Mobile communication and network privatism: a literature review of the implications for diverse, weak, and new ties

Most of the research on the implications of mobile communication for social networks has focused on its uses and consequences in the intimate realm of close friends, family, and loved ones. A number of scholars have also become interested in ways that mobile communication helps and hinders the broader realm of network connectivity, including diverse, weak, and new ties. A collection of theoretical perspectives on mobile communication and diverse, weak, and new ties proposes that heightened connectivity in the intimate realm can come at the expense of being engaged more broadly – a scenario I characterize as network privatism. At the same time, the available empirical research in the literature tends to tell a different story, or rather stories. This analysis brings theory and empirical findings into closer conversation with one another by reviewing and synthesizing the literature in this area. Observed patterns in the literature offer new insight into questions of mobile communication and network privatism, while also pointing to opportunities for refinement of theory, analysis, and measurement as this line of inquiry further develops

The complex relationship between weather and dengue virus transmission in Thailand.

Using a novel analytical approach, weather dynamics and seasonal dengue virus transmission cycles were profiled for each Thailand province, 1983-2001, using monthly assessments of cases, temperature, humidity, and rainfall. We observed systematic differences in the structure of seasonal transmission cycles of different magnitude, the role of weather in regulating seasonal cycles, necessary versus optimal transmission "weather-space," basis of large epidemics, and predictive indicators that estimate risk. Larger epidemics begin earlier, develop faster, and are predicted at Onset change-point when case counts are low. Temperature defines a viable range for transmission; humidity amplifies the potential within that range. This duality is central to transmission. Eighty percent of 1.2 million severe dengue cases occurred when mean temperature was 27-29.5°C and mean humidity was > 75%. Interventions are most effective when applied early. Most cases occur near Peak, yet small reductions at Onset can substantially reduce epidemic magnitude. Monitoring the Quiet-Phase is fundamental in effectively targeting interventions pre-emptively

Political Involvement in “Mobilized” Society: The Interactive Relationships Among Mobile Communication, Network Characteristics, and Political Participation

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89468/1/j.1460-2466.2011.01601.x.pd

Mobile Communication and Civil Society: Linking Patterns and Places of Use to Engagement with Others in Public

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91226/1/j.1468-2958.2010.01399.x.pd

Efficient Production of Large 39K Bose-Einstein Condensates

We describe an experimental setup and the cooling procedure for producing 39K Bose-Einstein condensates of over 4x10^5 atoms. Condensation is achieved via a combination of sympathetic cooling with 87Rb in a quadrupole-Ioffe-configuration (QUIC) magnetic trap, and direct evaporation in a large volume crossed optical dipole trap, where we exploit the broad Feshbach resonance at 402 G to tune the 39K interactions from weak and attractive to strong and repulsive. In the same apparatus we create quasi-pure 87Rb condensates of over 8x10^5 atoms.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures; figure font compatibility improve

Imagining 5G: Public sensemaking through advertising in China and the US

This study initiates a line of research on how the fifth generation of wireless infrastructure (“5G”) is being imagined through media portrayals—in this case through advertising. At the time of this writing, 5G is not yet widely available, however the media is saturated with narratives about how it will revolutionize everyday life. Drawing from the social imaginaries and media infrastructures traditions, this textual analysis examines the social shaping of 5G through advertisements from leading telecoms in leading markets, including China and the United States. Findings reveal an overarching trend with ads from both societies imagining 5G in futuristic and utopian ways, suggesting new possibilities for people, objects, and places to be connected through smart homes, vehicles, factories, and cities—not just through smart phones. The findings also reveal distinctions in how 5G is envisioned at the societal level. For example, ads from China imagine 5G as a source of national pride that will elevate its global standing, while the US telecoms have a more inward focus on domestic competition. The discussion offers interpretations of these and other findings, along with directions for future research