392 research outputs found
Recruiting Hard-to-Reach Populations: The Utility of Facebook for Recruiting Qualitative In-Depth Interviewees
No full textWe present a cost efficient methodology for using social media to recruit a low-incidence, hard-to-reach population. For qualitative research investigating the policy implications of divorce later in life, we were challenged to recruit a pool of qualified respondents from which to secure 80 in-depth interview subjects of geographic diversity divided evenly by sex. Although “gray divorce” (i.e., divorce at or over 50 years old) is increasingly common—approximately one in four of all divorces in the United States now occurs within this age group—the incidence rate of individuals in the general population meeting these criteria still renders traditional recruitment methods cost-prohibitive. With limited resources and the need for micro-targeting, we turned to Facebook: Over four waves totaling 13 days, we recruited 178 qualified respondents from which we successfully selected 40 male and 40 female interviewees while preserving geographic diversity. We specified the characteristics of Facebook users who would be exposed to our solicitation; overall, we generated the respondent pool at a mean cost of 210.04. Compared to other recruitment approaches, the speed and cost-efficiency of this methodology was overwhelmingly superior.Peer reviewe
In Search of Inflation: Tools for Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimetry
No full textThe pursuit of knowledge of the early universe via the properties of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is now being guided by the need to perform measurements of large-scale polarization patterns at a part in 100 million. In addition to confirming the ΛCDM concordance model shaped by the CMB, such studies pursue evidence of primordial tensor perturbations, which themselves could elucidate a period of inflation in the early universe. These tensor perturbations are imprinted on the CMB polarization as divergence-free patterns, known as B-modes. To make these demanding polarization measurements, increased instrumental sensitivity and control of systematics is required. As part of the Advanced ACTPol (AdvACT) project, high-density detector arrays of thousands of highly-sensitive bolometers were deployed on the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The Atacama B-mode Search (ABS) instrument featured a polarization modulator system to control systematics and gain access to large-scale anisotropy modes otherwise masked by changing signals in the atmosphere. We describe aspects of these technologies, and their impact on CMB polarization studies.
In this thesis, I begin by presenting the standard model of the universe and discuss the promise of CMB polarization measurements. This motivates a discussion of current technologies progressing to an introduction of arrays of multiplexed bolometers. I discuss generic bolometer models involving superconducting thermistors, known as transition-edge sensors (TESes). These models are then compared to data on bolometer sensitivity and response acquired for AdvACT devices. I next describe the principle of polarization modulation using a continuously-rotating half-wave plate (CRHWP), including the signal injected into bolometer data thereby. I present a pipeline developed to investigate and remove this signal. Initial results from the 2017 run of silicon metamaterial CRHWPs on ACT are shown. Finally, I describe the maximum-likelihood pipeline developed as part of the ABS collaboration to constrain the parameter describing the power in primordial tensor perturbations, the tensor-to-scalar ratio r. The final published results for ABS are discussed. I conclude by considering the future development of high-sensitivity focal planes in the context of systematic error control, specifically detector non-linearity, for the Simons Observatory set of instruments, which are in the design phase
Plasma propellant interactions in an electrothermal-chemical gun
No full textThis Thesis covers work conducted to understand the mechanisms
underpinning the operation of the electrothermal-chemical gun. The
initial formation of plasma from electrically exploding wires, through to
the development of plasma venting from the capillary and interacting
with a densely packed energetic propellant bed is included. The prime
purpose of the work has been the development and validation of
computer codes designed for the predictive modelling of the
elect rothe rmal-ch em ical (ETC) gun.
Two main discussions in this Thesis are:
a proposed electrically insulating vapour barrier located around
condensed exploding conductors and
the deposition of metallic vapour resulting in a high energy flux to
the surface of propellant, leading to propellant ignition.
The vapour barrier hypothesis is important in a number of fields where
the passage of current through condensed material or through plasma
is significant. The importance may arise from the need to disrupt the
fragments by applying strong magnetic fields (as in the disruption of
metallic shaped charge jets); in the requirement to generate a metallic
vapour efficiently from electrically exploding wires (as per ETC ignition systems); or in the necessity to re-use the condensed material after a
discharge (as with lightning divertor strips).
The ignition by metallic vapour deposition hypothesis relies on the
transfer of latent heat during condensation. It is important for the
efficient transfer of energy from an exploded wire (or other such
metallic vapour generating device) to the surface of energetic material.
This flux is obtained far more efficiently through condensation than
from radiative energy transfer, because the energy required to
evaporate copper is far less than that required to heat it to
temperatures at which significant radiative flux would be emitte
Barthes, Bakhtin, Structuralism: A Reassessment
No full textPhDThe thesis is a comparative analysis of the shared ideas and concerns in the works of
Mikhail Bakhtin and Roland Barthes from the point of view of differences between
French and Slavic literary structuralisms. Its background argument is that the
structuralism developed in the later works of the Russian Formalists and by Prague
Structuralists and Soviet Semioticians is more historically and socially oriented than its
French version, defining the structure of a literary work as a system of all of its
elements and effects (even those that take us outside of the text, like literary tradition
and historical and political circumstances). In this sense, Bakhtin can be seen as a part
of the Slavic structuralist tradition (and not opposed to it as is often claimed), and
Barthes (seen throughout his career) is on the whole perhaps closer to the Slavic
structuralism than he is to the French.
The particular problems discussed are those of the relationship between
literature and ideology, the notions of intertextuality, heteroglossia, dialogism and
polyphony and the differences between them, and the role of the author.
Barthes and Bakhtin shared a lifelong interest in the role of ideology in literature
and the influence of authoritarian language or myth on culture in general and the literary
text in particular. They looked for ways in which the deadening effect of the
mythological (epic, monological) thought and word can be counteracted through
literature, and different versions of what Kristeva termed 'intertextuality' played an
important part in their treatment of the subject. They also both discussed the role of the
author and their voice in the literary text, and the question of their power over the text,
its characters (Bakhtin) and the reader (Barthes).
The main thread of Barthes and Bakhtin's thought focuses on the problem of
counteracting authoritarian language through literature, and the solutions they proposed
can fruitfully be seen in the light of Slavic structuralism's notions of literary structure
Identity and differences : the role of memory, narrative, and history in personal identity
No full textEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo
IRE1α–XBP1 controls T cell function in ovarian cancer by regulating mitochondrial activity
No full textTumours evade immune control by creating hostile microenvironments that perturb T cell metabolism and effector function 1?4 . However, it remains unclear how intra-tumoral T cells integrate and interpret metabolic stress signals. Here we report that ovarian cancer?an aggressive malignancy that is refractory to standard treatments and current immunotherapies 5?8 ?induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and activates the IRE1α?XBP1 arm of the unfolded protein response 9,10 in T cells to control their mitochondrial respiration and anti-tumour function. In T cells isolated from specimens collected from patients with ovarian cancer, upregulation of XBP1 was associated with decreased infiltration of T cells into tumours and with reduced IFNG mRNA expression. Malignant ascites fluid obtained from patients with ovarian cancer inhibited glucose uptake and caused N-linked protein glycosylation defects in T cells, which triggered IRE1α?XBP1 activation that suppressed mitochondrial activity and IFNγ production. Mechanistically, induction of XBP1 regulated the abundance of glutamine carriers and thus limited the influx of glutamine that is necessary to sustain mitochondrial respiration in T cells under glucose-deprived conditions. Restoring N-linked protein glycosylation, abrogating IRE1α?XBP1 activation or enforcing expression of glutamine transporters enhanced mitochondrial respiration in human T cells exposed to ovarian cancer ascites. XBP1-deficient T cells in the metastatic ovarian cancer milieu exhibited global transcriptional reprogramming and improved effector capacity. Accordingly, mice that bear ovarian cancer and lack XBP1 selectively in T cells demonstrate superior anti-tumour immunity, delayed malignant progression and increased overall survival. Controlling endoplasmic reticulum stress or targeting IRE1α?XBP1 signalling may help to restore the metabolic fitness and anti-tumour capacity of T cells in cancer hosts.Fil: Song, Minkyung. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Sandoval, Tito A.. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Chae, Chang-Suk. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Chopra, Sahil. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Tan, Chen. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Rutkowski, Melanie R.. University of Virginia; Estados UnidosFil: Raundhal, Mahesh. Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Estados Unidos. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Chaurio, Ricardo A.. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Payne, Kyle K.. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Konrad, Csaba. Weill Cornell Medicine; Estados UnidosFil: Bettigole, Sarah E.. Quentis Therapeutics Inc.; Estados UnidosFil: Shin, Hee Rae. Quentis Therapeutics Inc.; Estados UnidosFil: Crowley, Michael J. P.. Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Cerliani, Juan Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; ArgentinaFil: Kossenkov, Andrew V.. The Wistar Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Motorykin, Ievgen. Weill Cornell Medicine,; Estados UnidosFil: Zhang, Sheng. Weill Cornell Medicine,; Estados UnidosFil: Manfredi, Giovanni. Weill Cornell Medicine,; Estados UnidosFil: Zamarin, Dmitriy. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Estados UnidosFil: Holcomb, Kevin. Weill Cornell Medicine,; Estados UnidosFil: Rodriguez, Paulo C.. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Rabinovich, Gabriel Adrián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Fundación de Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental. Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Conejo Garcia, Jose R.. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Glimcher, Laurie H.. Dana Farber Cancer Institute; Estados Unidos. Harvard Medical School; Estados UnidosFil: Cubillos-Ruiz, Juan R.. Weill Graduate School Of Medical Sciences; Estados Unidos. Weill Graduate School Of Medical Sciences; Estados Unido
“Film Censorship in Western Australia: Public, Government and Industrial Responses 1898-1928”
No full textMuch work has been undertaken by legal writers on the present debates surrounding censorship in Australia.Many of these writings focus their critique on the extent to which Australian censorship law attempts to regulate public morality and the problems that arise form such an approach. Other work has critiqued the issue of whether this legislative sphere is best handled at the Federal level or the State level. While this work is important in its own right, very little of this work describes the historical debates and reform initiatives from which present legislative censorship policies now find their source. This leaves an unfortunate gap in the writing on state sanctioned censorship within this country, for without an understanding of the ways in which the public and past governments have responded to calls for tighter controls on what people should view, an incomplete understanding of the source and reasons for modern day censorship campaigns emerges.
This paper examines the responses made by the Western Australian public, government and film industry to the question of film censorship between 1898 and 1928: it examines the similarities and differences between Western Australian responses and responses in the eastern states. It aims to rectify two major imbalances in existing work: firstly, the stress upon eastern states' responses as representative of Australia as a whole; and secondly, the failure to integrate political, social and economic influences which shaped the development of film censorship. As well it identifies transitions in public perceptions of film between 1898 and 1928.
While there were similarities in Western Australia and eastern states' responses to film there were also differences, particularly in the way government and public organisations responded to the debate. In particular, the conclusion drawn in previous studies, that the public initially complained about film as medium rather than film's message is not true for Western Australia. As well, there were noticeable transitions in the way people perceived the effects of film. In the 1910s organisations did not complain about both the immorality of film content and the link between film and criminal behaviour. Rather the debate about criminal behaviour did not develop until after 1916 and this transition was a reflection of the changing content of film in this period. An examination of political, social and economic factors affecting film censorship in Western Australia indicates that an analysis of film censorship which ignores any of these factors within their historical context ignores the complex interplay which shaped Australian film censorship controls and which arguably impact upon present day censorship policies.
This paper is divided into five parts. Part One discusses the introduction of moving pictures into Western Australia and highlights some misconceptions which have occurred in previous studies of this early period. Parts Two and Three examine government, industrial and public responses to the question of film censorship between 1911 and 1927. Part four discusses the Minutes of Evidence from the Royal Commission and Part five provides the conclusion. Central to the paper is the changing public perceptions, between the early 1900s and 1927, of the effect of films upon the child and society
Raise The Yellow Submarine! Subafilms and Extraterritorial Application of the Copyright Act
No full textProtecting United States industry from the costs of overseas pirating is complex without an enforceable bilateral copyright agreement. In fact, the U.S. loses billions of dollars to acts of piracy abroad every year. Yet, the Ninth Circuit destroyed a potential check against overseas piracy in Subafilms, Ltd. v. MGM-Pathe Communs. Co. when it ruled that the U.S. Copyright Act does not prohibit piracy abroad. After a discussion of relevant case law surrounding extraterritorial application of the Copyright Act, the Author of this Note criticizes the Subafilms decision and proposes changes to the current language contained in the Copyright Act
The importance of comparison in a phenomenological study of clients' experience on an assessment group for group psychotherapy
No full textUsing a grounded theory approach, this study explored the experiences of eight clients who attended a group assessment group (GAG) within a UK adult psychotherapy service. The aim of the GAG was to give clients a one off experience of group therapy to enable them to make a more informed decision about the suitability of analytic group therapy. The qualitative analysis revealed comparison to be a key theme for 7 of the 8 clients. Comparison with others was experienced in terms of similarity and dissimilarity of problems and issues and of the behaviour of the group members. These experiences related to issues such as deserving to be there and stigma and this influenced their decisions to opt for group work. Comparisons were also made between the GAG and subsequent group therapy. The issue of social comparison is discussed with reference to previous theory and research and the implications of the study for group therapy and group assessment groups are explored
The Wisconsin drinking culture: perceptions and drinking patterns of high school students
No full textIncludes bibliographical references
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