Frontier Identity in Cultural Events in Holmes County, Florida

Holmes County, Florida plays host to several cultural events that perpetuate a frontier identity for its citizens. These events include the dedication of a homesteading cabin, which serves as the meeting place for other pioneer days events; Drums along the Choctawhatchee , an event put on by a local Creek Indian tribe that celebrates the collaborative nature of pioneer and Native Americans; the 66th annual North West Florida Championship Rodeo; and a local fish-fry. Each of these events celebrates the frontier identity of the county in unique and important ways. Using the images of the frontier created by William Buffalo Bill Cody\u27s Wild West show and the ideas championed by Fredrick Jackson Turner in his famous essay The Importance of the Frontier in American History as models, Holmes County constructs its own frontier image through the celebration of these combined cultural events. I attended each of these events, conducting interviews with residents in order to find out how and why Holmes County chooses to champion the frontier identity embodied in these collective celebrations. In addition to the narrative presentation my thesis also includes a visual and adiovisual component. The film, In the Pines: Stories of Violence in Holmes County, Florida, demonstrates how stories of violence shared by community members help shape the communities identity as a wild west or frontier place. The photo book, The Sweet Water Country, presents visual images of many of the cultural events discussed in the thesis paper and also documents the rural and wild nature of the landscape. These three parts of the thesis work together to provide a comprehensive portrait of Holmes County and its rich cultural heritage, highlighting its image as a frontier place and examining the process which it creates this identity by constructing a useable story from its memories

Father inclusive practice in a parenting and early childhood organisation: The development and analysis of a staff survey

Aim: The successful embedding of father inclusive practice (FIP) in parenting and early childhood organisations is relatively new and therefore challenging to assess. The purpose of this study was to describe the process of adapting an existing tool, the Knowledge about fatherhood checklist (KAFC), to suit the parenting service context and apply the modified survey to establish a baseline of attitudes and practice of all staff at an established parenting and early childhood service in Western Australia, Ngala. Method: Following the application of the KAFC at Ngala in 2016, feedback provided by the staff led to a reflective and iterative process of review to adapt the KAFC. In 2018, all staff were asked to complete the adapted survey – the 23-item Father inclusive practice survey (FIP survey) – in order to assess the attitudes and behaviours of everyone in the organisation. The FIP survey covers aspects of competency as well as knowledge and attitudes in relation to fatherhood or father engagement. Results: Results indicated generally high levels of appreciation of the fathering role by Ngala staff. However, a number of areas for improvement in staff knowledge and attitudes were identified, including the benefit of reflecting on personal experiences of fathering, the awareness of the gendered stereotyped view of men, and the importance of the influence fathers can make in the context of attachment and breastfeeding. Conclusions: The implementation of this FIP survey informs improvements to staff orientation and training in FIP, and provides insights into staff attitudes, beliefs and practice regarding acknowledgement of the important contribution fathers make to the development and wellbeing of their children

The use of virtual reality for public health education with reference to Syrian refugee camps

In this study we used Virtual Reality (VR) technology to provide an immersive interactive learning experience for undergraduate public health students in the UK and Lebanon. Students carried out a problem-based learning exercise around public health challenges faced by Syrian refugees in Lebanon. In the wider context of a Virtual Student Exchange programme small, mixed nationality groups were connected by Skype, WhatsApp and other technologies to research specific healthcare requirements for refugee camps (e.g. sanitation) and constructed an interview guide for the Lebanese students to use on a visit to a camp at the end of the programme. Lebanese students captured 360-degree videos to allow UK peers to ‘join’ them on their camp visit using VR. Findings from post-hoc video interviews focusing on the use of VR indicated that students felt closer to the subject of their research than before it was used. Participants’ emotions were affected by what they saw in the camps, providing a broader cognitive experience in which sight, sound, and emotions were linked to the camps, deepening learning about the refugees’ conditions. Faculty were able to move beyond the use of simple text-based scenarios, facilitating students’ learning about a real-world situation that they would not have been able to access through other means. This approach has potential for wider use in education, providing virtual access to locations it can be difficult for learners to visit by other means

The influence of agitator type on fluid dynamics and oxygen mass transfer in a pilot scale mixing vessel

The power consumption (gassed and ungassed), bulk and local impeller fluid dynamics, gassed hold-up and oxygen mass transfer characteristics of a variety of industrially significant agitator types have been investigated using a pilot-scale mixing vessel. The purpose built perspex vessel of 0.72 m diameter was operated at both H/T=l (V=0.293 m$^3$ ) and 3 R H/T=2 (V=0.586 m$^3$ ). Agitators tested were the Ekato InterMIG$^R$ , Lightnin’ A315 hydrofoil. Rushton disc turbine, pipe-section disc turbine and mixed flow impeller, with the latter in both upward and downward pumping modes. Test fluids were deionised water and solutions of non-Newtonian, shear-thinning sodium carboxymethylcellulose, giving a viscosity range of from 0.001 Pa. s to 0.4 Pa. s. Gas flowrates of up to 1.5 vvm and gassed -3 power inputs of up to 5 kWm$^-3$ were used. A novel steady-state oxygen mass transfer measurement technique was developed and used to determine the volumetric oxygen mass transfer coefficient (k$_L$a). The technique utilizes the continuous generation of oxygen in the liquid phase by the degradation of hydrogen peroxide in the presence of the enzyme catalase. The oxygen produced in this manner is stripped from the liquid phase by the continuously flowing gas phase until steady-state conditions are achieved. The technique proved to be easy to use, provided reproducible results and was independent of peroxide concentration over a wide range and catalase concentration over a more restricted range. It avoids potential problems associated with tiny bubble hold-up and gas phase mixing encountered when using dynamic techniques in viscous liquids. At constant P/V and v$_S$ in water, inter-impeller k$_L$a and hold-up variation was low. The k$_L$a and $\varepsilon_G$ dependence on P/V was similar irrespective of impeller, but dependence on v$_S$ was not. Low viscosity CMC solutions provided equal or greater k$_L$a and hold-up than water due to coalescence suppression. Higher viscosity solutions provided greatly reduced k$_L$a and hold-up. Inter-impeller k$_L$a and hold-up variation rose with increased shear-thinning viscosity. Low power number agitators (InterMIG, A315) consistently provided enhanced k$_L$a at constant power input and gas velocity in CMC. Correlation of k$_L$a data for various impellers in CMC was achieved with the inclusion of an apparent viscosity term. Low power number impellers ran at higher speed and hence lower apparent viscosity at a given power input, supporting the use of the Metzner and Otto$^4$ shear-rate determination method for viscosity dependent k$_L$a correlation

Acute systemic inflammation enhances tissue plasminogen activator release in man

Digitalitzat per Artypla

Evolving Marine Biosecurity in the Galapagos Islands

Some of my co-authors and I have just returned from one of the paradises on earth and a natural history mecca – The Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Depth-specific optogenetic control in vivo with a scalable, high density µLED neural probe

Controlling neural circuits is a powerful approach to uncover a causal link between neural activity and behaviour. Optogenetics has been widely adopted by the neuroscience community as it offers cell-type-specific perturbation with millisecond precision. However, these studies require light delivery in complex patterns with cellular-scale resolution, while covering a large volume of tissue at depth in vivo. Here we describe a novel high-density silicon-based microscale light-emitting diode (µLED) array, consisting of up to ninety-six 25 µm-diameter µLEDs emitting at a wavelength of 450 nm with a peak irradiance of 400 mW/mm2. A width of 100 µm, tapering to a 1 µm point, and a 40 µm thickness help minimise tissue damage during insertion. Thermal properties permit a set of optogenetic operating regimes, with ~0.5°C average temperature increase. We demonstrate depth-dependent activation of mouse neocortical neurons in vivo, offering an inexpensive novel tool for the precise manipulation of neural activity

Thermal and optical characterization of micro-LED probes for in vivo optogenetic neural stimulation

Within optogenetics there is a need for compact light sources that are capable of delivering light with excellent spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution to deep brain structures. Here, we demonstrate a custom GaN-based LED probe for such applications and the electrical, optical, and thermal properties are analyzed. The output power density and emission spectrum were found to be suitable for stimulating channelrhodopsin-2, one of the most common light-sensitive proteins currently used in optogenetics. The LED device produced high light intensities, far in excess of those required to stimulate the light-sensitive proteins within the neurons. Thermal performance was also investigated, illustrating that a broad range of operating regimes in pulsed mode are accessible while keeping a minimum increase in temperature for the brain (0.5°C). This type of custom device represents a significant step forward for the optogenetics community, allowing multiple bright excitation sites along the length of a minimally invasive neural probe

Overstory and understory vegetation interact to alter soil community composition and activity

Aim: To test if there is an interactive effect between tree and understory species on the soil microbial community (SMC), community level physiological profiles (CLPP) and soil micro-fauna. Method: A replicate pot experiment with five sapling tree species (Betula pendula, Betula pubescens, Sorbus aucuparia, Quercus petraea and Pinus sylvestris) and a no-tree treatment with and without Calluna vulgaris was established. After 21 months samples were taken for phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, CLPP and soil microfauna assessment. Results: There was an interactive effect of tree species and Calluna on the SMC, CLPP and nematode densities. Calluna addition changed the SMC composition (increase in fungal PLFAs) and the CLPP (lower utilisation of most carbon sources but greater utilisation of phenolic acids). A multivariate test for homogeneity of dispersion showed that while Calluna addition resulted in the presence of an altered microbial composition, it did not result in there being less variability among the samples with Calluna than among the samples without Calluna. Sapling trees with Calluna present grew less well than trees without Calluna. Structural equation modelling showed that it is possible that Calluna had an indirect effect on the SMC via below-ground tree biomass as well as a direct effect. Conclusion: Interactions between trees and understory vegetation can impact on the composition of soil biota and their activity