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Frame against the West : transformation of the modern Chinese national identity
Get PDFThis research examines the formation, contemporary characteristics, and implications of the modern Chinese national identity. By integrating constructivism with Social Identity Theory (SIT), it offers a unique framework describing the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) cultivation of China’s national identity through a consistent utilisation of China as the ‘self’ and the West as the ‘other’. Based on the assessment of the development of Chinese national identity, it argues that the modern Chinese national identity is primarily politically driven and defined by a pair of contrasting images between the positive China and the negative West.
In investigating this argument, this research conducts three case studies concerning recent domestic social incidents. Together they represent different pillars of Chinese national identity, including politics, economy and culture. Backed up by the analysis of the official discourse, each case study provides a proposed national identity in the official vision, which is then tested through 40 in-depth interviews with ordinary Chinese citizens to provide a more realistic picture of Chinese society.
By synthesising the theoretical analysis and the first-hand empirical studies, this research clarifies the CCP’s overall success in interpreting modern Chinese national identity and affirms the embedded dichotomy between China and the West in the Chinese public consciousness, thereby proving the effectiveness of the SIT-inspired analytical framework. Nevertheless, the research also highlights the public’s generally apolitical stance toward national identity, revealing a tendency to conceptualise China more as a cultural entity than a political one. Additionally, the study identifies a moderate and nuanced perception of the West among certain social groups
Transcriptomic responses to Marteilia sydneyi infection in the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata
No full textFunding: This research was funded by Higher Degree by Research candidate support funding from Griffith University to N. Nenadic, I. Bar, and C. McDougall. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Marteilia sydneyi, an ascetosporean parasite, is the causative agent of Queensland Unknown (QX) disease in Saccostrea glomerata. QX disease outbreaks often lead to high mortality rates and considerable population losses. Investigating molecular host/parasite interactions is imperative to better understand how S. glomerata mounts immune defences and to explore whether M. sydneyi evades host responses. This study aims to investigate S. glomerata's response to M. sydneyi infection through differential gene expression analysis to uncover immune mechanisms and potential markers for resistance. RNA sequencing and differential gene expression analysis revealed widespread transcriptional changes between infected and non-infected oysters. Genes involved in pathogen recognition and immune response signalling, such as galectin-4-like and G-protein coupled receptors, were significantly differentially expressed in infected S. glomerata, suggesting involvement in the host's immune responses. The upregulation of cytochrome P450 family genes indicates an enhanced detoxification response to infection-induced stress. However, extracellular superoxide dismutase, a gene previously implicated in the oxidative stress response to pathogens, was significantly downregulated, suggesting potential suppression of oxidative burst defence mechanisms. These results reveal the complex nature of S. glomerata's response to M. sydneyi infection, and possible suppression or evasion of host defences by the parasite. The study also identifies multiple genes that likely play crucial roles in the molecular responses and defence mechanisms of S. glomerata to M. sydneyi infection. The identification of these genes provides potential target genes for future studies and possible biomarkers for breeding QX-resistant oyster lines.Peer reviewe
How is cold, star-forming gas in galaxies affected by magnetic fields?
No full textFunding: M-MML acknowledges support from US NSF grant AST23-07950 and thanks the Inst. für Theoretische Astrophysik for hospitality. The team in Heidelberg acknowledges financial support from the European Research Council via the ERC Synergy Grant ‘ECOGAL’ (project ID 855130), from the German Excellence Strategy via the Heidelberg Cluster of Excellence (EXC 2181–390900948) ‘STRUCTURES’, and from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action in project ‘MAINN’ (funding ID 50OO2206). NB further acknowledges support from the ANR BRIDGES grant (ANR-23-CE31-0005). JG is a fellow of the International Max Planck Research School for Astronomy and Cosmic Physics at the University of Heidelberg (IMPRS-HD).Numerical simulations provide a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of the role of magnetic fields in the interstellar medium of galaxies and in star formation. However, many existing galaxy-scale numerical simulations impose a Kennicutt–Schmidt (KS) star formation law by construction. In this paper, we present two AREPO simulations of an isolated star-forming galaxy with and without magnetic fields, using sink particles to model star formation without imposing a KS relation. We examine global differences between the models and investigate the impacts on star formation. We include a time-dependent, non-equilibrium chemical network coupled to a thermal evolution scheme and supernova feedback. Our magnetic field amplifies via dynamo action from a small initial seed field. We find a more compact magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disc (radius ∼5.1 kpc, compared to ∼7.4 kpc), with a diffuse atomic envelope above and below the plane that is not seen in the hydrodynamic (HD) case. The HD disc displays a smoother, more even radial distribution of gas and star formation, and more bubbly substructure. Our MHD simulation has a higher proportion of dense, gravitationally unbound gas than the HD case, but a lower star formation rate, an average between 125 and 150 Myr of ∼ 4.8 M☉ yr−1 compared to ∼ 8.4 M☉ yr−1. We see a clear shift in the KS relation to higher gas surface densities in the MHD case, more consistent with observations. The additional magnetic support against gravitational collapse seems to raise the threshold gas surface density required for star formation.Peer reviewe
WASP-12, shrouded in mystery or just cold gas?
No full textFunding: SD-Y and MJ acknowledge support from STFC consolidated grant number ST/R000824/1. RSB acknowledges support from a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (grant code: MR/Y015517/1).Observations of the planet-hosting star WASP-12 show a distinctive depression in the Mg ɪɪ and Ca ɪɪ resonance lines. This has been interpreted as a marker of atmospheric loss from the close-in hot Jupiter WASP-12b and the resulting formation of a gas torus around the star. In this paper we quantify the Mg ii absorption from this torus, compared to that provided by the stellar wind, the stellar astrosphere and the interstellar medium (ISM). To do this we piece together the full density profile of Mg ii from WASP-12 to an observer on Earth using a combination of hydrodynamical simulations and observations. We find that the bulk of the gas along the line of sight is contained within a dense torus close to WASP-12. However, the temperatures in this torus are sufficient to promote Mg into a doubly (Mg ɪɪɪ) or higher ionized state. As a result, the singly ionized fraction (Mg ɪɪ) is low. We find that most of the Mg ɪɪ is not in the torus but in the ISM. Despite this, the total column density of Mg ɪɪ is two orders of magnitude lower than required to explain observations of the system. To resolve this discrepancy, we note that the torus gas is at a temperature where it will cool efficiently. We speculate that the onset of the cooling instability will cause the torus to fragment, forming cold clumps with a higher fraction of Mg ɪɪ, capable of explaining the observed absorption.Peer reviewe
Spectral characterization of young LT dwarfs
No full textFunding: L.P., K.M., and V.A. acknowledge funding by the Science and Technology Foundation of Portugal (FCT), grants PTDC/FISAST/7002/2020, UIDB/00099/2020, PTDC/FIS-AST/28731/2017, IF/00194/2015, SFRH/BD/143433/2019, 2022.03809.CEECIND, UIDB/04434/2020 and UIDP/04434/2020. L.P. acknowledges financial support from the CSIC project JAEICU-21-ICE-09, from Centro Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) under the PIE project 20215AT016, and the program Unidad de Excelencia Maria de Maeztu CEX2020-001058-M.Context . JWST and next-generation facilities are expected to uncover populations of free-floating objects below the deuterium-burning limit in a number of young clusters and star-forming regions. These young planetary-mass brown dwarfs have spectral types L and T; they are shaped by molecular absorption and modified by their low gravity, which makes them distinct from field objects. Aims . We aim to provide a detailed characterization of near-infrared spectra for young LT brown dwarfs, including robust spectral typing, calibrating spectral indices, identifying possible binaries, and selecting suitable spectral standards. Methods . We processed and analyzed archival spectra from VLT/X-shooter for a sample of 56 dwarfs with ages between 10 and 600 Myr and spectral types between late-M and mid-T. We redetermined their spectral types by comparing them with a set of literature templates. We assessed a large range of spectral indices, calibrated using a specifically designed literature sample. Results . We identify 15 spectral indices that are useful for spectral typing for specific spectral ranges discussed here and provide the scaling relations with spectral types. We also identify six spectral indices that can be used to separate young L dwarfs from the field ones. The equivalent-widths of the alkali lines show a correlation with age, increasing toward objects with higher surface gravities. From our sample, we confirm three that are likely to be binaries due to their anomalous spectra that appear to be better fitted by a combination of spectral types. We identify 12 objects as preliminary near-infrared spectral standards for young LT dwarfs. Conclusions . This study represents a significant step toward understanding the spectral sequence and properties of young L and T dwarfs. The relations and standards provided here will be useful for future spectroscopic work on young brown dwarfs and giant planets.Peer reviewe
Cationic and neutral heterometallic Ir-group 12 element polyhydride compounds : synthesis, structure and reactivity
No full textFunding: This project has been supported by funding from the EPSRC (Doctoral Training Award for AMW) and The Leverhulme Trust (Award RPG-2022-078 for CMF).The preparation and reactivity of some Ir–Zn and Ir–Cd heterometallic hydride complexes are described. Treatment of [Ir(IPr)2H2][BArF4] ( 1 ; IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene; ArF = 3,5-C6H3(CF3)2) with M′R2 (M′ = Zn; R = Ph, Me, Et; M′ = Cd, R = Me) and Me3SiCH=CH2 results in dehydrogenation of an IPr isopropyl substituent, along with R–H elimination, to form square-pyramidal [Ir(IPr)(IPr″)(M′R)H][BArF4] (M′R = ZnPh ( 4a ); ZnMe ( 4b ); ZnEt ( 4c ); CdMe ( 8 ); IPr″ = dehydrogenated IPr) featuring apical M′R ligands. Heating 1 with 2 equiv ZnPh2 under H2 forms [Ir(IPr)2(ZnPh)2H4][BArF4] ( 5 ) featuring trans ZnPh ligands. Exposure of 4b - c and 8 to H2 yields [Ir(IPr)(IPr″)(M′R)H3][BArF4] ( 9b - c , 10 ) as intermediates to highly fluxional [Ir(IPr)2(M′R)(η2-H2)H3][BArF4] ( 11b - c , 12 ). Reacting 11b – c with Lewis bases (L) effects [ZnR]+ abstraction to give pentahydride Ir(IPr)2H5 ( 13 ); with 11c and L = IMes (1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene), [L2ZnEt][BArF4] was characterized, whereas with L = PMe3, both 13 and [Ir(IPr)2(ZnEt)(PMe3)H3][BArF4] ( 14c ) were formed. Reactions of 13 with M′R2 similarly proceed with R–H elimination to form Ir(IPr)2(M′R)H4 ( 15a - c , 16 ). Crystallographic and computational analyses characterize a range of hydride ligands, the nature of which depends subtly on the surrounding coordination environment. The new polyhydride complexes reported here add to the small number of such species featuring N-heterocyclic carbene ligands.Peer reviewe
PRIMER & JADES reveal an abundance of massive quiescent galaxies at 2 < z < 5
No full textFunding: SDS, ACC, H-HL, and ET acknowledge support from a UKRI Frontier Research Guarantee Grant (PI Carnall; grant reference EP/Y037065/1). FC, TMS, KZA-C, and DS acknowledge support from a UKRI Frontier Research Guarantee Grant (PI Cullen; grant reference: EP/X021025/1). Support for Program number JWST-GO-03543.014 was provided through a grant from the STScI under NASA contract NAS5-03127. We gratefully acknowledge support from the NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program (ADAP) under grant 80NSSC23K0495.We select a mass-complete sample of 225 quiescent galaxies at z > 2 with M∗ > 1010 M☉ from PRIMER and JADES photometry spanning a total area of ≃ 320 sq. arcmin. Our analysis is restricted to only area with optical coverage in three Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ACS filters, which we show is important for selecting the most complete and clean samples. We investigate the contamination in our sample via James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRSpec spectroscopy, Chandra X-ray imaging, and ALMA interferometry, calculating a modest contamination fraction of 12.9+4.0−3.1 per cent. The removal of HST data increases star-forming galaxy contamination by ≃ 10 per cent and results in a ≃ 20 per cent loss of candidates recovered from HST + JWST data combined. We calculate massive quiescent galaxy number densities at 2 3, up to ≃ 1 dex. We place 14 of our z > 3 massive quiescent galaxies on the BPT and WHaN diagrams using medium-resolution spectroscopic data from the EXCELS survey, finding a very high incidence of weak active galactic nucleus (≃ 50 per cent), consistent with recent results at cosmic noon. This is interesting in the context of ‘maintenance-mode’ feedback, which is invoked in many simulations to prevent the re-ignition of quenched galaxies. To properly characterize the evolution of early massive quiescent galaxies, greater coverage in optical filters and significantly larger spectroscopic samples will be required.Peer reviewe
Residential mobility and housing tenure among immigrants and their descendants : a cross-national analysis of five European countries
No full textFunding: This paper is part of the MigrantLife project that has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Grant agreement No. 834103). Additionally, this paper has also received funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant number: P5R5PS_214270).Understanding the housing and residential mobility of migrant populations is crucial to facilitate their integration into host societies. Yet, little is known about their experiences across generations, origin groups, and country contexts. This study investigates residential mobility and housing changes among immigrants and their descendants in five European countries (United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden) with different housing markets and migrant populations. Using longitudinal data from 2010 to 2019, we first compare the risk of a residential move across migrant generations, origins groups, and host countries. We then study the propensity to move to different housing tenure types (i.e., homeownership, private renting, and social renting). We find distinct patterns of residential moves among migrant generations and origin groups. First, immigrants’ residential mobility levels vary across origin groups and country contexts. However, we generally find lower mobility for the second generation compared to the first in all groups. Second, in all countries, immigrants, especially from non-European countries, are less likely to move to homeownership and more likely to move to social or private renting than the native populations. Some of the differences decline across migrant generations, however, we still find lower levels of mobility to homeownership and a higher propensity of moving to social renting among some descendant groups. This study sheds light on persistent differences in residential mobility and housing patterns among immigrants and their descendants in Europe and contributes to a better understanding of the role of the country context in assimilation of housing behaviour and perpetuating housing inequalities.Peer reviewe
EldersOnline: an inclusive platform that leverages intergenerational learning to improve the digital literacy and social connectedness of older adults
No full textAs technology continues to permeate most aspects of our lives, many older adults face the need to improve their digital skills to avoid social isolation and exclusion from essential services. With the global older adult population projected to reach 16% by 2050, there has been a renewed urgency to address this growing digital divide. However, many existing digital literacy initiatives are often inaccessible or not optimised for touchscreen devices such as tablets, which have risen in popularity among older users. Moreover, the assistance provided by their support networks often serves as a temporary fix until a new issue arises, leading to a cycle of dependency. This pilot study aims to explore how older adults’ digital literacy and social connectedness can be improved by leveraging intergenerational exchanges. It offers insights into the experiences of older adults with technology, how younger people in their lives assist them, and the means by which both groups stay connected. As part of a user-centred design process, we conducted small but in-depth user studies with older adults, along with an online survey targeting younger individuals. Our findings, combined with research into accessible UI/UX design, led to the development of EldersOnline, an age-friendly platform that fosters personalised learning through intergenerational exchanges. While participants in our user studies responded positively to the platform, further research is needed to adapt these solutions to other aspects of older adults’ lives and to account for cultural differences. Such approaches could help bridge the global digital divide and encourage healthy ageing among older adults
Gender difference in self-reported empathy : effects of task instructions and exposure to gender essentialism primes
No full textWomen often score higher on average than men on self-report measures of empathy. However, self-report estimates of empathic tendencies and other attributes could be susceptible to a range of biases. For instance, participants might respond in a manner that is socially desirable and aligns with gender stereotypes about empathic abilities. We examined whether gender differences in self-reported empathy were affected by a) manipulating task instructions or b) priming with fictive narratives describing gender differences as either fixed or malleable. In Study 1, participants (N = 154) completed questionnaire measures of empathy, social desirability and acceptance of stereotyping. Contrary to our prediction, gender differences in self-reported empathy were not larger when participants were told that we were measuring ‘empathy’. However, in both genders, average scores were higher for empathic concern in the ‘empathy’ condition than in the control condition, which suggests that describing the task as measuring empathy encouraged both male and female participants to present themselves as showing concern for others. Also, participants who scored higher on social desirability scored higher on empathic concern, suggesting a link between motivation to conform to social expectations and self-reported affective empathy. In Study 2, participants (N = 155) completed questionnaire measures of empathy, personality and gender essentialism. Gender differences in self-reported empathy were not larger in the condition that primed gender essentialism. However, women who scored high on empathic concern were more likely to align themselves with feminine adjectives, suggesting a link between self-reported consideration for others and feminine attributes. In both studies, on average, women scored significantly higher than men on self-reported empathic tendencies. Although the experimental manipulations did not impact empathy scores in either study, self-reported empathy appears to be related to social desirability and broader social attitudes, which suggests that a range of cultural and social factors might contribute to gender differences in empathy.Peer reviewe
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