A qualitative study of children, young people and 'sexting' : English

The purpose of this small scale qualitative research was to respond to and enhance our understandings of the complex nature of sexting and the role of mobile technologies within peer teen networks. It was designed as a pilot study – to investigate a phenomenon whose nature, scale and dimensions were unknown. Thus the research itself also was small in scale and exploratory in nature and also culturally and geographically specific. We conducted focus group interviews with 35 young people years 8 and 10 in two inner city London schools. At the focus groups we asked participants to friend us on Facebook, with a research Facebook profile. We then mapped some of their activities online and returned for 22 individual interviews with selected case study young people. We also interviewed key teachers and staff at the schools. The study found that threats from peers in digital social networks were more problematic for young people that ‘stranger danger’ from adults. Digital technologies facilitated new visual cultures of surveillance, in which young women were pressured to send revealing body photos or asked to perform sexual services by text and through social networking sites. In this way, sexting aggravated peer hierarchies and forms of sexual harassment in schools, meaning that sexting was often coercive and was sometimes a form of cyberbullying. Girls were most negatively affected by ‘sexting’ in cultural contexts of increasing ‘sexualisation’ shaped by sexual double standards and boys had difficulty in challenging constructions of sexually aggressive masculinity. The research allowed for exploration of when pleasurable sexual flirtation through digital communication moved into sexual coercion and harassment, which was illustrated through narrative examples. Considering the relationship between online and offline risks it found sexual double standards in attitudes to digital sexual communication were linked to incidents of real playground sexual harassment and violence. Finally, it found that children at primary school age were being impacted by the coercive aspects of ‘sexting’ at an earlier age, than prior research indicated

Scoping studies to establish the capability and utility of a real-time bioaerosol sensor to characterise emissions from environmental sources

A novel dual excitation wavelength based bioaerosol sensor with multiple fluorescence bands called Spectral Intensity Bioaerosol Sensor (SIBS) has been assessed across five contrasting outdoor environments. The mean concentrations of total and fluorescent particles across the sites were highly variable being the highest at the agricultural farm (2.6 cm−3 and 0.48 cm−3, respectively) and the composting site (2.32 cm−3 and 0.46 cm−3, respectively) and the lowest at the dairy farm (1.03 cm−3 and 0.24 cm−3, respectively) and the sewage treatment works (1.03 cm−3 and 0.25 cm−3, respectively). In contrast, the number-weighted fluorescent fraction was lowest at the agricultural site (0.18) in comparison to the other sites indicating high variability in nature and magnitude of emissions from environmental sources. The fluorescence emissions data demonstrated that the spectra at different sites were multimodal with intensity differences largely at wavelengths located in secondary emission peaks for λex 280 and λex 370. This finding suggests differences in the molecular composition of emissions at these sites which can help to identify distinct fluorescence signature of different environmental sources. Overall this study demonstrated that SIBS provides additional spectral information compared to existing instruments and capability to resolve spectrally integrated signals from relevant biological fluorophores could improve selectivity and thus enhance discrimination and classification strategies for real-time characterisation of bioaerosols from environmental sources. However, detailed lab-based measurements in conjunction with real-world studies and improved numerical methods are required to optimise and validate these highly resolved spectral signatures with respect to the diverse atmospherically relevant biological fluorophores

Filming alterity: explorations of 'Voice(s)' in Contemporary French ethnographic film

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Assessing Palliative Care Options for Northern California’s Rural Underserved

Palliative care offers interprofessional medical care aimed at improving quality of life for persons living with serious illness, sometimes up to and through the end-of-life. Palliative care can improve patient experience across a diverse range of clinical settings through addressing adverse symptoms and psychosocial needs during complex illness. Since emerging as a specialty in 2006, palliative medicine has remained underutilized, as it is often associated with end-of-life care. However, within the literature, the benefits of palliative care for patients, lay caregivers, and their families are not restricted to end-of-life cases. Palliative care may be especially helpful to patients in rural and underserved populations, who experience increased barriers to accessing both primary and specialty care services. The purpose of this research is to assess the scope, accessibility, and use of palliative care services in rural communities in Northern California. This research would provide a foundation for understanding the current landscape of palliative care options for these communities, the models that have been most effective for care delivery, and the opportunities for expanding these services. Previous research has examined the prevalence of palliative care programs in California offering services through hospitals or the outpatient setting. More recently, a report published by the California HealthCare Foundation, identified challenges faced by rural palliative care providers, but this report focused on a subset of programs that had an existing relationship with one of the five health plans included in the study. A cumulative report examining the state of palliative care options in a specific geographic area, rural Northern California, has not been previously undertaken. Conducting a broader analysis will allow us to identify additional areas needing access to palliative care, identify areas of improvement to expand palliative care availability, and promote partnerships with existing programs. This research can then further inform various healthcare practitioners in rural Northern California on the available palliative care options they can refer patients to

Documentary Representations of Alterity on Television: Diversity and National Identity in Contemporary France

ABSTRACT Sonia Claire VINCENT-GILL Documentary Representations of Alterity on Television: Diversity and National Identity in Contemporary France Since the turn of the millennium, there is a growing literature concerned with investigating the representation of minorities on French television. This thesis sets out to explore the documentary representation of four types of alterity (non-Western, urban, rural and regional France) in a selection of documentaries broadcast on French television between 1995 and 2010. The originality of this thesis lies in its comparative approach to the question of alterity. This research seeks to contribute to the nascent field of diversity and minority studies, and explore the manner in which these documentaries contribute to the construction of contemporary French identity. The study examines documentaries in a range of styles, from ‘art-house’ films to ‘hybrid’ popular factual entertainment, broadcast on ‘mainstream’ and ‘cultural’ channels. Additionally, the thesis seeks to assess the extent to which the medium of documentary offers an alternative representation of alterity when compared to other forms of visual culture, in particular the news coverage and documentary treatment of recent events. The juxtaposition of ‘mainstream’ and ‘cultural’ channels, and of documentary and news coverage, is designed to provide an analytical framework in which to assess the questions of alterity and national identity, in a manner that is, simultaneously, representative of a range of channels and styles, and different forms of factual representation. From this research emerges a recurrent opposition between a suburban dystopia (epitomised by the banlieue) versus a rural idyll (whether ‘peasant’, regional or non-Western). This shows a correspondence between the documentary representation of alterity and France’s contemporary concerns with questions of national identity and citizenship, which has engendered a ‘turn to nostalgia’ and the idealisation of rural or ‘traditional’ lifestyles

Interview with Tim Gill: Sonia Livingstone and Kate Cowan interview with Tim Gill

To understand research and advocacy work on childhood and play, Sonia Livingstone OBE and Kate Cowan spoke to Tim Gill as part of our interview series on play in the digital world

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Improving Utilization and Quality of Survivorship Care for Patients with Gynecological Malignancies

After patients end their cancer treatmentand have no evidence of disease, theyenter survivorship portion of their care.Survivorship programs provide thefollowing services: psychosocial support,nutrition, medication side-effects, geneticcounseling, and fertility concerns throughthe use of treatment summaries andsurvivorship care plans. Patients continue to face difficulty in accessing services.Objectives: To increase enrollment insurvivorship program

Model Looks, Motives, and Affective Outcomes

Highly attractive models are intended to impact psychologically on message receivers and improve awareness, expectations, attitudes, beliefs, and advertising effectiveness; however, benefits accrue in only particular situations. This study examines how advertising triggers affect when comparison motive is paired with a particular model beauty type. Qualitative work preceded empirical study, which involved use of three types of model beauty (classic, sexual, and cute), two comparison motives (self-evaluation headline and self-improvement headline), and two product contexts (problem-solving and enhancement). Female university students (N = 1,170) were surveyed with findings indicating that viewers do react differently depending on the beauty type, with evidence of an interaction between beauty type and comparison motive

Developing role models in clinical settings: A qualitative study of medical students, residents and clinical teachers

Objective: To explore how positive role modelling attributes can be developed in students, residents and clinical teachers.Methods: The qualitative study using focus group discussions was held at Aga Khan University, Karachi from March to May 2018, and comprised medical students, residents and clinical teachers. Overall 11 focus group discussions were conducted till data saturation was achieved. Content analysis was used to analyse the data which was transcribed verbatim.Results: Of the 116 subjects, 60(51.7%) were medical students, 35(30.2%) were residents and 21(18%) were clinical teachers. Of the 11 focus group discussions, 4(36.5%) each were held with the students and the residents, while 3(27%) were held with the teachers. Five major themes that emerged from the study included definition of role models, attributes of role models, role modelling as a learnt behaviour, challenges in developing role models, and recommendations for developing positive role models. A number of attributes of positive and negative role models were identified by the participants. All the participants including students, residents and teachers appreciated the importance of role modelling in developing professionalism among health professionals and medical students. Factors hindering development and demonstration of positive role modelling were also identified and possible solutions were suggested.Conclusions: Clinical teachers needed to be made cognizant of their role as positive role models in developing professionally competent physicians. The medical institutions needed to develop and implement policies that would enhance positive role modelling by the teachers and facilitate learning of positive attributes at all levels