Wear the road: The role of clothing in promoting women’s transport cycling in motor-dominated societies

Commuting by bicycle is one of the choices that a person can make in one’s mobility, and it is a simple, affordable, and healthy one. On a global scale, however, male cyclists disproportionately outnumber female cyclists, especially in Anglophone, motor-dominated societies. This thesis in Fashion and Collection Design begins with the hypothesis that the gender discrepancy in cycling is in part caused by societal pressure on women to appear ‘feminine’ or ‘presentable’ which can cause difficulties for women in reconciling the physical act of cycling and the need to dress in a ‘stylish’, socially acceptable manner. Evidence is gathered from personal conversations with female cyclists from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as literature on this topic in the Anglophone spheres. Furthermore, the current state of specialized cycling apparel market and ‘cycling apparel’ itself are examined to identify problematic disconnect between contemporary style and the current popular image of cyclists. Following on the hypothesis, this research aims to present an encompassing discourse on ways in which clothing, visibility of the female identity and the cyclist identity, and social perception can influence a woman’s decision to cycle or not to cycle. For the most part, insights gathered from both literature and first-hand accounts were consistent with the hypothesis. Research further found that novice or occasional female cyclists are more likely to foster the notion that they need special clothing to participate in commute cycling, and/or are afraid of being perceived ‘too much’ or ‘not enough’ of a cyclist, as well as discrimination on the roads as a woman (harassment, being branded as incompetent, especially due to her gender); in contrast, more experienced female cyclists tend to find their own means to adapt their personal style to suit the act the cycling and vice versa, allowing a much more confident navigation of her identity as a woman and a cyclist. Ultimately, the research found that the best way to promote female cycling among women is for them to learn that commute cycling can be performed in their ‘regular’ clothing, and specialized clothing only plays an auxiliary role in making the task more comfortable, enjoyable, and safe. The design portion of the project takes the outcome of the research and presents a small collection of versatile, adaptable, cycling-appropriate garments that can be easily incorporated into a broad range of women’s existing wardrobes. Rather than establishing commute cycling as a ‘sport’ as is done in traditional, highly-specialized cycling apparel, the collection views commute cycling as a social activity with only moderate physical and protective demands. The resulting garments are an exploration of everyday silhouettes in functional fabrics, discrete changes in standard pattern cutting for added cycling comfort, and a re-imagination of protective layers in a lighter, more feminine aesthetic

Syndemic factors associated with non-fatal overdose among young opioid users in New York City

IntroductionRates of illicit opioid use are particularly high among young adults, yet research on overdose experience and factors associated with overdose in this population remains limited. This study examines the experiences and correlates of non-fatal overdose among young adults using illicit opioids in New York City (NYC).Methods539 participants were recruited via Respondent-Driven Sampling in 2014-2016. Eligibility criteria included: aged 18–29 years old; current residence in NYC; and nonmedical prescription opioid (PO) use and/or heroin use in the past 30 days. Participants completed structured interviews to assess their socio-demographics, drug use trajectories, current substance use and lifetime and most recent overdose experiences, and were tested on-site for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies.Results43.9% of participants reported lifetime overdose experience; of these, 58.8% had experienced two or more overdose events. The majority of participants’ most recent overdoses (63.5%) were due to polysubstance use. In bivariable analyses, after RDS adjustment, having ever overdosed was correlated with: household income of >$100,00 growing up (vs.$51,000-100,000); lifetime homelessness; HCV antibody-positive status; lifetime engagement in regular nonmedical benzodiazepine use, regular heroin injection and regular PO injection; and using a non-sterile syringe in the past 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression identified childhood household income >$100,00 (AOR=1.88), HCV-positive status (AOR=2.64), benzodiazepine use (AOR=2.15), PO injection (AOR=1.96) and non-sterile syringe use (AOR=1.70) as significant independent correlates of lifetime overdose. A multivariable model with multiple overdoses (vs. one) found only lifetime regular heroin use and PO injection to be strong correlates.DiscussionResults indicate a high prevalence of lifetime and repeated overdose among opioid-using young adults in NYC, highlighting a need for intensified overdose prevention efforts for this population. The strong associations of HCV and indices of polydrug use with overdose suggest that prevention efforts should address the complex risk environment in which overdose occurs, attending to the overlapping nature of disease-related risk behavior and overdose risk behavior among young people who inject opioids. Overdose prevention efforts tailored for this group may find it useful to adopt a syndemic conception of overdose that understands such events as resulting from multiple, and often interrelated, risk factors

Methods to improve inference from dependent network data

Over the past decade, network research has increased dramatically. Network data are used in many fields because they contain not only covariates of each observation, but also `relationships\u27 between observations. Therefore, statistical analysis of network data has been rapidly developed. However, network data presents many challenges, such as collecting network data, inferring the prevalence of an outcome of interest, and valid statistical testing typically with highly dependent data. The methods discussed in this thesis are developed to improve statistical inference from dependent network data

Data from: Intrauterine insemination: a UK survey on the adherence to NICE clinical guidelines by fertility clinics

Objective: To evaluate the awareness and response of fertility clinics in the UK to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline recommendation that intrauterine insemination (IUI) should not be offered routinely, in order to report on current practice in the UK. Design: Online questionnaire survey of fertility clinics in the UK regarding their current clinical practice of IUI, formal discussion of the guideline recommendations, and any alterations made since the recommendations. Setting: 66 UK fertility clinics licensed to provide IUI. Participant:s 46 fertility clinics, including 6 clinic groups which represent 70% of all clinics and clinic groups licensed to provide IUI in April 2014 when the survey email was sent. Results: Of the 46 clinics that responded, 96% (44/46) of clinics continue to offer IUI. 98% (43/44) of those offering IUI also use ovarian stimulation. The most commonly used medications for ovarian stimulation are gonadotrophins (95%), followed by clomiphene citrate (49%) and letrozole (19%). 78% (36/46) of clinics had formally discussed NICE guideline recommendations. 17 clinics (37%) had made some changes to their practices; as a result, four clinics reported a reduction in the number of IUI cycles, six clinics had restricted the indications for IUI, and five clinics had begun informing patients of the guideline recommendations, while two did not specify. Conclusions: The majority of clinics were aware of the guideline recommendations. However, only a small proportion of clinics had made significant changes to their practice by reducing the number of IUI cycles or restricting the clinical indications for IUI. The availability of further evidence will assist NICE and clinicians in making recommendations on the use of IUI. There is a need to further explore the reasons for the lack of adherence to the recommendations

IUI Survey response spreadsheet- Dryad

Survey responses from Fertility clinics in the United Kingdom- Excel spreadshee

Cesium Ion-Mediated Microporous Carbon for CO2 Capture and Lithium-Ion Storage

Activated carbon has been used in a wide range of applications owing to its large specific area, facile synthesis, and low cost. The synthesis of activated carbon mostly relies on potassium hydroxide (KOH)-mediated activation which leads to the formation of micropores (<2 nm) after a washing step with acid. Here we report the preparation of activated carbon with an anomalously large surface area (3288 m(2) g(-1)), obtained by employing an activation process mediated by cesium (Cs) ions. The high affinity of the carbon lattice for Cs ions induces immense interlayer expansion upon complexation of the intercalant Cs ion with the carbon host. Furthermore, the Cs-activation process maintains the nitrogen content of the carbon source by enabling the activation process at low temperature. The large surface area and well-preserved nitrogen content of Cs-activated carbon takes advantage of its enhanced interaction with CO2 molecules (for superior CO2 capture) and lithium ions (for improved Li ion storage), respectively. The present investigation unveils a new approach toward tuning the key structural properties of activated carbon; that is, controlling the affinity of the carbon host for the intercalant ion when they engage in complex formation during the activation process.

A Half Millimeter Thick Coplanar Flexible Battery with Wireless Recharging Capability

Most of the existing flexible lithium ion batteries (LIBs) adopt the conventional cofacial cell configuration where anode, separator, and cathode are sequentially stacked and so have difficulty in the integration with emerging thin LIB applications, such as smart cards and medical patches. In order to overcome this shortcoming, herein, we report a coplanar cell structure in which anodes and cathodes are interdigitatedly positioned on the same plane. The coplanar electrode design brings advantages of enhanced bending tolerance and capability of increasing the cell voltage by in series-connection of multiple single-cells in addition to its suitability for the thickness reduction. On the basis of these structural benefits, we develop a coplanar flexible LIB that delivers 7.4 V with an entire cell thickness below 0.5 mm while preserving stable electrochemical performance throughout 5000 (un)­bending cycles (bending radius = 5 mm). Also, even the pouch case serves as barriers between anodes and cathodes to prevent Li dendrite growth and short-circuit formation while saving the thickness. Furthermore, for convenient practical use wireless charging via inductive electromagnetic energy transfer and solar cell integration is demonstrated

A Half Millimeter Thick Coplanar Flexible Battery with Wireless Recharging Capability

Most of the existing flexible lithium ion batteries (LIBs) adopt the conventional cofacial cell configuration where anode, separator, and cathode are sequentially stacked and so have difficulty in the integration with emerging thin LIB applications, such as smart cards and medical patches. In order to overcome this shortcoming, herein, we report a coplanar cell structure in which anodes and cathodes are interdigitatedly positioned on the same plane. The coplanar electrode design brings advantages of enhanced bending tolerance and capability of increasing the cell voltage by in series-connection of multiple single-cells in addition to its suitability for the thickness reduction. On the basis of these structural benefits, we develop a coplanar flexible LIB that delivers 7.4 V with an entire cell thickness below 0.5 mm while preserving stable electrochemical performance throughout 5000 (un)­bending cycles (bending radius = 5 mm). Also, even the pouch case serves as barriers between anodes and cathodes to prevent Li dendrite growth and short-circuit formation while saving the thickness. Furthermore, for convenient practical use wireless charging via inductive electromagnetic energy transfer and solar cell integration is demonstrated