All work and no pay: consequences of unpaid work experience in the creative industries

This research note evaluates the benefits and pitfalls of unpaid work as an entry route into employment in the creative industries and investigates the consequences of this practice for those who already work in the sector. Based on a qualitative study of perspectives of stakeholders in unpaid work, this article argues that the social capital thesis, often used as a rationale for unpaid work, inadequately explains the practice of unpaid work experience, primarily because it does not take cognisance of the consequences of this practice for other people working in the sector. The study also highlights methodological issues that need to be considered in the future. As well as the importance of a plurality of stakeholder perspectives, the study emphasizes the need to consider the perspectives of those who are excluded from unpaid work and those who are potentially displaced by it

Genome-wide analysis of mRNAs bound to the histone stem-loop binding protein

The replication-dependent histone mRNAs are cell-cycle-regulated and expressed only during S phase. In contrast to all other eukaryotic mRNAs, the histone mRNAs end in a highly conserved 16-nucleotide stem–loop rather than a poly(A) tail. The stem–loop is necessary and sufficient for the post-transcriptional regulation of histone mRNA during the cell cycle. The histone mRNA 3′ stem–loop is bound by the stem–loop binding protein (SLBP) that is involved in pre-mRNA processing, translation, and stability of histone mRNA. Immunoprecipitation (IP) of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) followed by microarray analysis has been used to identify the targets of RNA-binding proteins. This method is sometimes referred to as RIP-Chip (RNA IP followed by microarray analysis). Here we introduce a variation on the RIP-Chip method that uses a recombinant RBP to identify mRNA targets in a pool of total RNA; we call this method recombinant, or rRIP-Chip. Using this method, we show that recombinant SLBP binds exclusively to all five classes of histone mRNA. We also analyze the messages bound to the endogenous SLBP on polyribosomes by immunoprecipitation. We use two different microarray platforms to identify enriched mRNAs. Both platforms demonstrate remarkable specificity and consistency of results. Our data suggest that the replication-dependent histone mRNAs are likely to be the sole target of SLBP

From Marketing to Performing the Market: The Emerging Role of Digital Data in the Independent Film Business

New consumption patterns and the impact of piracy are radically disrupting the independent film business, reducing revenues and increasing competition. However, innovative producers are responding by leveraging digital marketing and distribution technologies to develop new ways of creating awareness and delivering films to audiences. The creation and application of tools for direct audience engagement is changing the way the industry is organised and how market activity is managed. Producers are able to use film trailers as ‘socially distributed points-of-sale’ and extra-filmic content throughout a film’s life to develop interest, capture data and exploit intellectual property rights internationally. This chapter presents a detailed case study of two feature documentaries to provide insight into emergent technological, economic and organisational developments in film marketing practice. We analyse the financing and implementation of campaigns that use spreadable Video-on-Demand tools, social media outreach strategies and data management processes. This research contributes new evidence to demonstrate the evaluative and mediating role of Digital Engagement Metrics in terms of market performativity, the productive shaping of economic transactions

Nanomedicine-driven molecular targeting, drug delivery, and therapeutic approaches to cancer chemoresistance

Cancer cell resistance to chemotherapeutics (chemoresistance) poses a significant clinical challenge that oncology research seeks to understand and overcome. Multiple anticancer drugs and targeting agents can be incorporated in nanomedicines, in addition to different treatment modalities, forming a single nanoplatform that can be used to address tumor chemoresistance. Nanomedicine-driven molecular assemblies using nucleic acids, small interfering (si)RNAs, miRNAs, and aptamers in combination with stimuli-responsive therapy improve the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of the drugs and enhance their accumulation in tumors and, thus, therapeutic outcomes. In this review, we highlight nanomedicine-driven molecular targeting and therapy combination used to improve the 3Rs (right place, right time, and right dose) for chemoresistant tumor therapies

Fertilizer application and deep leaching of nitrate under long term crop rotation

Non-Peer ReviewedIt is commonly believed that the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture will lead eventually to the loss of nitrate via leaching. The nitrate leached below the root zone has the potential to contaminate underground water. The results obtained from various long term crop rotation studies in Saskatchewan suggest that this common belief may not hold in general. This is especially true where nitrogen fertilizers were applied based on soil test recommendation and the land was continuously cropped. Under long term crop rotation studies in the Black Soil Zone at Melfort, the application of nitrogen fertilizer in recent years were based on the general recommendation for wheat. The deep core sample revealed that more nitrate was present in the soil profile under fertilized continuous wheat compared to the unfertilized plots. However, in the Black Soil at Indian Head, where fertilizer application was based on soil test values, similar amounts of nitrate were found below the root zone of fertilized and unfertilized plots after 34 years of continuous wheat. This was in spite of applying 1584 kg of N ha-1 to the fertilized plot over 34 years. A result similar to that at Indian Head was obtained from the crop rotation experiment in the Brown Soil Zone at Swift Current. In the Brown Soil Zone, the inclusion of a fallow phase in the rotation, increased the amount of nitrate found below the root zone although this system had received less fertilizer over the years than the continuously cropped plots. The fallow phase appeared to provide a window for the leakage of nitrate accumulated within the root zone. This was attributed to a better moisture (antecedent moisture) regime and higher amount of mineralized nitrate during the fallow phase. On the other hand, frequent summerfallow can deplete the soil of its N supplying power and this may eventually result in less nitrate leached as was found for the 2-yr rotation at Indian Head after 34 yr

The role of particle, energy and momentum losses in 1D simulations of divertor detachment

A new 1D divertor plasma code, SD1D, has been used to examine the role of recombination, radiation, and momentum exchange in detachment. Neither momentum or power losses by themselves are found to be sufficient to produce a reduction in target ion flux in detachment (flux rollover); radiative power losses are required to a) limit and reduce the ionization source and b) access low-target temperature, T_target, conditions for volumetric momentum losses. Recombination is found to play little role at flux rollover, but as T_target drops to temperatures around 1eV, it becomes a strong ion sink. In the case where radiative losses are dominated by hydrogen, the detachment threshold is identified as a minimum gradient of the energy cost per ionisation with respect to T_target. This is also linked to thresholds in T_target and in the ratio of upstream pressure to power flux. A system of determining the detached condition is developed such that the divertor solution at a given T_target (or lack of one) is determined by the simultaneous solution of two equations for target ion current - one dependent on power losses and the other on momentum. Depending on the detailed momentum and power loss dependence on temperature there are regions of T_target where there is no solution and the plasma 'jumps' from high to low T_target states. The novel analysis methods developed here provide an intuitive way to understand complex detachment phenomena, and can potentially be used to predict how changes in the seeding impurity used or recycling aspects of the divertor can be utilised to modify the development of detachment

Model reference adaptive control of a nonsmooth dynamical system

In this paper a modified model reference adaptive control (MRAC) technique is presented which can be used to control systems with nonsmooth characteristics. Using unmodified MRAC on (noisy) nonsmooth systems leads to destabilization of the controller. A localized analysis is presented which shows that the mechanism behind this behavior is the presence of a time invariant zero eigenvalue in the system. The modified algorithm is designed to eliminate this zero eigenvalue, making all the system eigenvalues stable. Both the modified and unmodified strategies are applied to an experimental system with a nonsmooth deadzone characteristic. As expected the unmodified algorithm cannot control the system, whereas the modified algorithm gives stable robust control, which has significantly improved performance over linear fixed gain control

The role of particle, energy and momentum losses in 1D simulations of divertor detachment

A new 1D divertor plasma code, SD1D, has been used to examine the role of recombination, radiation, and momentum exchange in detachment. Neither momentum or power losses by themselves are found to be sufficient to produce a reduction in target ion flux in detachment (flux rollover); radiative power losses are required to a) limit and reduce the ionization source and b) access low-target temperature, T_target, conditions for volumetric momentum losses. Recombination is found to play little role at flux rollover, but as T_target drops to temperatures around 1eV, it becomes a strong ion sink. In the case where radiative losses are dominated by hydrogen, the detachment threshold is identified as a minimum gradient of the energy cost per ionisation with respect to T_target. This is also linked to thresholds in T_target and in the ratio of upstream pressure to power flux. A system of determining the detached condition is developed such that the divertor solution at a given T_target (or lack of one) is determined by the simultaneous solution of two equations for target ion current - one dependent on power losses and the other on momentum. Depending on the detailed momentum and power loss dependence on temperature there are regions of T_target where there is no solution and the plasma 'jumps' from high to low T_target states. The novel analysis methods developed here provide an intuitive way to understand complex detachment phenomena, and can potentially be used to predict how changes in the seeding impurity used or recycling aspects of the divertor can be utilised to modify the development of detachment