116 research outputs found
The future is Gothic: elements of Gothic in dystopian novels
This thesis explores the relationship between the Gothic tradition and Dystopian novels in order to illuminate new perspective on the body in Charlotte Perkins Gilmanâs Herland (1915), Aldous Huxleyâs Brave New World (1932), George Orwellâs Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949), Anthony Burgessâ A Clockwork Orange (1962), Margaret Atwoodâs The Handmaidâs Tale (1985) and Michel Houellebecqâs Atomised (1999). The key concerns are those of the Labyrinth, Dark Places, Connectedness and the Loss of the Individual, Live Burials, Monsters and Fragmented Flesh.
A thematic approach allows for the novels to be brought together under common Gothic themes in order to show not only that they have such tendencies, but that they share common ground as Gothic Dystopias. While the focus is on bodily concerns in these novels, it is also pertinent to offer a discussion of past critical perspectives on the Dystopia and this is undertaken in Chapter One. Chapter Two looks at the narrative structure of the novels and finds similarities in presentation to Gothic novels, which leads to exploration of the position of the body in such a narrative of the unseen. The third chapter looks to the spaces inhabited by characters in the novels to examine their impact on the threat faced by these individuals. The Gothic convention of doubling is the focus of Chapter Four, which finds not only doubling operating in Dystopian novels, but the more complex relationship of triangles of doubling holding characters, fixing them in relation to those around at the expense of selfhood. Chapter Five takes Eve Kosofsky Sedgwickâs musings on the Gothic as its point of departure and finds that Dystopian bodies occupy a very similarly trapped position. Chapter Six identifies two types of monsters that inhabit the Gothic Dystopian space: those people who transform between the human and the monstrous, and those individuals who form a larger monster based on power that lives parasitically on transgressive bodies. The final chapter displays the impact of the Gothic Dystopia on individual bodies: âFragmented Fleshâ. The destruction of a coherent whole, a body with defined and sustainable boundaries, is the outcome of the novels where fear, repression, and the hidden combine to leave little space for cohesion and identification in the Gothic Dystopia
âIt just makes me feel a little less aloneâ a qualitative exploration of the podcast âmenopause unmutedâ on women's perceptions of menopause
Objective:
Menopause can negatively impact women's quality of life, with many women reporting inadequate information and support. Podcasts have grown in popularity in recent years and have been found to be accessible methods for increasing knowledge and challenging perceptions of stigmatized topics. The current research aimed to understand the impact of the podcast âmenopause: unmutedâ on women's menopause-related knowledge, understanding, and communication practices.
Methods:
A diverse sample of 30 women aged 40 to 60 years listened to the podcast series, which focused on menopause stories, before taking part in semistructured interviews to discuss the impact of the podcast on how they understood and communicated about menopause. The interviews were analyzed thematically.
Results:
Two overarching themes were identified in the data. A âjourney of knowledge gainâ explores participantsâ understanding of menopause before listening to the podcast and describes how this is deepened by hearing and connecting with women's stories. âReframing menopauseâ describes the impact of the podcast, where women reflect on the value of communication amongst women, challenge and re-evaluate the stigmatization of menopause, and discuss ways to make positive behavioral changes in their lives.
Conclusions:
The podcast âmenopause: unmutedâ helped women to learn about the menopause experience, have a greater sense of belonging to a community of women, and feel empowered to make changes in their own lives. Sharing stories via podcasts has potential as an accessible and impactful medium to educate women and reduce the widespread stigma associated with menopause
"You're more engaged when you're listening to somebody tell their story": A qualitative exploration into the mechanisms of the podcast 'menopause: unmuted' for communicating health information.
While health podcasts can be effective in reducing stigma and increasing knowledge, we know little about their mechanisms of action. This qualitative study explored the mechanisms of how women connected with the podcast 'menopause: unmuted', which presented menopause information in a storytelling format. A diverse sample of 30 women aged 40-60 years were interviewed after listening to the podcast. Interviews covered participant's views and perceptions of the stories presented. Transcripts were analyzed thematically. Two overarching themes were identified. 'Openness and authenticity' describes the value of personal stories told in an authentic way by real experts-by-experience. 'Relatability and representation' explores participants' emotional reaction to the podcast, influenced by the extent to which they identified with the stories and storytellers on the podcast. Authenticity and relatability were identified as key mechanisms through which participants connected with audio stories, consistent with Fisher's narrative theory. These findings have important implications for the application of storytelling in podcasts designed to influence health behaviors. Diverse stories representing a range of demographic characteristics and experiences are needed when creating podcasts about health information to increase listener's relatability and connection. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Astro2020 Science White Paper: Triggered High-Priority Observations of Dynamic Solar System Phenomena
Unexpected dynamic phenomena have surprised solar system observers in the
past and have led to important discoveries about solar system workings.
Observations at the initial stages of these events provide crucial information
on the physical processes at work. We advocate for long-term/permanent programs
on ground-based and space-based telescopes of all sizes - including Extremely
Large Telescopes (ELTs) - to conduct observations of high-priority dynamic
phenomena, based on a predefined set of triggering conditions. These programs
will ensure that the best initial dataset of the triggering event are taken;
separate additional observing programs will be required to study the temporal
evolution of these phenomena. While not a comprehensive list, the following are
notional examples of phenomena that are rare, that cannot be anticipated, and
that provide high-impact advances to our understandings of planetary processes.
Examples include: new cryovolcanic eruptions or plumes on ocean worlds; impacts
on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune; extreme eruptions on Io; convective
superstorms on Saturn, Uranus, or Neptune; collisions within the asteroid belt
or other small-body populations; discovery of an interstellar object passing
through our solar system (e.g. 'Oumuamua); and responses of planetary
atmospheres to major solar flares or coronal mass ejections.Comment: Astro2020 white pape
The Future of Our Seas: Marine scientists and creative professionals collaborate for science communication
To increase awareness of the current challenges facing the marine environment,
the Future of Our Seas (FOOS) project brought together the expertise of
scientists, public engagement experts and creatives to train and support a
group of marine scientists in effective science communication and innovative
public engagement. This case study aims to inspire scientists and artists to
use the FOOS approach in training, activity design and development support
(hereafter called the âFOOS programmeâ) to collaboratively deliver novel
and creative engagement activities. The authors reflect on the experiences
of the marine scientists: (1) attending the FOOS communication and
engagement training; (2) creating and delivering public engagement activities;
(3) understanding our audience; and (4) collaborating with artists. The authors
also share what the artists and audiences learned from participating in the
FOOS public engagement activities. These different perspectives provide new
insights for the field with respect to designing collaborative training which
maximizes the impact of the training on participants, creative collaborators and
the public. Long-term benefits of taking part in the FOOS programme, such as
initiating future collaborative engagement activities and positively impacting
the scientistsâ research processes, are also highlighted
Solar system Deep Time-Surveys of atmospheres, surfaces, and rings
Imaging and resolved spectroscopy reveal varying environmental conditions in
our dynamic solar system. Many key advances have focused on how these
conditions change over time. Observatory-level commitments to conduct annual
observations of solar system bodies would establish a long-term legacy
chronicling the evolution of dynamic planetary atmospheres, surfaces, and
rings. Science investigations will use these temporal datasets to address
potential biosignatures, circulation and evolution of atmospheres from the edge
of the habitable zone to the ice giants, orbital dynamics and planetary
seismology with ring systems, exchange between components in the planetary
system, and the migration and processing of volatiles on icy bodies, including
Ocean Worlds. The common factor among these diverse investigations is the need
for a very long campaign duration, and temporal sampling at an annual cadence.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures: submitted for Astro2020 White Pape
Alcohol Use and Sustained Virologic Response to Hepatitis C Virus Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy.
IMPORTANCE: Some payers and clinicians require alcohol abstinence to receive direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether alcohol use at DAA treatment initiation is associated with decreased likelihood of sustained virologic response (SVR). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study used electronic health records from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the largest integrated national health care system that provides unrestricted access to HCV treatment. Participants included all patients born between 1945 and 1965 who were dispensed DAA therapy between January 1, 2014, and June 30, 2018. Data analysis was completed in November 2020 with updated sensitivity analyses performed in 2023. EXPOSURE: Alcohol use categories were generated using responses to the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire and International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision diagnoses for alcohol use disorder (AUD): abstinent without history of AUD, abstinent with history of AUD, lower-risk consumption, moderate-risk consumption, and high-risk consumption or AUD. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was SVR, which was defined as undetectable HCV RNA for 12 weeks or longer after completion of DAA therapy. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs of SVR associated with alcohol category. RESULTS: Among 69âŻ229 patients who initiated DAA therapy (mean [SD] age, 62.6 [4.5] years; 67âŻ150 men [97.0%]; 34âŻ655 non-Hispanic White individuals [50.1%]; 28âŻ094 non-Hispanic Black individuals [40.6%]; 58âŻ477 individuals [84.5%] with HCV genotype 1), 65âŻ355 (94.4%) achieved SVR. A total of 32âŻ290 individuals (46.6%) were abstinent without AUD, 9192 (13.3%) were abstinent with AUD, 13âŻ415 (19.4%) had lower-risk consumption, 3117 (4.5%) had moderate-risk consumption, and 11âŻ215 (16.2%) had high-risk consumption or AUD. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, there was no difference in SVR across alcohol use categories, even for patients with high-risk consumption or AUD (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.85-1.07). There was no evidence of interaction by stage of hepatic fibrosis measured by fibrosis-4 score (P for interactionâ=â.30). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study, alcohol use and AUD were not associated with lower odds of SVR. Restricting access to DAA therapy according to alcohol use creates an unnecessary barrier to patients and challenges HCV elimination goals
Inactivation combined with cell lysis of Pseudomonas putida using a low pressure carbon dioxide microbubble technology
BACKGROUND
Inactivation processes can be classified into non-thermal inactivation methods such as ethylene oxide and Îł-radiation, and thermal methods such as autoclaving. The ability of carbon dioxide enriched microbubbles to inactivate Pseudomonas putida suspended in physiological saline, as a non-thermal sterilisation method, was investigated in this study with many operational advantages over both traditional thermal and non-thermal sterilisation methods.
RESULTS
Introducing carbon dioxide enriched microbubbles can achieve âŒ2-Log reduction in the bacterial population after 90âmin of treatment, addition of ethanol to the inactivation solution further enhanced the inactivation process to achieve 3, 2.5 and 3.5-Log reduction for 2%, 5% and 10 %( v/v) ethanol, respectively. A range of morphological changes was observed on Pseudomonas cells after each treatment, and these changes extended from changing cell shape from rod shape to coccus shape to severe lesions and cell death. Pseudomonas putida KT 2440 was used as a model of gram-negative bacteria.
CONCLUSION
Using CO2 enriched microbubbles technology has many advantages such as efficient energy consumption (no heat source), avoidance of toxic and corrosive reagents, and in situ treatment. In addition, many findings from this study could apply to other gram-negative bacteria
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