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Albert Camus's L'Etranger: Neurodivergent Reparative Reading as Provocation
No full textAlice Hagopian’s chapter, ‘Albert Camus’s L’Étranger: Reparative neurodivergent reading as provocation’ (Chapter 10) finds neurodivergent resonances in one of Camus’s most famous characters, working against the grain of canonical readings within the French literary criticism which, she argues, are founded on stereotypes of autism and the pied-noir citizen. This chapter provides evidence for a more nuanced understanding of Meursault, moving from Camus’s criticism of the absurdity of the colonial French justice system to the possibility of a reparative reading against xenophobia, racism and neuro-normativity. In her autotheoretical stance, Hagopian opens ‘a space for Meursault-like readers, for our understandings to be better valued within scholarship’
Challenging times for early career social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed methods study
No full textThe social work profession’s future lies largely in the hands of early career professionals (those working two years or less post-qualification). Their intentions to remain in the profession and their wellbeing affect their performance and system functioning. While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic changed social work practice, its impact on early career social workers needs specific exploration. Repeated cross-sectional surveys were conducted during six phases of the pandemic across the UK. We compared quantitative and qualitative findings by analyzing data from 205 early career social workers compared to 3,391 with longer experience. Wellbeing and work-related quality of life scores fluctuated. Compared to experienced social workers (those working more than two years), early career social workers had lower wellbeing but significantly higher job satisfaction in Phase 2 (Dec–Jan 2020/1). Four themes emerged from analysis of qualitative data from the early career group: unanticipated changes in service demands; uncertainties of policies/practices; feelings of limited support amid increasing pressures, and greater case complexity. Unexpected working conditions and increasing service demands without wider team support appeared to particularly affect those recently qualified. Further research is warranted on whether there are lasting impacts of the pandemic on this cohort of social workers, both negative and positive, to inform support safe staffing measures and pandemic preparedness
3D electron microscopy reveals novel ultrastructural changes in the diabetic retinal neurovascular unit
No full textAims/hypothesisThis study used serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM), a nanoscale imaging technique in x-y-z planes, to investigate 3D ultrastructural changes in the retinal neurovascular unit (NVU) associated with diabetes. We hypothesised that this approach would reveal previously uncharacterised pathological alterations that contribute to the development of diabetic retinal disease (DRD).MethodsRetinas from male diabetic and non-diabetic mice, as well as from human male donors with and without diabetes, were prepared for SBF-SEM imaging. Retinal tissue was microdissected, fixed and embedded for serial sectioning and 3D reconstruction. Ultrastructural analysis of the NVU was performed in capillary regions exclusively within the superficial vascular plexus of both mouse and human retinas. Image stacks were processed using Microscopy Image Browser for contrast normalisation and segmentation, with 3D visualisation performed in Amira software. Quantitative analyses were conducted on pericyte–endothelial cell peg-and-socket formations, cell–basement membrane (BM) interactions, endothelial tubule formation and vascular BM thickness.ResultsSBF-SEM revealed novel 3D ultrastructural changes in the retinal NVU of diabetic mice and humans, including: (1) partial detachment and reduced frequency of pericyte–endothelium peg-and-socket formations (p<0.05–0.001); (2) localised detachment of endothelial cells and pericytes from the vascular BM (p<0.05–0.01), along with macroglial cell retraction from the outer vascular BM; and (3) increased formation of endothelial tubules (p<0.01–0.001). These changes were observed in the absence of any obvious vascular BM thickening, as no significant differences in mean or maximum BM thickness were found between diabetic and non-diabetic retinal capillaries analysed in this study.Conclusions/interpretationThis study provides new insights into the early ultrastructural changes in the retinal NVU in DRD, offering a basis for a better understanding of the pathological processes that contribute to the development of this disease.<br/
Development and application of Dynamic Increasing Wave Analysis (DIWA) methodology for wave-induced response assessment of offshore wind turbines
No full textThis paper aims to introduce an extension of the dynamic increasing amplitude and period (DIAP) technique, termed as the dynamic increasing wave analysis (DIWA) method, which is set to be further developed for dynamic analysis of offshore wind turbines under combined environmental actions. The DIWA is an effective dynamic analysis methodology that simulates both the frequency and intensity dependencies of the dynamic wave loadings and load effects during the passage of a storm in a single progressive dynamic analysis. In the present work, the basic concept and generation procedure of this analysis approach based on two wave models, linear and nonlinear models taking into account the bottom effects, are described, exemplified, and examined using a fully coupled time-domain hydro-servo-elastic multi-rigid-flexible-body (HSE-MRFB) model of a jacket-supported reference OWT. The performance and applicability of this method are then comparatively demonstrated using short-term extreme statistical measures of dynamic loadings and structural responses predicted by the common practice individually performed dynamic time-history analysis (ITHA) approach and the DIWA method. The results show that the DIWA method is not only a reliable analysis approach for design loads and damage assessment of jacket-supported OWT foundations under evolutionary wave actions of a storm event but also leads to consistent trend yet relatively conservative characteristic values with an overestimation up to 14%–31% in 10–100-year mean return period (MRP), respectively, which can be overcome to some extent by further future developments. The findings also indicate that the nonlinearity of the waves increases the structural dynamic responses, up to ~13% in the vicinity of the mean sea level (MSL), while bottom effects reduce the conservatism in design, more than ~25%, stipulating the importance of nonlinear waves incorporating bottom effects over common practice for OWTs in transient waters
Visualizing the prize network as a means of understanding the marginalization of Mexican women authors
No full textThis article furthers our understanding of the circumstances that lead to Mexican women authors being marginalized with the result that they seldom win prizes. It focuses on four awards made by the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL) in Mexico and the other awards winners of these prizes have received. Quantitative data is used to visualize the relationships between the four INBAL prizes. By understanding how some authors move through the prize network, seemingly winning one prize after another, we can better understand the obstacles Mexican women authors face and reflect on changes that may be beneficial.<br/
'The heart of the matter': grandparent childcare in contemporary Chinese families
No full textGrandparent childcare is an international phenomenon, especially within families with children under 3 years old. China is no exception, as shown by a number of quantitative studies. Less clear is our understanding of the actual childcare arrangements involved and how these are negotiated and sustained through the intergenerational interactions between grandparents and parents. As a contribution to answering those questions, this qualitative study was undertaken in Taonan, northeast China. Interviews were conducted to explore participants' perceptions of grandparent childcare. A systemic perspective on contemporary Chinese family life is used to present and understand data through an Integrated Family Model. Within the context of a rapidly changing society, traditional characteristics of family obligation and the intimate ties between grandparents and their adult children were being reconfigured in new forms of intergenerational identity. On the basis of the findings, as articulated in the model, recommendations are made for practice and future researc
A qualitative systematic review exploring healthcare workers' perspectives and experiences of the menopause in the workplace
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The role of knowledge-rich curricula in promoting deep thinking and complex skill acquisition
No full textThe breadth and depth of students' knowledge play an important role in their learning. However, at the start of compulsory education individual differences in knowledge can be immense, particularly between learners from different socio-economic backgrounds. As knowledge acquisition is cumulative, achievement gaps between more and less advantaged students can quickly increase when these lacunae in knowledge are not explicitly and systematically remedied. In this article, we argue that knowledge-rich curricula in compulsory education can help promote deep thinking and complex skill acquisition for all students by systematically building their knowledge of the world. First, the importance of knowledge for deep, meaningful learning and complex skill acquisition is discussed. Subsequently, a selection of knowledge-rich curricula and their impact on achievement is addressed in detail. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications for curriculum building, and the adoption of knowledge-rich curricula with a view to improved learning for all students
Rate constants and Arrhenius parameters for H-atom abstraction from Bu<sub>3</sub>SnH by the 2,2-dimethylvinyl radical in PhMe. Kinetic evidence for an entirely free radical mechanism for the O-directed hydrostannation of alkynols with stannanes and Et<sub>3</sub>B/O<sub>2</sub>
No full textUsing the 2,2-dimethylvinyl radical 6 as a horological calibrant for the α-cyclopropyl-β-tributylstannylvinyl radicals 2a and 13 in PhMe, the k values and Arrhenius parameters for their cyclopropane ring-openings have been estimated by competition kinetics over a 293–353 K temperature range. The high log A values (14.95 and 14.55) for these reactions only satisfactorily align with a unimolecular, β-scissive, EH1 radical ring-opening being rate-determining, and the radicals 3a (R = Bu) and 14 undergoing H-atom abstraction from the stannane to give 4a and 15. The log A data for these two reactions only endorse a totally free radical mechanism for the O-directed free radical hydrostannation of dialkyl acetylenes with stannanes and Et3B/O2. An estimated kH-atom abstraction Bu3SnH PhMe 293 K of 1.96 × 108 mol−1 s−1 is proposed for 6 in PhMe, along with an estimated kH-atom abstraction Ph3SnH PhMe 293 K of 1.36 × 109 mol−1 s−1