention recently. Among existing algorithms that can be found in the literature, two of which, namely the segmented filter (SF) and gradient descent (GD) algorithms, are of particular interest as they can search for the optimum tap-length quickly. In this paper, at first, we carefully compare the SF and GD algorithms and show that the two algorithms are equivalent in performance under some constraints, but each has advantages/disadvantages relative to the other. Then, we propose an improved variable tap-length algorithm using the concept of the pseudo fractional tap-length (FT). Updating the tap-length with instantaneous errors in a style similar to that used in the stochastic gradient [or least mean squares (LMS)] algorithm, the proposed FT algorithm not only retains the advantages from both the SF and the GD algorithms but also has significantly less complexity than existing algorithms. Both performance analysis and numerical simulations are given to verify the new proposed algorithm.

Scripture, style and persuasion in seventeenth-century English theories of preaching

The distinction between a Puritan ‘plain’ and a Laudian ‘metaphysical’ preaching style rests on secular rhetorical theories of persuasion that are relatively unimportant to early Stuart homiletics but are central to later Latitudinarian polemics on preaching. Instead, the ‘English Reformed’ theory and method of sermon composition rests on the didactic function of preaching and the need for the Holy Spirit and hearers to co-operate with the preacher. Although Andrewes and some avant-garde conformists questioned this theory, they developed no alternative method of composition. Arguments made in the 1650s for direct inspiration by the Spirit contributed to the decline of both theory and method

The first international workshop on the role and impact of mathematics in medicine: a collective account

The First International Workshop on The Role and Impact of Mathematics in Medicine (RIMM) convened in Paris in June 2010. A broad range of researchers discussed the difficulties, challenges and opportunities faced by those wishing to see mathematical methods contribute to improved medical outcomes. Finding mechanisms for inter- disciplinary meetings, developing a common language, staying focused on the medical problem at hand, deriving realistic mathematical solutions, obtaining

Style, experimentation and Jingju (Beijing Opera) as a decentered multiplicity

Jingju (Beijing Opera) is widely considered to be a fundamentally non-naturalistic practice that became known in the West after it caught the attention of western practitioners in 1935 following Mei Lanfang’s performance in Moscow. Given the implication that its importance is largely historical, some non-specialists have implied that Jingju has little relevance to contemporary modes of thinking, particularly the multiplicities of experience as outlined by philosophers such as Deleuze and Guattari. This article seeks to demonstrate the multiplicity of Jingju for a wider readership through both a historical analysis and a deconstruction of the form. It will show how, at the same time that Mei Lanfang was providing a ‘non-realistic’ model for western practitioners eager to displace the dominance of naturalism, realistic settings were becoming an integral part of Jingju performances in Shanghai. The article also engages with the various acting pai/styles that weave Jingju into a complex, multiple form. The article demonstrates how Deleuzian models actually facilitate a greater understanding of Jingju.

A model of UK domestic appliance-use using Artificial Neural Networks

The development of an Artificial Neural Network model of UK domestic appliance energy consumption is presented. The model uses diary-style appliance use data and a survey questionnaire collected from 51 households during the summer of 2010. It also incorporates measured energy data and is sensitive to socioeconomic, physical dwelling and temperature variables. A prototype model is constructed in MATLAB using a two layer feed forward network with backpropagation training and has a12:10:24architecture.Model outputs include appliance load profiles which can be applied to the fields of energy planning (micro renewables and smart grids), building simulation tools and energy policy.