Experiencing heritage : making sense of industrial heritage tourism

The study connects two current debates in geography, on the politics of representation (the 'cultural turn') and the production and consumption of heritage. The thesis argues that, at present, heritage discourse is in a state of polarised suspension, in need of advancement. There has been a neglect of the voices of those who work within the heritage 'industry' (those who write museum 'texts') and of those who are receptive to these representations of the past. In recognition of such absences, the thesis lends empirical weight, via a qualitative study, to those who seek to challenge the polarity of heritage discourse. Moreover, the thesis unpacks the mediated nature of representations of times past through an examination of three perceived 'bases to authenticity' where 'truth' is said to reside: the built environment, oral history and expert history. The contours of this mediation are drawn out to illustrate how representations of the past are social and cultural constructs. Advancing an understanding of the complexities inherent in the writing and reading of representations of the past, I reject traditional 'consumption' theories, arguing that they are too simplistic to unpack the contours of the producer/consumer relationship. Instead I draw on Becker' s ( 1982) model of the 'art world'. I argue and demonstrate that 'cultural conventions' are operating within museums and heritage themed attractions which guide and shape the construction of meaning in the process of experiencing heritage

An examination of college student wellness: A research and liberal arts perspective

Promoting wellness within academia reduces disease frequency and enhances overall health. This study examined wellness factors among undergraduate students attending a research university (n = 85) or a small liberal arts college (n = 126). Participants were administered surveys which measured physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and occupational wellness. Significant institutional differences emerged on measures of physical and social wellness. When collapsed across academic institutions, students who were gainfully employed reported greater self-efficacy compared with unemployed students. Gender differences emerged on measures of physical and social well-being. Our findings support the need for targeted interventions that facilitate enhanced college student development and well-being

Role of Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials in Reducing the Age at Hearing Aid Fitting in Children With Hearing Loss Identified by Newborn Hearing Screening.

Recording of free-field cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) responses to speech tokens was introduced into the audiology management for infants with a permanent childhood hearing impairment (PCHI) during 2011-2015 at a U.K. service. Children with bilateral PCHI were studied from two sequential cohorts. Thirty-four children had followed an audiology pathway prior to CAEP introduction, and 44 children followed a pathway after the introduction of CAEP and were tested with unaided and aided CAEP responses. Data analysis explored the age of diagnosis, hearing aid fitting, and referral for cochlear implant (CI) assessment for each of these groups. CAEP offered a novel educative process for the parents and audiologists supporting decision-making for hearing aid fitting and CI referral. Delays in hearing aid fitting and CI referral were categorized as being due to the audiologist's recommendation or parental choice. Results showed that the median age of hearing aid fitting prior to CAEP introduction was 9.2 months. After the inclusion of CAEP recording in the infant pathways, it was 3.9 months. This reduction was attributable to earlier fitting of hearing aids for children with mild and moderate hearing losses, for which the median age fell from 19 to 5 months. Children with profound hearing loss were referred for CI assessment at a significantly earlier age following the introduction of CAEP. Although there has also been a national trend for earlier hearing aid fitting in children, the current study demonstrates that the inclusion of CAEP recording in the pathway facilitated earlier hearing aid fitting for milder impairments

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: Looking Ahead to the Next Steps

Pressure has been building for the conclusion of the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Getting the deal done is important, but the TPP is not just another free trade agreement (FTA). It represents the chance to set a trade agenda for the future across a wide range of topics for countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. This means that the agreement should not be settled in haste. More importantly, it also means that key decisions need to be reached about broader issues related to the institutional structure of the TPP. These decisions must be made now, before the deal is closed, on issues such as how to create the TPP as a living agreement, the formation of a TPP Secretariat, and the clarification of entry conditions for future members such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC). These choices must be made deliberately and carefully even while officials are struggling with reaching closure on the most highly sensitive issues still remaining in the agreement. It will not be easy, but wise decisions are necessary now to ensure the long-term success of the TPP

Structural and phase evolution in U₃Si₂ during steam corrosion

U₃Si₂ nuclear fuel is corroded in deuterated steam with in situ neutron diffraction. Density functional theory is coupled with rigorous thermodynamic description of the hydride including gas/solid entropy contributions. H absorbs in the 2b interstitial site of U₃Si₂Hx and moves to 8j for x ≥ 0.5. Hydriding forces lattice expansion and change in a/c ratio linked to site preference. Rietveld refinement tracks the corrosion reactions at 350-500 °C and preference for the 8j site. Above 375 °C, formation of UO₂, U₃Si₅ and USi₃ take place in the grain boundaries and bulk. Hydriding occurs in bulk and precedes other reactions

Degradation of Beta-Cloth Covering for a Battery Orbital Replacement Unit in Low Earth Orbit

Samples from the B-cloth cover for a battery orbit replaceable unit from the International Space Station were characterized using optical and electron microscopy, UV-vis-NIR spectrophotometry, and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. Results showed that in areas where the fabric was exposed to solar radiation the absorptance increased by as much as 20 percent, and the peak difference was in the ultraviolet, indicating that the increased absorptance may have been due to radiation. The emissivity of the material over a temperature range of 300 - 700 K was essentially unchanged

Degradation of Spacesuit Fabrics in Low Earth Orbit

Six samples of pristine and dust-abraded outer layer spacesuit fabrics were included in the Materials International Space Station Experiment-7, in which they were exposed to the wake-side low Earth orbit environment on the International Space Station (ISS) for 18 months in order to determine whether abrasion by lunar dust increases radiation degradation. The fabric samples were characterized using optical microscopy, optical spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and tensile testing before and after exposure on the ISS. Comparison of pre- and post-flight characterizations showed that the environment darkened and reddened all six fabrics, increasing their integrated solar absorptance by 7 to 38 percent. There was a decrease in the ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure of lunar dust abraded Apollo spacesuit fibers by a factor of four and an increase in the elastic modulus by a factor of two

Exploring the Life Course Perspective in Maternal and Child Health through Community-Based Participatory Focus Groups: Social Risks Assessment

Little is known about the patterns of risk factors experienced by communities of color and how diverse community contexts shape the health trajectory of women from the early childhood period to the time of their pregnancies. Thus, we conducted a focus group study to identify social risks over the life course that contribute to maternal and child health from the perspective of community members residing in low income urban areas. Ten community-based participatory focus groups were conducted with residents from selected communities in Tampa, Florida, from September to November 2013. We used the life course perspective to illuminate and explain the experiences reported by the interviewees. A total of 78 residents participated in the focus groups. Children and adolescents’ health risks were childhood obesity, lack of physical activity, and low self-esteem. Women’s health risks were low self-esteem, low educational level, low health literacy, inadequate parenting skills, and financial problems. Risks during pregnancy included stress, low self-esteem, inadequate eating patterns, lack of physical activity, healthcare issues, lack of social support, and lack of father involvement during pregnancy. Multiple risk factors contribute to maternal and child health in low income communities in Tampa Bay. The intersection of risk factors in different life periods suggest possible pathways, cumulative, and latent effects, which must be considered in future longitudinal studies and when developing effective maternal and child health programs and policies