5,487 research outputs found
Discourse and identity in a corpus of lesbian erotica
This article uses corpus linguistic methodologies to explore representations of lesbian desires and identities in a corpus of lesbian erotica from the 1980s and 1990s. We provide a critical examination of the ways in which ālesbian gender,ā power, and desire are represented, (re-)produced, and enacted, often in ways that challenge hegemonic discourses of gender and sexuality. By examining word frequencies and collocations, we critically analyze some of the themes, processes, and patterns of representation in the texts. Although rooted in linguistics, we hope this article provides an accessible, interdisciplinary, and timely contribution toward developing understandings of discursive practices surrounding gender and sexuality
NEET Speaks: Influences Shaping Young Peopleās Choices of Education, Training and Employment
The research approach adopted is based on the fundamental belief that young people gain benefits from their experience within their social and geographical communities, i.e. neighbourhoods, which are often not formally recognised. The project explored the extent to which hard-to-reach individualsā learning and career development needs are currently being met. It focused in particular on emerging themes based on young peopleās experiences of family, community, learning and work
NEET Speaks: Influences Shaping Young Peopleās Choices of Education, Training and Employment
The International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS), University of Derby, has produced this report for South Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council in association with Connexions Doncaster. It is based on the findings from a qualitative study designed to focus on the voices of young people in the Doncaster area, who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). The research aimed to explore individualsā perceptions of the significance of community attachments, including issues such as neighbourhood, fraternities, and young peopleās access to learning and work opportunities. This report is complementary to ongoing work carried by Connexions Doncaster as part of their NEET Strategy 2007-2008 framework.
Background
This study is designed to add qualitative depth to, as well as expand on the findings from South Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council and Connexions Doncaster locally funded 14-19 youth support projects. The approach of the project is based on a belief that young people gain benefits from their experience within their social and geographical (neighbourhood) communities, which are often not formally recognised. Some of these benefits may mitigate the NEET experience. They may include:
Skills and knowledge
Enhanced networks
Self-assurance within a peer group
Personal growth
Communication skills.
The point here is that external perceptions may well be incapable of recognising positive aspects or boundaryless benefits such as those listed above, which may in fact be a key to positive outcomes for disengaged young people. Knowledge of these benefits, it is believed, will help policy makers, Connexions staff, colleges and providers to better understand how to provide programmes of engagement for these young people.
Aim
The project was designed to explore the extent to which hard to reach individualsā learning and career development needs are currently being met, focusing in particular on emerging themes based on their experience of family, community, learning and work. The project aims to inform the future development of suitably
Establishment reality vs maintenance reality: how real is real enough?
Remote and virtual laboratories are increasingly prevalent alternatives to the face-to-face laboratory experience; however, the question of their learning outcomes is yet to be fully investigated. There are many presumptions regarding the effectiveness of these approaches; foremost amongst these assumptions is that the experience must be 'real' to be effective. Embedding reality into a remote or virtual laboratory can be an expensive and time-consuming task. Significant efforts have been expended to create 3D VRML models of laboratory equipment, allowing students to pan, zoom and tilt their perspective as they see fit. Multiple camera angles have been embedded into remote interfaces to provide an increased sense of 'realness'. This paper draws upon the literature in the field to show that the necessary threshold for reality varies depending upon how the students are interacting with the equipment. There is one threshold for when they first interact - the establishment reality - which allows the students to familiarise themselves with the laboratory equipment, and to build their mental model of the experience. There is, however, a second, lower, threshold - the maintenance reality - that is necessary for the students' ongoing operation of the equipment. Students' usage patterns rely upon a limited subset of the available functionality, focusing upon only some aspects of the reality that has been originally established. The two threshold model presented in this paper provides a new insight for the development of virtual laboratories in the future
Tip-Clearance Actuation With Magnetic Bearings for High-Speed Compressor Stall Control
Magnetic bearings are widely used as active suspension devices in rotating machinery, mainly for active vibration control purposes. The concept of active tip clearance control suggests a new application of magnetic bearings as servo-actuators to stabilize rotating stall in axial compressors. This paper presents a first-of-a-kind feasibility study of an active stall control experiment with a magnetic bearing servo-actuator in the NASA Glenn high-speed single-stage compressor test facility. Together with CFD and experimental data a two-dimensional, incompressible compressor stability model was used in a stochastic estimation and control analysis to determine the required magnetic bearing performance for compressor stall control. The resulting requirements introduced new challenges to the magnetic bearing actuator design. A magnetic bearing servo-actuator was designed which fulfilled the performance specifications. Control laws were then developed to stabilize the compressor shaft. In a second control loop, a constant gain controller was implemented to stabilize rotating stall. A detailed closed loop simulation at 100% corrected design speed resulted in a 2.3% reduction of stalling mass flow which is comparable to results obtained in the same compressor by Weigl et al. (1998) using unsteady air injection. The design and simulation results presented here establish the viability of magnetic bearings for stall control in aero-engine high-speed compressors. Furthermore the paper outlines a general design procedure to develop magnetic bearing servo-actuators for high-speed turbomachinery.United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NAG3-1457
Theory of Mind Performance in Younger and Older Adults with Elevated Autistic Traits
Little is known about the impact of aging with Autism Spectrum Disorder on theory of mind (ToM). While ToM difficulties appear to abate with age in older autistic populations, this has yet to be explored in the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP). The current study examined ToM performance among younger (n = 49, aged 18ā46) and older adults (n = 47, aged 60ā91) who were classified as on the BAP (younger n = 18; older n = 21) or not (younger n = 31; older n = 26) using the BAP Questionnaire. ToM was assessed using the ecologically valid Strange Stories Film Task (SSFT) and the dynamic HappĆ©āFrith Triangle Animations task (TA). A 2āĆā2 analysis of variance examined the effects of autistic traits (BAP vs. nonāBAP) and age (young vs. old). For both SSFT and TA, results showed autistic trait main effects on task performance (nonāBAPā>āBAP). Age main effects were observed for some but not all metrics on TA (younger better than older), with no differences in SSFT. An interaction of autistic traits and age was observed in TA Intentionality, with younger nonāBAP and younger BAP performing similarly but older nonāBAP performing better than older BAP. Results show that younger and older adults with elevated autistic traits show poorer ToM performance. Despite ToM difficulties being common in later life in the general population, this effect was not observed when using a ToM task designed to reflect realāworld scenarios. However, results suggest that autistic traits and age could interact to increase risk for poor ToM performance in older adults who endorse elevated autistic traits
V838 Monocerotis: the central star and its environment a decade after outburst
Aims. V838 Monocerotis erupted in 2002, brightened in a series of outbursts,
and eventually developed a spectacular light echo. A very red star emerged a
few months after the outburst. The whole event has been interpreted as the
result of a merger. Methods. We obtained near-IR and mid-IR interferometric
observations of V838 Mon with the AMBER and MIDI recombiners located at the
Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) array. The MIDI two-beam
observations were obtained with the 8m Unit Telescopes between October 2011 and
February 2012. The AMBER three-beam observations were obtained with the compact
array (Bm) in April 2013 and the long array (B140m) in May 2014,
using the 1.8m Auxiliary Telescopes. Results. A significant new result is the
detection of a compact structure around V838 Mon, as seen from MIDI data. The
extension of the structure increases from a FWHM of 25 mas at 8 {\mu}m to 70
mas at 13 {\mu}m. At the adopted distance of D = 6.1 0.6 kpc, the dust is
distributed from about 150 to 400 AU around V838 Mon. The MIDI visibilities
reveal a flattened structure whose aspect ratio increases with wavelength. The
major axis is roughly oriented around a position angle of -10 degrees, which
aligns with previous polarimetric studies reported in the literature. This
flattening can be interpreted as a relic of the 2002 eruption or by the
influence of the currently embedded B3V companion. The AMBER data provide a new
diameter for the pseudo-photosphere, which shows that its diameter has
decreased by about 40% in 10yrs, reaching a radius R = 750 200
R (3.5 1.0 AU). Conclusions. After the 2002 eruption,
interpreted as the merging of two stars, it seems that the resulting source is
relaxing to a normal state. The nearby environment exhibits an equatorial
over-density of dust up to several hundreds of AU.Comment: Astronomy and Astrophysics (2014) Will be set by the publishe
Streptococcus mutans Levels and Biotypes in Egyptian and Saudi Arabian Students During the First Months of Residency in the United States
Several studies indicated that serotype/biotype c strains are the most common on a global basis, but that regional differences may occur relative to other serotype/biotypes. Of particular interest is the observation that individuals residing in the Middle East have higher incidences of serotype e and d strains relative to their levels in American citizens. This could reflect exposure to different Streptococcus mutans serotypes during the period in which the teeth are colonized, or might reflect other factors local to the region, such as diet. The purpose of the present study was to observe Egyptian and Saudi Arabian students during the first four months after their arrival in the United States, in order to determine whether this change in habitat affected the levels and biotypes of S. mutans. The results of this study showed that biotype c strains were the most prevalent in saliva and plaque of these Egyptians and Saudi Arabian students, followed by biotype e and biotype d. There was a drop in the number of S. mutans in the saliva and the proportions of S. mutans in the plaque after two months of residence in the United States, followed by a significant increase after four months of residence. This increase was most noticeable in subjects who had a higher number of decayed surfaces. In these subjects, the percentage of S. mutans in pooled occlusal plaque increased significantly, from 6.1 to 13.2%.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66894/2/10.1177_00220345840630011201.pd
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