1,445 research outputs found
An Interview with Michael Betancourt, author of Agnotology & Crisis in Digital Capitalism
No full textSean Scanlan, NANO's editor, interviews artist, curator, art historian and critical theorist Michael Betancourt to discuss the nature of agnotology, a term that means the “creation of uncertainty and ambivalent ‘fact’; it is a competitive tool incompatible with the idealized ‘free market’ of capitalism.” Betancourt is skeptical of Big Data and the ways that the consumers who unknowingly “produce” data for business interpretation are increasingly becoming transformed into a “token of exchange (valorized) by the database.
Appropriations of Irish drama by modern Korean nationalist theatre : a focus on the influence of Sean O’Casey in a colonial context
Get PDFMy thesis explores how a translated author on the periphery of the host culture’s
translated repertoire can be at once subversive and innovative on the colonial scene,
using as an example the case of Sean O’Casey in colonial Korea. It explores the
importation of Irish drama in modern Korean theatre during the colonial period and
examines the appropriations of O’Casey’s plays by a central Korean playwright, Yu
Chi-jin, in creating his own plays. Under Japanese colonial rule in the early twentieth
century, intellectuals perceived the supreme task for the Korean people to be the
recovery of national sovereignty and independence. The modern Korean theatre
movement which rose among Korean intellectuals and dramatists during the colonial
period was to play a major part in this task. The ultimate goal of this movement was
to establish a modern national theatre promoting Korean culture and educating the
people, thereby recovering national independence. As their modernised dramatic
polysystem was still "young", Korean intellectuals and dramatists who were
involved in the theatre movement had to borrow dramatic models from other
countries. One of the models they chose was Irish playwrights, especially those who
were involved in the Irish dramatic movement. They published or staged the works
of W.B. Yeats, Lord Dunsany [Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett], Augusta
Gregory, J.M. Synge, St. J. Ervine, T.C. Murray and Sean O'Casey. Although
O'Casey was considered an important dramatist in the Irish dramatic movement, he
was a playwright on the periphery in the list of translated Irish dramatists in Korea
due to the colonisers’ censorship. However, he remained as a subversive and
innovative playwright on the colonial scene by virtue of being appropriated by Yu
Chi-jin who used O’Casey’s plays as models when creating his own works. In
discussing the subject matter of my thesis, I use Even Zohar’s polysystems theory as
a starting point in looking at ideological issues surrounding translation and extend
the discussion to offer a postcolonial perspective. While most translation in a
colonial context was considered as "an expression of the cultural power of the
colonisers," my thesis shifts the focus to translation as an expression of the cultural
power of the colonised. I explore how the colonised uses another colonised culture to
subvert the colonisers’ power
FOX News Interviews Senator Thompson
No full textFOX News hosts Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes interview Senator Fred Thompson during the Presidential Debate
Contaminant effects on vitellogenesis and oogenesis in zebrafish (danio rerio) and killifish (fundulus heteroclitus) from the chemically impacted Newark Bay, NJ
No full textVitellogenins are large glycolipoprotein precursors to yolk–proteins that act as vital biomolecules and growth substrate in developing oocytes of teleosts and are synthesized exclusively in the liver. The studies in this Dissertation tested the general hypothesis that aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist contaminants in Newark Bay, NJ down–regulate hepatic vitellogenin synthesis, resulting in inhibition of oogenesis and reproductive dysfunction. This hypothesis was examined using a variety of studies with a field population of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) from the contaminated Newark Bay and relatively clean Tuckerton, NJ, and using lab studies with zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model teleost. In killifish native to Newark Bay, inhibition of oocyte yolk–development resulted in decreased egg production, decreased embryo mass and reduced yolk–volume. The cause of these effects was shown to be the down–regulation of vitellogenesis in the liver. Decreased vitellogenin expression during spawning was demonstrated to be due to deficient levels of circulating 17β–estradiol, and a decreased sensitivity of the vitellogenin pathway to induction (protein and mRNA levels) by physiological doses of 17β–estradiol. In the Newark Bay population, vitellogenin expression was inversely correlated with CYP1A, a biomarker for aryl hydrocarbon receptor 2 (AhR2) activity. I therefore propose that the down–regulation of the vitellogenin pathway is phenotypic of aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediated cross–talk inhibition of the estrogen receptor (ER). The role of AhR2 in mediating AhR–ER cross–talk inhibition of vitellogenin was examined using the zebrafish as a model teleost. The potent AhR agonists 2,3,7,8–tetrachlorodibenzo–p–dioxin and 1,2,3,7,8–pentachlorodibenzo–p–dioxin were found to inhibit the induction of vitellogenins 1, 2 and 3 by 17α–ethynylestradiol in zebrafish. Transient knock–down of AhR2 levels showed that the AhR2 mediates inhibition of vitellogenesis by 2,3,7,8–tetrachlorodibenzo–p–dioxin, demonstrating that AhR2 activation plays a role in AhR–ER cross–talk. Taken together, these studies demonstrated that the contaminant induced down–regulation of vitellogenesis in the liver can cause reproductive dysfunction in the ovary and that the mechanism for these effects is mediated through AhR2–ER signaling pathways.Ph. D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Sean Michael Buge
Range wide population differentiation in Juglans cinerea: a product of both historical range shifts and ecological marginality
No full textThe spatial distribution of genetic diversity is a product of recent and historical ecological processes, as well as anthropogenic activities. A current challenge in population and conservation genetics is to disentangle the relative effects of these processes, as a first step in predicting population response to future environmental change. In this investigation, we compare the influence of contemporary population decline, contemporary ecological marginality and postglacial range shifts. Using classical model comparison procedures and Bayesian methods, we have identified postglacial range shift as the clear determinant of genetic diversity, differentiation and bottlenecks in 29 populations of butternut, Juglans cinerea L., a North American outcrossing forest tree. Although butternut has experienced dramatic 20th century decline because of an introduced fungal pathogen, our analysis indicates that recent population decline has had less genetic impact than postglacial recolonization history. Location within the range edge vs. the range core also failed to account for the observed patterns of diversity and differentiation. Our results suggest that the genetic impact of large-scale recent population losses in forest trees should be considered in the light of Pleistocene-era large-scale range shifts that may have had long-term genetic consequences. The data also suggest that the population dynamics and life history of wind-pollinated forest trees may provide a buffer against steep population declines of short duration, a result having important implications for habitat management efforts, ex situ conservation sampling and population viability analysis
Design, construction, and testing of a model hydrokinetic prototype
No full textTidal power represents an excellent renewable energy resource for the United States, but its economics must be reassessed in such a way that it becomes cost competitive with fossil fuels. In order to reduce operating costs, Sunlight Photonics Inc., in conjunction with Rutgers University, has designed and tested a modified tidal current system which utilizes an underwater hydraulic energy transfer system instead of the current underwater turbine-generator assembly, a design which experiences high failure rates and is expensive to build and maintain. In the modified design, generators and all electrical components are relegated to on-land electrical stations, while the underwater system consists of a tidal turbine and hydraulic pump assembly; as the tidal turbine spins, a hydraulic pump attached to its drive shaft creates high pressure fluid. This high pressure fluid is sent to land, where it can produce electricity in a well-controlled environment. The prototype was designed with knowledge gained from extensive research into centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, gearboxes, and hydraulic fluids. The prototype utilizes a radial piston pump engaged to a 20 horsepower motor via a 14.63:1 reduction helical gearbox to simulate the power potential of the tides. An axial piston motor linked to a 460 volt three-phase alternating current generator and resistive load bank helps to simulate the effects of an active power plant on the hydraulic circuit. Testing showed that a heavily loaded generator produces greater pressure differentials between the high and low pressure sides of the hydraulic circuit than an unloaded generator. System efficiency of 20%, which is lower than anticipated, is traced to an underperforming generator and improperly sized hydraulic circuit. Recommended design modifications include a resized axial piston motor and generator assembly to help increase system efficiency to competitive levels of 70% or greater.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Sean DeGennar
Flow cytometric analysis of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood
Get PDFDissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010.Successful engraftment is highly dependent on the quality and quantity of stem cells and nucleated cells in cord blood. Storage of umbilical cord blood is expensive and it will be very useful if factors that influence cell count and viability could be identified to aid in the decision to process and store cord blood collections for the ultimate aim of successful engraftment. This study determined the standards for laboratory parameters of haematopoietic potential, such as collection volume, post processing volume, CD34+/45+ cell counts and viability of stem cells and leukocytes and cell ratios for the cord blood bank. In this research we determined whether maternal age and infant gender have an effect on laboratory parameters. We studied the effect of 4°C and room temperature (RT) as well as the period of storage on the same laboratory parameters. The quality and recovery of stem cells and leukocytes after laboratory manipulation was determined. Established standards for leukocyte count, stem cell count and collection volume compare well with other international UCB banks. Maternal age and infant gender have no influence on laboratory parameters and could therefore not be used as a measure of cell quantity and quality prior to processing. Cell count and cell viability of stem cells is not significantly influenced by 4°C or RT temperature or 24h and 48h storage. Leukocyte cell count and viability is not affected by storage temperature, but increased storage periods showed high levels of leukocyte cell count deterioration and decreased leukocyte cell viability. Processing of UCB causes significant cell loss in stem cells and leukocytes. Processing or no processing of UCB has showed no affect on the viability of stem cells stored at different storage periods and temperature. Temperature has no affect on leukocyte cell counts and viability of either processed or unprocessed leukocytes but increased storage periods dramatically decrease leukocyte count and viability. The information generated by this study will assist in the process of optimizing the storage of UCB. CopyrightImmunologyunrestricte
The functional anatomy of hippocampal theta and gamma oscillations
No full textThis dissertation investigated how theta (4-10Hz) and gamma (40-100Hz) oscillations are coordinated across different hippocampal subnetworks during different behaviors. Using 96-site silicon probes to simultaneously record local field potentials (LFPs) and unit activity from dendritic and somatic layers of the dentate gyrus, CA3 and CA1 regions, I examined how local field potentials (LFPs) and unit activity changed the theta and gamma synchronization of hippocampal networks as a function of behavior. Specifically, I compared hippocampal activity of rats during performance of a hippocampus-dependent delayed spatial alternation task on a modified T-maze versus performance of non-mnemonic control tasks. I also compared hippocampal network activity during active waking behavior versus rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.The first study examined how theta oscillations throughout the hippocampal subnetworks change during behavioral task performance. Although theta oscillations were generally highly coherent throughout the system, I found that the power, coherence and phase of theta oscillations fluctuated in a layer-specific manner, suggesting the presence of multiple interdependent dipoles. I also found layer-specific changes in theta power and coherence during different portions of both alternation and control tasks, as well as a decreased phase lag between CA3 and CA1 theta oscillations on the center arm of the T-maze compared to other segments of the alternation and control tasks.The second study examined changes in hippocampal gamma oscillations during performance of the alternation and control tasks. This study found that on the center arm of the T-maze, the power and coherence of gamma oscillations at the CA3-CA1 interface increased compared to other segments in the alternation task or compared to control task segments.The third study examined changes in theta and gamma coordination of hippocampal networks during active waking versus REM sleep. I found increased dentate/CA3 theta and gamma synchrony, but decreased CA3-CA1 gamma coordination during REM sleep. I also detected phasic bursts of LFP power in the dentate molecular layer that divided REM sleep into phasic and tonic periods. Although tonic periods characterized the majority of REM sleep epochs (~95%), phasic periods exhibited transient increases in theta and gamma coordination among all of the hippocampal subregions.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-148)by Sean M. Montgomer
The Source of Magic
No full textThis paper is an attempt to show that a large part of Western society no longer operates on the rationalist principles that most of us thought it did, but that it instead runs by magic more akin to that in fantasy works. The term ‘magic’ is not meant metaphorically or in science fiction author Arthur C Clarke’s sense that ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’ (Clarke 1962), but is meant literally in the sense that Frazer (1890, republished 2003) used the term. This means that instead of trying to understand the present and near future by looking at the works of science fiction creators who put forth a rationalist and technological view of the world, we would understand the future better by looking to the fantasy of authors such as Jack Vance, Matthew Hughes, Ursula Le Guin, Piers Anthony and Michael Moorcock.
This magic is manifested through magical thinking and irrational behaviour, where the majority of us use literal spells and incantations in our daily interactions with each other in the networked world, and where we worship capricious gods; most importantly, those spells, incantations and worship actually work, and those gods have actually come to exist.
This paper will also show just how the spread of the computer technology propounded by scientists, technologists and SF writers has inevitably led to the creation of this irrational and magical world. This is partly because of limitations built-in to the formal systems on which these systems are based, leading to an extreme example of the law of unintended consequences. Finally, the paper will explain the mechanism by which magic is literally becoming real by reference to Frazer’s two laws of magic: the Law of Similarity and the Law of Contagion
Efficacy, Use, and Acceptability of a Web-Based Self-management Intervention Designed to Maximize Sexual Well-being in Men Living With Prostate Cancer: Single-Arm Experimental Study
Get PDFBackground:Sexual dysfunction is a frequent side-effect associated with different prostate cancer treatment approaches. It can have a substantial impact on men and partners and is associated with increased psychological morbidity. Despite this, sexual concerns are often not adequately addressed in routine practice. Evidence-based online interventions have potential to provide ongoing information and sexual wellbeing support throughout all stages of care. Objectives:To examine the efficacy of an online self-management intervention designed to maximise sexual wellbeing in men living with prostate cancer and explore user perspectives on usability and acceptability.Methods:Using a single-arm study design, participants were provided with access to the five-step intervention for a period of 3 months. Intervention content was tailored based on responses to brief screening questions on treatment type, relationship status and sexual orientation. Efficacy was assessed using paired-sample t-tests comparing mean differences between pre and post intervention measurements exploring participant’s self-reported knowledge and understanding, sexual satisfaction, and comfort discussing sexual issues. Usability and acceptability were determined based on programme usage data and a post intervention survey exploring perceived usefulness. Results:A total of 109 participants were recruited to the study. Significant post intervention improvements at follow-up were observed in overall survey scores (12.23/20 (SD: 2.46) versus 13.62/20 (SD: 2.31): t = 9.570; P =0.001) as well as in individual item scores on the extent to which participants agreed that they had sufficient information to manage the impact of prostate cancer on their sex life (2.31/4 (SD: 0.86) versus 2.57/4 (SD: 0.85): t = 3.660; P =0.001) and had the potential to have a satisfying sex life following treatment (2.38/4 (SD: 0.79) versus 3.17/4 (SD: 0.78): t = 7.643; P =0.001). The median number of intervention sessions was 3.0 (Range 1 to 11 sessions) with a median duration of 22.0 minutes (Range: 8 to 77 minutes). Acceptable usability scores were reported with the highest result observed for the question on the extent to which the intervention provided relevant information. Conclusions:This study provides evidence for the efficacy of a tailored, online intervention to maximise sexual wellbeing in men living with prostate cancer. Results indicate that the intervention may improve self-perceived knowledge and understanding of how to manage sexual issues, and increase self-efficacy or a belief that a satisfactory sex life could be achieved following treatment. Findings will be used to refine the intervention content prior to testing as part of a larger longitudinal study examining its effectiveness. <br/
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