Collective self-understanding: A linguistic style analysis of naturally occurring text data

Understanding what groups stand for is integral to a diverse array of social processes, ranging from understanding political conflicts to organisational behaviour to promoting public health behaviours. Traditionally, researchers rely on self-report methods such as interviews and surveys to assess groups’ collective self-understandings. Here, we demonstrate the value of using naturally occurring online textual data to map the similarities and differences between real-world groups’ collective self-understandings. We use machine learning algorithms to assess similarities between 15 diverse online groups’ linguistic style, and then use multidimensional scaling to map the groups in two-dimensonal space (N=1,779,098 Reddit comments). We then use agglomerative and k-means clustering techniques to assess how the 15 groups cluster, finding there are four behaviourally distinct group types – vocational, collective action (comprising political and ethnic/religious identities), relational and stigmatised groups, with stigmatised groups having a less distinctive behavioural profile than the other group types. Study 2 is a secondary data analysis where we find strong relationships between the coordinates of each group in multidimensional space and the groups’ values. In Study 3, we demonstrate how this approach can be used to track the development of groups’ collective self-understandings over time. Using transgender Reddit data (N= 1,095,620 comments) as a proof-of-concept, we track the gradual politicisation of the transgender group over the past decade. The automaticity of this methodology renders it advantageous for monitoring multiple online groups simultaneously. This approach has implications for both governmental agencies and social researchers more generally. Future research avenues and applications are discussed.</p

Collective self-understanding: A linguistic style analysis of naturally occurring text data

Understanding what groups stand for is integral to a diverse array of social processes, ranging from understanding political conflicts to organisational behaviour to promoting public health behaviours. Traditionally, researchers rely on self-report methods such as interviews and surveys to assess groups' collective self-understandings. Here, we demonstrate the value of using naturally occurring online textual data to map the similarities and differences between real-world groups' collective self-understandings. We use machine learning algorithms to assess similarities between 15 diverse online groups' linguistic style, and then use multidimensional scaling to map the groups in two-dimensonal space (N=1,779,098 Reddit comments). We then use agglomerative and k-means clustering techniques to assess how the 15 groups cluster, finding there are four behaviourally distinct group types - vocational, collective action (comprising political and ethnic/religious identities), relational and stigmatised groups, with stigmatised groups having a less distinctive behavioural profile than the other group types. Study 2 is a secondary data analysis where we find strong relationships between the coordinates of each group in multidimensional space and the groups' values. In Study 3, we demonstrate how this approach can be used to track the development of groups' collective self-understandings over time. Using transgender Reddit data (N= 1,095,620 comments) as a proof-of-concept, we track the gradual politicisation of the transgender group over the past decade. The automaticity of this methodology renders it advantageous for monitoring multiple online groups simultaneously. This approach has implications for both governmental agencies and social researchers more generally. Future research avenues and applications are discussed

Framing an independent, integrated and evidence-based evaluation of the state of Australia's biophysical and human environments

A new approach was developed for Australia's 2011 national State of the Environment (SoE) report to integrate the assessment of biophysical and human elements of the environment. A Common Assessment and Reporting Framework (CARF) guided design and implementation, responding to jurisdictional complexity, outstanding natural diversity and ecosystem values, high levels of cultural and heritage diversity, and a paucity of national-scale data. The CARF provided a transparent response to the need for an independent, robust and evidence-based national SoE report. We conclude that this framework will be effective for subsequent national SoE assessments and other integrated national-scale assessments in data-poor regions.The work reported here was funded and supported by DSEWPaC, and we recognise the high level of professional support provided by the DSEWPaC SoE Team and other staff, the professional support of Biotext information consultancy (biotext. com.au), the vision of the commissioning Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts (Peter Garrett) in presenting us with this challenge, and the support of the presenting Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Tony Burke) in accepting and delivering the final report to Australia

The first ever anti-football painting: A consideration of the soccer match in John Singer Sargent’s "Gassed"

The paper presents a discussion of Gassed, a large oil painting by John Singer Sargent displayed at the Imperial War Museum in London. Completed in 1919, Gassed is the major achievement from Sargent’s commission as an official war artist at the appointment of the British War Memorials Committee during the latter period of World War I. Prominent in the painting is a group of soldiers, blinded by a mustard gas attack, being lead to a casualty clearing station tent. In the distant background of the painting, another group of soldiers can be seen kitted out in football attire playing a match. The significance of this football imagery is our point of enquiry. As our title suggests, some recent interpretations regard the painting as offering critical reflection, from the time, about the symbolic links between sport and war. However, while the painting may certainly be left open to this type of viewer interpretation, archival and secondary resource material research does not support such a critical intention by the artist. Yet, nor is there evidence that Sargent’s intention was the projection of war-heroism. Rather, Sargent’s endeavour to faithfully represent what he observed allows Gassed to be regarded as a visual record of routine activity behind the lines and of football as an aspect of the daily life of British soldiers during the Great War

Performance of a non-invasive test for detecting mycobacterium bovis shedding in European badger (meles meles) populations

The incidence of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, in cattle herds in the United Kingdom is increasing, resulting in substantial economic losses. The European badger (Meles meles) is implicated as a wildlife reservoir and is the subject of control measures aimed at reducing incidence in cattle populations. Understanding the epidemiology of M. bovis in badger populations is essential to direct control interventions and understand disease spread; however, accurate diagnosis in live animals is challenging and currently uses invasive methods. Here we present a non-invasive diagnostic procedure and sampling regime using field sampling of latrines and detection of M. bovis with qPCR, the results of which strongly correlate with the results of immunoassay testing in the field at the social group level. This method allows M. bovis infection in badger populations to be monitored without trapping and provides additional information on the quantity of bacterial DNA shed. Our approach may therefore provide valuable insights into the epidemiology of bovine tuberculosis in badger populations and inform disease control interventions

The variability and seasonality of the environmental reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis shed by wild European badgers

The incidence of Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of bovine tuberculosis, has been increasing in UK cattle herds resulting in substantial economic losses. The European badger (Meles meles) is implicated as a wildlife reservoir of infection. One likely route of transmission to cattle is through exposure to infected badger urine and faeces. The relative importance of the environment in transmission remains unknown, in part due to the lack of information on the distribution and magnitude of environmental reservoirs. Here we identify potential infection hotspots in the badger population and quantify the heterogeneity in bacterial load; with infected badgers shedding between 1 × 103 − 4 × 105 M. bovis cells g−1 of faeces, creating a substantial and seasonally variable environmental reservoir. Our findings highlight the potential importance of monitoring environmental reservoirs of M. bovis which may constitute a component of disease spread that is currently overlooked and yet may be responsible for a proportion of transmission amongst badgers and onwards to cattle

Football: a counterpoint to the procession of pain on the Western Front, 1914-1918?

In this article, three artworks of the First World War containing images of recreational football are analysed. These three images, In the Wings of the Theatre of War, Artillery Men at Football and Gassed, span the war from its beginning to its conclusion and are discussed in relationship to the development of recreational football in the front-line area, the evolving policies of censorship and propaganda and in consideration of the national mood in Britain. The paper shows how football went from being a spontaneous and improvised pastime in the early stages of the war to a well organized entertainment by war’s end. The images demonstrate how the war was portrayed as a temporary affair by a confident nation in 1914 to a more resigned acceptance of a semi-permanent event to be endured by 1918; however, all three artworks show that the sporting spirit, and hence the fighting spirit, of the British soldier was intact

Neutron-nucleus total cross sections at 5.7 GeV/c

The neutron total cross sections for He, Be, C, Al, Fe, Cu, Cd, W, Pb and U have been measured to an accuracy of 2% at 5.7 +/- 0.6 GeV/c. The total cross section versus atomic weight data was fit to an absorbing uniform grey sphere optical model. The best fit parameters are R = aoA1/3 where ao = 1.27 +/- 0.01 fm, and a nucleon mean free path in nuclear matter of 3.0 +/- 0.2 fm. The energy dependence of the nucleon-nucleus total cross sections is discussed in terms of the nucleon-nucleon total cross sections and a screening terms.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/32800/1/0000173.pd

Neutron-proton and neutron-deuteron total cross sections at 4.0 and 5.7 GeV/c

The np and nd total cross sections have been measured directly with a neutron beam with momenta of 4.0 +/- 0.6 and 5.7 +/- 0.6 GeV/c. The data are compared with the previous nucleon-nucleon and nucleon-deuteron results, and the deuteron screening term was also evaluated. The measured total cross section are 43.1 +/- 0.6 and 80.3 +/- 1.9 mb at 4.0 GeV/c and 42 +/- 0.6 and 77.8 +/- 1.3 mb at 5.7 GeV/c.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/32799/1/0000172.pd