Exploring Russian Information Troops Using Geography and Google Trends

With this project, we focus on Russian information-based global influences or “hacks” in order to generate new ideas about disruptive digital activities that can emanate from any country and bring effects that are potentially global in their impact. Russia as both a site and political actor exemplifies a case of global, digital, and democratic disruption, and this research points to potential locations housing Russian information troops. The findings provide a way to see patterns in media-related tactics contributing overall to the existing evidence of ‘hybrid’ or information warfare identified in recent literature

Affinity Spaces and Gamers: Time Online and Associated Emotion

Scholars in information science often take interest in a wide variety of questions and dilemmas relative to games and gamers, technology and users. With this project, we focus on affinity space confessions. Our focus addresses video-game players’ perceptions of their time spent gaming in a time-scarce world. Though exploratory in nature, this study raises powerful questions around user perception of time spent in leisure activities. Indeed, this project raises many important issues between the time players devote to entertainment and the privilege of being able to play “too much.” We provide a discussion of what our findings can mean for information scientists, game developers, and other scholars across disciplines interested in the relationship between game playing, psychology, and behavior

Resources for Workplace Diversity: An Annotated Practitioner Guide to Information

[Excerpt] We are pleased to offer this updated edition of Resources for Workplace Diversity: An Annotated Practitioner Guide to Information, a unique offering of The Workplace Diversity Network. Our goal is to assemble a selected, annotated list of compelling and useful resources available to help diversity practitioners create organizations that are diverse and productive. As a working group, we agreed that useful resources would include newly published books as well as historic, seminal works that provide insight and illumination irrelevant of their age. In the updated edition, we’ve expanded existing sections, added new ones and referenced online access where possible. Designed with practitioner needs in mind, Resources for Workplace Diversity is meant to be an evolving document, one that will grow according to the needs and recommendations of its users. To capture the advantage of networking, we invite you to suggest additional resources that you have found to be valuable

Retrobulbar Hematoma from Warfarin Toxicity and the Limitations of Bedside Ocular Sonography

The following case describes a 26-year-old female who presented to the emergency department with a nontrauamtic retrobulbar hematoma associated with warfarin toxicity. The application and limitations of focused bedside ocular sonography for this condition are discussed

Possible Néel Orderings of the Kagomé Antiferromagnet

Possible Néel orderings of antiferromagnetically coupled spins on a kagomé lattice are studied using linear-spin-wave theory and high-temperature expansions. Spin-wave analysis, applied to q=0 (three spins per magnetic unit cell) and to √3 × √3 (nine spins per cell) Néel orderings yield identical excitation spectra with twofold-degenerate linear modes and a dispersionless zero-energy mode. This dispersionless mode is equivalent to an excitation localized to an arbitrary hexagon of nearest-neighbor spins. Second- (J2) and third- (J3) neighbor interactions are shown to stabilize the q=0 state for J2\u3eJ3 and the √3 × √3 state for J23. A high-temperature expansion of the spin-spin susceptibility χαβ(q) is performed to order 1/T8, for n-component, classical spins with nearest-neighbor interactions only. To order 1/T7 the largest eigenvalue of the susceptibility matrix is found to be independent of wave vector with an eigenvector that corresponds to the dispersionless mode of the ordered phase. This degeneracy is removed at order 1/T8. For n=0, the q=0 mode is favored; for n=1, the band is flat; and, for n\u3e1, the maximum susceptibility is found for a √3 × √3 excitation. Similar results are found for the three-dimensional pyrochlore lattice. The high-temperature expansion is used to interpret experimental data for the uniform susceptibility and powder-neutron-diffraction spectrum for the kagomé-lattice system SrCr8−xGa4+xO19

The Carina Nebula and Gum 31 molecular complex: II. The distribution of the atomic gas revealed in unprecedented detail

We report high spatial resolution observations of the HI 21cm line in the Carina Nebula and the Gum 31 region obtained with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. The observations covered $\sim$ 12 deg$^2$ centred on $l= 287.5\deg,b = -1\deg$, achieving an angular resolution of $\sim$ 35 arcseconds. The HI map revealed complex filamentary structures across a wide range of velocities. Several "bubbles" are clearly identified in the Carina Nebula Complex, produced by the impact of the massive star clusters located in this region. An HI absorption profile obtained towards the strong extragalactic radio source PMN J1032--5917 showed the distribution of the cold component of the atomic gas along the Galactic disk, with the Sagittarius-Carina and Perseus spiral arms clearly distinguishable. Preliminary calculations of the optical depth and spin temperatures of the cold atomic gas show that the HI line is opaque ($\tau \gtrsim$ 2) at several velocities in the Sagittarius-Carina spiral arm. The spin temperature is $\sim100$ K in the regions with the highest optical depth, although this value might be lower for the saturated components. The atomic mass budget of Gum 31 is $\sim35 \%$ of the total gas mass. HI self absorption features have molecular counterparts and good spatial correlation with the regions of cold dust as traced by the infrared maps. We suggest that in Gum 31 regions of cold temperature and high density are where the atomic to molecular gas phase transition is likely to be occurring.Comment: 20 pages, 1 table, 16 Figures, Accepted for Publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journa

Embody - Encode

According to Walter Murch, sound designer, “The clearest example of encoded sound is speech. The clearest example of embodied sound is music.” In image, object and performance I have been exploring the embodiment of the encoded through the graphic representation of symbols (illustrate), the manifestation of symbols through material construction (embody), the activation of symbolized meaning though performance (enact), and the dematerialization of form and democratic dispersal of information through shared experience (engage). This methodological approach aims to transform metaphysics into physical being as a mode for researching energetics and abstract communication by bringing theory into practice where it can be tested for truth

Morality, equality and national identity in Carmen Lyra's Cuentos de mi tía Panchita

This study argues that Lyra used Cuentos de mi tia Panchita as a vehicle to promote her socio-educational vision, whilst also endorsing a distinctive national identity and strong moral messages. Stories are examined for themes including Costa Rican national identity and the author's political ideology with particular reference to morality, and gender and class equality. Subversion of moral and patriarchal values is also explored. Moral contradictions are identified and discussed, leading to the conclusion that Lyra's work includes examples of both positive and negative behaviour. It is suggested that Lyra does not differentiate character traits or domestic situations based on gender stereotypes; her characters are equals. Furthermore, although some stories include various socio-economic groups, they also feature characters that transcend the different social classes. Lyra promotes gender equality for all, and her protagonists present inventive strategies for coping with social inequalities. The moral inferences throughout the text may help children construct their own values and social convictions. Such values, in addition to the cultural authenticity of the text, are seemingly just as relevant to Costa Rican children today, as confirmed by the immense popularity of the Cuentos de mi tia Panchita and the continued interest it receives from literary scholars

Management objectives of Queensland fisheries: Putting the horse before the cart

A review of future management arrangements for the Queensland East Coast Trawl fishery was undertaken in 2010 to develop a management plan for the next 10 years. A key question raised at the start of the review process was: what should the management plan achieve? As with fisheries management in most countries, multiple management objectives were implicit in policy statements, but were poorly specified in some areas (particularly social objectives) and strongly identified in others (e.g., an objective of sustainability). As a start to the management review process, an analysis of what objectives the management system should aim to achieve was undertaken. A review of natural resource management objectives employed internationally was used to develop a candidate list, and the objectives most relevant to the fishery were short-listed by a scientific advisory group. Additional objectives specific to Queensland fisheries management, but not identified in the international review, were also identified and incorporated into the objective set. The relative importance of the different objectives to different stakeholder groups was assessed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. As with other studies, the relative importance of the different objectives varied both within and between the different stakeholder groups, although general trends in preferences were observed