791 research outputs found

    Hidden in the dark:Seeking the vanished polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons in planet-forming discs

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    The origin of life is closely linked to the formation of planetary systems, and both are fundamental drivers of modern astronomical research. Especially carbon is of interest as it is the building block of life as we know.In the interstellar medium, about 15 % of carbon is locked in the form of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The infrared signals of these complex molecules have been observed in numerous astrophysical environments. Their detection in planet-forming discs is of particular interest, as these are the birth-sites of exoplanets. By understanding the evolution of PAHs during planet formation, it is possible to trace a large fraction of carbon. Additionally, the signals of PAHs can reveal crucial information about planet-forming discs themselves to better understand planet formation.This thesis particularly focuses on the formation of molecular clusters of PAHs bound by van der Walls forces in planet forming discs. We analysed the stability of PAH clusters against stellar UV radiation from young stars and modelled their dissociation rates. Further, we model the evolution of clusters in the presence of dust grains, as they interact through freeze-out. Then, we investigate the depletion of observable gas-phase PAHs which has been observed in many discs. Next, we simulate observations and discuss the amount of retrievable information from spectra. Finally, we investigate the interaction of PAHs with stellar X-rays from T Tauri discs and their influence on the destruction of PAHs and PAH clusters

    Information actors beyond modernity and coloniality in times of climate change:A comparative design ethnography on the making of monitors for sustainable futures in Curaçao and Amsterdam, between 2019-2022

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    In his dissertation, Mr. Goilo developed a cutting-edge theoretical framework for an Anthropology of Information. This study compares information in the context of modernity in Amsterdam and coloniality in Curaçao through the making process of monitors and develops five ways to understand how information can act towards sustainable futures. The research also discusses how the two contexts, that is modernity and coloniality, have been in informational symbiosis for centuries which is producing negative informational side effects within the age of the Anthropocene. By exploring the modernity-coloniality symbiosis of information, the author explains how scholars, policymakers, and data-analysts can act through historical and structural roots of contemporary global inequities related to the production and distribution of information. Ultimately, the five theses propose conditions towards the collective production of knowledge towards a more sustainable planet

    Singing Our Stories: Building Community and Developing Self-Empowerment in the Childless Voices Choir

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    Involuntary childlessness is a complex and identity-shaping experience moulded by parameters of a pronatalist society. For the women who participated in this study, isolation, silence, and shame were experienced as a consequence of their childlessness. Motivated by the idea that singing, particularly in group contexts, might aid in unburdening women whose identities have been stigmatized by their childless circumstances, this ethnographic study examined whether, and in what ways, women experienced community and developed self-empowerment through participation in the Childless Voices Choir. Framed by theories of community (Delanty, 2018) and empowerment (Adams, 2008; McLaughlin, 2016), this research explored how meaningful engagement with group singing and collaborative song writing afforded the opportunity for eleven involuntarily childless women to use their voices collectively to mitigate the isolating and silencing impact of a stigmatized identity (Goffman, 1963) through the recognition, critique, and resistance of pronatalist discourses. Within the ethnographic framework of this study, a participatory action research (PAR) project was also employed, wherein seven of the study participants—and myself as researcher-participant—collaborated on the writing and recording of a song titled, “Calm After the Storm.” This project facilitated an opportunity for profound and meaningful expression. Emergent through analysis of the data were the umbrella themes of identity transformation and self-empowerment. These themes emerged through the experience of communitas (Turner (1969) and a sense of affective solidarity (Hemmings, 2012), as experienced through collective singing and collaborative song writing. The women who participated in this study experienced feelings of connectedness and belonging in new friendships that led to a sense of community among and between the participants. The development of communal bonds, in conjunction with their shared musical experiences, instigated a growth in musical and personal self-confidence and the development of self-empowerment. Additionally, the research revealed the impact of the song writing and recording project on the group’s sense of affective solidarity. For many of the women who participated in the PAR project, a sense of accomplishment aided in building self-confidence and developing self-empowerment, thus impacting their ability to speak about their childless experience both within and outside of the CNBC community. This research is significant to music education and community music practitioners, as it fills a gap in relation to musical engagements involving involuntarily childless women

    Alternative Seafood - Exploring Pathways for Norway in the Protein Transition

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    Our global food system is facing major challenges. The growing global population and demand for animal proteins are driving resource pressures, environmental impacts, and hazardous health effects for humans and animals. If we are to feed the world without further destabilizing our planet, major transformations in our food systems are called for. This requires shifts towards sustainable and healthy diets, coupled with transitions to sustainable and equitable production systems. Meat and livestock production is gaining increased attention for being an environmental and health hazard. Seafood on the other hand has a reputation for being a healthy and sustainable alternative. However, seafood supply chains and fish farming systems are currently far from innocent. Industrial wild capture, fish farming and feed production are harming marine and terrestrial ecosystems alike, and the health and wellbeing of animals and humans. Along with the transition to renewable energy and a circular economy, a sustainable civilization calls for transitions toward alternative proteins and regenerative food systems – including a shift in seafood production. New technologies are opening possibilities for a phase-shift in how we produce food. Innovation in plant-based proteins, microbial fermentation and cellular agriculture are providing alternative ways of making the seafood and animal products we know and love – without any animals involved. These alternative proteins are accelerated by the convergence of biotechnology, information technologies, nanotechnologies, 3D-printing, sensors and the like. The fourth industrial revolution has reached the agro-food industry, with sustainable innovations disrupting the incumbent system, and opening up an ocean of opportunity. Megatrends such as the sustainability imperative and flexitarian movement are creating ripe conditions for change. In this research, we explore how Norway can contribute to the protein transition by leading the way in alternative seafood. Despite scarce activity in the space, Norway has an abundance of resources that could be leveraged for alternative proteins, ranging from natural resources to financial and cultural capital. We investigate opportunities, barriers, and strategies to drive forward value chains for this emerging industry, while ensuring a sustainable and just transition. The intended outcomes are foundations for a shared vision and strategy – a roadmap for building an innovation system that can enable new value chains and the protein transition in Norway. We apply pragmatic tools and theoretical frameworks to address this complex challenge - such as systems innovation, value chains, and sustainability transitions. Keywords: alternative proteins, alternative seafood, aquaculture, food systems, bioeconomy, sustainability transitions, socio-technical systems, multi-level perspective, value chains, technological innovation systems, innovation ecosystems, strategy, Norwa

    Exploring the psychosocial needs of adults with haematological cancer under watch-and-wait

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    Background: Understanding patients’ unmet needs has been deemed critical for holistic cancer care provision. However, research reporting the unmet needs of individuals with haematological cancers under watch-and-wait (indolent haematological cancers [IHC]) is scarce, despite reports of high levels of psychological distress in this population. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the psychosocial needs of individuals living with IHC and when these needs were met, if so at all. To further understanding, the study also aimed to explore if, and if so how, needs changed over a six-month period, and whether needs differed from those identified in individuals with prostate cancer under watch-and-wait. Method: A longitudinal qualitative design using semi-structured interviews was used. Fifteen participants were each invited to two semi-structured interviews, six months apart. Interviews took place in March 2022 and September 2022 and were therefore in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The interview schedule was designed to explore the needs of individuals, and when these needs were met and unmet. Themes were constructed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis and pattern-oriented longitudinal analysis. Secondary codebook analysis was applied to explore how well needs mapped onto the needs reported by individuals with prostate cancer under watch-and-wait. The analysis was also used to examine the applicability of an existing psychosocial needs theory (Self-Determination Theory) and a model of psychosocial adjustment to chronic illness and disease. Analysis: Of the 15 participants interviewed initially, 12 attended a second interview six months later. The sample was predominantly White and female. One overarching theme: ‘The psychological battle of watch-and-wait’, was constructed. Under this, four themes were generated: (1) Understanding the impossible: cancer that does not require treatment; (2) Sense of abandonment under watch and wait; (3) The importance of peer connection; (4) Trying to live after Covid-19. These themes were found to represent information, communication, peer, emotional, and public awareness needs. Needs appeared to remain relatively stable over time and were most often met when individuals engaged with relevant charities. Deductive analysis generated the understanding that individuals with IHC have some similar and some unique needs, compared to individuals with prostate cancer under watch-and-wait. Finally, the data was found to map onto Self-Determination Theory and the model of psychosocial adaption to chronic illness and disease. Discussion: People living with IHC not receiving treatment may be at risk of having unmet needs across domains. Future research should aim to develop effective psychosocial interventions that target the unmet emotional and informational needs of people living with IHC. Limitations of the present study include recruitment occurring exclusively through peer support groups and the predominantly White female sample, which may have skewed the needs reported. Impact on Clinical Psychology: This study was the first to explore the psychosocial needs of individuals with IHCs qualitatively, providing an in-depth analysis of the needs for information, communication, emotional support, and peer connection. These findings add to the growing literature base of how Oncology and Haematology services can holistically support individuals with IHC to live well alongside their diagnosis

    “Oh my god, how did I spend all that money?”: Lived experiences in two commodified fandom communities

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    This research explores the role of commodification in participation in celebrity-centric fandom communities, applying a leisure studies framework to understand the constraints fans face in their quest to participate and the negotiations they engage in to overcome these constraints. In fan studies scholarship, there is a propensity to focus on the ways fans oppose commodified industry structures; however, this ignores the many fans who happily participate within them. Using the fandoms for the pop star Taylor Swift and the television series Supernatural as case studies, this project uses a mixed-methodological approach to speak directly to fans via surveys and semistructured interviews to develop an understanding of fans’ lived experiences based on their own words. By focusing on celebrity-centric fandom communities rather than on the more frequently studied textual fandoms, this thesis turns to the role of the celebrity in fans’ ongoing desire to participate in commodified spaces. I argue that fans are motivated to continue spending money to participate within their chosen fandom when this form of participation is tied to the opportunity for engagement with the celebrity. While many fans seek community from their fandom participation, this research finds that for others, social ties are a secondary outcome of their overall desire for celebrity attention, which becomes a hobby in which they build a “leisure career” (Stebbins 2014). When fans successfully gain attention from their celebrity object of fandom, they gain status within their community, creating intra-fandom hierarchies based largely on financial resources and on freedom from structural constraints related to education, employment, and caring. Ultimately, this thesis argues that the broad neglect of celebrity fandom practices means we have overlooked the experiences of many fans, necessitating a much broader future scope for the field

    A critical sociolinguistic study of diasporization among Hungarians in Catalonia

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    This thesis investigates how contemporary diasporas evolve, how diasporization takes place under the conditions of late modernity, and how language features in this process. By diasporization, I refer to the process(es) in which diasporic groups emerge and individuals start to engage in certain diasporic practices, i.e., social practices that are associated with their ethnic or national origin or with their imagined homeland, or with boundary management in the host-land. The research was an ethnographically informed critical sociolinguistic study of first-generation Hungarians in Catalonia that drew on collaborative methodologies in order to include the emic perspectives of the participants. To capture these perspectives, the research combined many data generating techniques, such as ethnographic field notes, biographical interviews, online focus groups, collection of material evidence, and collaborative interpretation with the key participants in the research.La tesis investiga cómo evolucionan las diásporas contemporáneas y de qué modo se produce la diasporización en las condiciones de la modernidad tardía. Con diasporización me refiero al proceso, o procesos, en los que surgen los grupos diaspóricos y los individuos comienzan a llevar a cabo ciertas prácticas diaspóricas, es decir, prácticas sociales que se asocian a su origen étnico o nacional, su patria imaginada o la gestión de las fronteras en el país de acogida. La tesis toma la forma de estudio crítico informado etnográficamente en personas húngaras en Cataluña de primera generación y se basa en metodologías colaborativas para incluir las perspectivas émicas de las personas participantes. Con el fin de captar estas perspectivas, el estudio combina múltiples técnicas de generación de datos, como por ejemplo las notas de campo etnográficas, las entrevistas biográficas, los grupos focales en línea, la recopilación de rastros materiales y la interpretación colaborativa con las personas participantes clave en el estudio.La tesi investiga com evolucionen les diàspores contemporànies i de quina manera es produeix la diasporització en les condicions de la modernitat tardana. Amb diasporització em refereixo al procés, o processos, en què sorgeixen els grups diaspòrics i els individus comencen a dur a terme certes pràctiques diaspòriques, és a dir, pràctiques socials que s'associen al seu origen ètnic o nacional, la seva pàtria imaginada o la gestió de les fronteres al país d'acollida. La tesi pren forma d'estudi crític informat etnogràficament en persones hongareses a Catalunya de primera generació i es basa en metodologies col·laboratives per incloure les perspectives èmiques de les persones que hi participen. Per captar aquestes perspectives, l'estudi combina múltiples tècniques de generació de dades, com ara les notes de camp etnogràfiques, les entrevistes biogràfiques, els grups focals en línia, la recopilació de rastres materials i la interpretació col·laborativa amb les persones participants clau en l'estudi.Societat de la informació i el coneixemen
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