Battle of the Brains: Election-Night Forecasting at the Dawn of the Computer Age

This dissertation examines journalists' early encounters with computers as tools for news reporting, focusing on election-night forecasting in 1952. Although election night 1952 is frequently mentioned in histories of computing and journalism as a quirky but seminal episode, it has received little scholarly attention. This dissertation asks how and why election night and the nascent field of television news became points of entry for computers in news reporting. The dissertation argues that although computers were employed as pathbreaking "electronic brains" on election night 1952, they were used in ways consistent with a long tradition of election-night reporting. As central events in American culture, election nights had long served to showcase both news reporting and new technology, whether with 19th-century devices for displaying returns to waiting crowds or with 20th-century experiments in delivering news by radio. In 1952, key players - television news broadcasters, computer manufacturers, and critics - showed varied reactions to employing computers for election coverage. But this computer use in 1952 did not represent wholesale change. While live use of the new technology was a risk taken by broadcasters and computer makers in a quest for attention, the underlying methodology of forecasting from early returns did not represent a sharp break with pre-computer approaches. And while computers were touted in advance as key features of election-night broadcasts, the "electronic brains" did not replace "human brains" as primary sources of analysis on election night in 1952. This case study chronicles the circumstances under which a new technology was employed by a relatively new form of the news media. On election night 1952, the computer was deployed not so much to revolutionize news reporting as to capture public attention. It functioned in line with existing values and practices of election-night journalism. In this important instance, therefore, the new technology's technical features were less a driving force for adoption than its usefulness as a wonder and as a symbol to enhance the prestige of its adopters. This suggests that a new technology's capacity to provide both technical and symbolic social utility can be key to its chances for adoption by the news media

Comparative Literature Analysis of Peripheral Vestibular Function Assessment Tools

Objective Purpose: One main function of the peripheral vestibular system\u27s semicircular canals is to stabilize images on a target during head movements through the important vestibula-ocular reflex (VOR) in order to maintain clear vision. Abnormal VOR response results in fast, compensatory, catch­ up saccadic eye movements suggesting dysfunction in the semicircular canals. Several functional assessment tools have been developed since the twentieth century to measure the VOR response and saccadic eye movement, and some are still widely used currently, such as the caloric test, rotary chair test, bedside head impulse test (bHIT), scleral search coil technique, and video head impulse test (vHIT). However, with advancing technology and evidence-based medicine, what was traditionally used lack validity and reliability or clinical applicability. This paper aims to 1. evaluate each of the five assessment tools individually in describing its historical use, set-up parameters, benefits, and limitations, and 2. to compare current literature on the validity of the newest vHIT assessment tool against the other four, age-tested peripheral vestibular function assessment tools. Methods: A comparative literature analysis was performed, using a computerized literature search from Medline, CINAHL, PubMed, Google Scholar, and PEDro. Studies describing search words such as vestibular system, peripheral vestibular function, semicircular canal, VOR, saccades, assessment tools, caloric test, rotary chair test, bedside head impulse test (bHIT), scleral search coil technique, and video head impulse test (vHIT) were included. Human subjects and English language restrictions were imposed. 27 studies, textbooks and manuscripts were included. Results: In the current literature, the newest vHIT assessment tool was consistently found to provide accurate and objective data in identifying peripheral vestibular dysfunction of the semicircular canals, in both middle-aged and older healthy controls, as well as in patients in an acute and non-acute peripheral vestibular disease stage. In comparison to the other four assessment tools, the vHIT was also found to be portable, simple, affordable, quick, non­ invasive, and clinically easy-to-use. Conclusion: The findings of the comparative literature search suggest the newest assessment tool, the vHIT, can be considered the best available reference standard for an assessment tool in identifying peripheral vestibular dysfunction of the semicircular canals, based on its validity, reliability and widespread clinical applicability. Further clinical research is needed to determine if the theoretical comparisons are true

Clothing robots for rescue operations for radiation protection

Rescue robots are preferred over humans in situations, where human lives can be adversely affected. For instance, in Fukushima nuclear disaster, rescue robots were sent to the irradiated environment of the site to carry out investigations and rescue works. However, rescue robots can also be hurt by the radiations. For instance, electronic components of a rescue robot can malfunction when exposed to radiations, which may hinder rescuing tasks. Therefore, the protection of electronic components in an irradiated environment is the bottleneck problem for such rescue robots to work. The contemporary solution to this problem is to design a specialized rescue robot with a specialized material or coating material to build such robots. Such a solution proved to be ineffective in the Fukushima nuclear disaster management as well as to be costly. This thesis proposes a new concept – namely to wrap a robot with clothes that stop radiations. That is to say, any robot that may certainly not be specifically designed for working in an irradiated environment can clothe itself and then work in an irradiated environment. Feasibility of the concept of clothing a robot along with its technology was investigated in this thesis, and this includes classification of rescue robots in an irradiated environment, development of the architecture of clothes for robots, selection of materials for the clothes for radiation protection. A case study to validate the concept and technology was also conducted. To the best of the author’s knowledge of the available literature, no one in the field of robotics mentioned the concept of clothing robots. The result of the study in this thesis will have a huge benefit to the nuclear energy industry worldwide

Psychotherapeutic work with Families with Life-threatening Maternal Illness

This exploratory research study describes a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic clinical service offered to children/adolescents and their families with mothers with a life-threatening illness. The clinical service itself was also exploratory in nature. The research objectives of the study were (i) to explore whether this form of clinical work could be beneficial for such families in relieving distress and supporting their development; (ii) to discover the factors at play within and between the family members using an adaptation of Grounded Theory research methodology; and (iii) to add to the knowledge base for adults – family members and professionals – relating to, and dealing with, such children and adolescents. Descriptions and discussion of the therapeutic input and research study are given. Symptoms, which included emotional, behavioural, psychological, learning, and interpersonal difficulties, decreased in all the children/adolescents who were offered clinical treatment within an outpatient multidisciplinary Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Service (CAMHS). Six Themes were identified across the cases and these were named: Engagement, Parental Concern, Impact of Mother’s Illness, Defences, Sustaining Factors and Feeling Different. These Themes are discussed in the light of relevant published research. A literature review was undertaken and focuses on: epidemiological context; children’s understanding of death; impact of parental bereavement in childhood; the mourning process; anticipatory grief; psychoanalysis: mourning and trauma; children’s play and drawings as communication; and psychosocial therapeutic services. The thesis has particular relevance for child and adolescent psychotherapists and other mental health professionals who work within hospital and hospice settings

Skin testing versus radioallergosorbent testing for indoor allergens

BACKGROUND: Skin testing (ST) is the most common screening method for allergy evaluation. Measurement of serum specific IgE is also commonly used, but less so by allergists than by other practitioners. The sensitivity and specificity of these testing methods may vary by type of causative allergen and type of allergic manifestation. We compared ST reactivity with serum specific IgE antibodies to common indoor allergens in patients with respiratory allergies. METHODS: 118 patients (3 mo-58 yr, mean 12 yr) with allergic rhinitis and/or bronchial asthma had percutaneous skin testing (PST) supplemented by intradermal testing (ID) with those allergens suspected by history but showed negative PST. The sera were tested blindly for specific IgE antibodies by the radioallergosorbent test (Phadebas RAST). The allergens were D. farinae (118), cockroach (60), cat epithelium (90), and dog epidermal (90). Test results were scored 0–4; ST ≥ 2 + and RAST ≥ 1 + were considered positive. RESULTS: The two tests were in agreement (i.e., either both positive or both negative) in 52.2% (dog epidermal) to 62.2% (cat epithelium). When RAST was positive, ST was positive in 80% (dog epidermal) to 100% (cockroach mix). When ST was positive, RAST was positive in 16.3% (dog epidermal) to 50.0% (D. farinae). When RAST was negative, ST was positive in 48.5% (cat epithelium) to 69.6% (D. farinae). When ST was negative, RAST was positive in 0% (cockroach) to 5.6% (cat epithelium). The scores of ST and RAST showed weak to moderate correlation (r = 0.24 to 0.54). Regardless of history of symptoms on exposure, ST was superior to RAST in detecting sensitization to cat epithelium and dog epidermal. CONCLUSION: For all four indoor allergens tested, ST was more sensitive than RAST. When both tests were positive, their scores showed poor correlation. Sensitizations to cat epithelium and dog epidermal are common, even in subjects who claimed no direct exposure

Psychotherapeutic work with families with life-threatening maternal illness

This exploratory research study describes a child and adolescent psychotherapeutic clinical service offered to children/adolescents and their families with mothers with a life-threatening illness. The clinical service itself was also exploratory in nature. The research objectives of the study were (i) to explore whether this form of clinical work could be beneficial for such families in relieving distress and supporting their development; (ii) to discover the factors at play within and between the family members using an adaptation of Grounded Theory research methodology; and (iii) to add to the knowledge base for adults – family members and professionals – relating to, and dealing with, such children and adolescents. Descriptions and discussion of the therapeutic input and research study are given. Symptoms, which included emotional, behavioural, psychological, learning, and interpersonal difficulties, decreased in all the children/adolescents who were offered clinical treatment within an outpatient multidisciplinary Tier 3 Child and Adolescent Service (CAMHS). Six themes were identified across the cases and these were named: Engagement, Parental Concern, Impact of Mother’s Illness, Defences, Sustaining Factors and Feeling Different. These Themes are discussed in the light of relevant published research. A literature review was undertaken and focuses on: epidemiological context; children’s understanding of death; impact of parental bereavement in childhood; the mourning process; anticipatory grief; psychoanalysis: mourning and trauma; children’s play and drawings as communication; and psychosocial therapeutic services. The thesis has particular relevance for child and adolescent psychotherapists and other mental health professionals who work within hospital and hospice settings