A comparison of approaches to documentary photography of 1930s America and contemporary South Africa.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partlal fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Fine Arts.The research for this degree comprises a theoretical dissertation and a practical component of photographs. The theoretical research investigates the practice of documentary photography in America and South Africa. The photographs of Walker Evans, Robert Frank, David Goldblatt and Bob Gosanl are examined against the background of two organisations, the Farm Security Administration and Drum. These organisations influenced the documentary genre in their respective countries because of their socio-polltical concerns: their choice and presentation of subject matter for publication influenced both the photographar and the viewer. Documentary photographs appear, because of their seemingly candid and unmediated nature, to present historically factual images. Examples from the work of the four photographers reveal their distinction from, continuity with the confines of the documentary genre. Their respective approaches reveal the role of perception as it manifests itself in their work. Subjugation, attltudes towards subject matter, and the pictorial construction of images are analysed in relation to each photographer's work. The relationship of image and text in documentary photography is seen as an element of intervention by the photographer. The selection of these photographers was motivated for their partinance to the subject matter and to the pictorial considerations of the candidate. These issues are therefore examined in relation to the candidate's approach to photography.Andrew Chakane 201

You Can\u27t Hide Your Lyin\u27 Eyes: The Uses Of Deception In Romantic Relationships

A purpose of this study was to further the literature regarding the use of deceptive affection in romantic relationships. This study picks up where previous research left off in that it aimed to identify relational outcomes that may be associated with the use of deceptive affection. This study sought to identify deceptive affectionate behaviors and their role in romantic relationships. Two measures were created; a scale to measure DAMs and a scale to measure WAs, both proved to be reliable. Results from the study provided additional items to be included in the measures going forward. The study did add to the existing literature for use of DAMs and WAs, though the results were not consistent with previous research and the hypothesis. However, the results indicated that deceptive affection is negatively associated with relational outcomes. These results provide an opportunity to further explore the purpose of deceptive affection in romantic relationships

Potential use of thermally desorbed soil as a partial cement replacement

The industrial heritage of the UK has given rise to around 100,000 sites, being classified as contaminated. There are many different techniques that have recently been developed to remediate land. Thermal desorption is one of these techniques. Contaminants in the soil are volatilised, which are then removed by a thermal or catalytic oxidiser. The chemical and physical properties of the ‘burnt’ soil’, termed thermally desorbed soil (TDS), have significantly changed but is typically still disposed of to landfill. The use of supplementary cementing materials has become a central aspect of construction economics and environmental preservation. This study therefore investigated the potential use of TDS as a partial cement replacement material. Cement was replaced from 0% (as the control) to 30% TDS in 10% increments. The compressive strength of the mortar cubes was then determined at intervals of 7, 28 and 91 days. For a direct comparison, a well-established pozzolanic material, fly ash (FA) was tested throughout the programme. Strength was indirectly related to replacement level, with the control initially (up to 7 days) gaining, and thereafter retaining, the highest degree of strength. However, after 7 days the rate of gain in strength was higher for the replacement mixes (FA and TDS) than the control. There was no significant strength difference between the FA and TDS mixes up to 20% replacement. Hence, based on these initial strength results, the performance of TDS as a partial cement replacement (up to 20%) was directly equivalent to that of FA. Environmental benefits for the use of TDS as a partial cement replacement would be twofold; firstly, by using a waste material rather than disposing to landfill; and secondly by using less cement. This would result in less carbon dioxide (CO2) being released into the atmosphere during the cement manufacturing process, which is currently responsible for 7–10% of the global CO2 emissions

An advisor like me? Advisor gender and post-graduate careers in science

We investigate whether having an advisor of the same gender is correlated with the productivity of PhD science students and their propensity to stay in academic science. Our analysis is based an original dataset - combined from dissertation abstracts, faculty directories and bibliometric data - covering nearly 20,000 PhD graduates and their advisors from U.S. chemistry departments. We find that students working with advisors of the same gender tend to be more productive during the PhD; and that female students working with female advisors are considerably more likely to become faculty themselves. We suggest that the under-representation of women in science and engineering faculty positions may perpetuate itself through the lower availability of same-gender advisors for female students.</p

Motor contributions to the perception of relative phase

The extent to which different stimulus elements move together, namely their relative phase, is a central visual feature of many social and physical systems; characterizing everything from the oscillations of a walker's limbs to the alternating lights at pedestrian crossings. The experiments described here provide the first evidence of a motor contribution to the representation of relative phase. Using an interference paradigm, we demonstrate that a motor load dramatically impairs discrimination of relative phase. Comparable interference effects were observed for biological and mechanical stimuli, indicative of a domain-general mechanism. In addition, we show that the same motor load has little effect on a similar static-angle matching task, and that an auditory rhythmic load did not interfere with phase discriminations in the same way as the motor load. These results suggest that the motor system contributes to the perception of relative phase; information crucial for interpreting our social and physical environments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)

It's Good to Be First: Order Bias in Reading and Citing NBER Working Papers

When choices are made from ordered lists, individuals can exhibit biases toward selecting certain options as a result of the ordering. We examine this phenomenon in the context of consumer response to the ordering of economics papers in an e-mail announcement issued by the NBER. We show that despite the effectively random list placement, papers listed first each week are about 30% more likely to be viewed, downloaded, and subsequently cited. We suggest that a model of “skimming” behavior, where individuals focus on the first few papers in the list due to time constraints, would be most consistent with our findings

Johannesburg : a lens for architecture and photography

Johannesburg’s built environment was shaped initially by the gold mining industry whose influence was indelibly writ upon its architectural symbolism. This has however, been intermingled and covered over by the residue of its transition from colonialism to apartheid and the post apartheid city. Although Johannesburg was once known through firsthand experience and direct engagement of the senses with built structures, a feature of the city of the last two decades is that it is dangerous. A consequence of this perception is that photographic images, rather than firsthand experience, form a point of access and understanding of the city. Furthermore buildings—iconic buildings—are known through images. In public consciousness and imagination the image is critical, and this is the domain of architectural photography. How we understand the built environment is therefore dependent both on how buildings function within the city, and how they are depicted. What the photograph tells us about the building, and [the] message it conveys is an important constituent of architectural photography. Buildings acquire the marks of age; they may be renovated and used in ways that are at variance with their original social or political purpose; additions may be made to them. Photography has the capacity to capture these aspects and stretch time. A key property of photography therefore, is its ambiguous relationship to time. This article seeks to explore photographic representations of architecture in relation to Johannesburg’s built environment from its colonial past to it post apartheid present.Die Stadtlandschaft von Johannesburg wurde ursprünglich geformt durch die Goldberkwerksindustrie [Goldgewerbe, Goldgrubenindustrie], dessen Einfluß langfristig in die architektonishen Symbolik geschrieben ist. Dies wurde jedoch gemischt und verdeckt von den Restbeständen des Kolonialismus, der Apartheid und der Post-apartheidstadt. Obwohl Johannesburg einst bekannt war durch direktes Erfahren und Erfassen der gebauten Landschaft, ist die Stadt in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten dafuer bekannt das sie gefährlich ist. Durch diese Warnehmung sind fotographische Darstellungen, anstatt direktes Erfahren, wichtig im Verstehen dieser Stadt. Zusätzlich sind Gebäude – vorallem iconische Gebäude – bekannt durch ihre Symbolik. In öffentlichen Bewußtsein und Imagination ist die Darstellung (‚image‘) kritisch, und dies ist das Gebiet der Fotographie. Wie wir die gebaute Landschaft verstehen hängt daher einerseits ab von der Funktion der Gebäude innerhalb der Stadt, und andereseits davon wie sie Dargestellt werden. Was uns das Foto von einem Gebäude sagt, und die Nachricht die sie kommuniziert, ist ein wichtiges Element der Fotographie. Gebäude erhalten die Zeichen der Zeit/des Alters; sie mögen rennoviert sein und zu einem Nutzen gesetzt sein der im Gegensatz zu ihrer ursprünglichen sozialen und politischen Funktion steht; sie mögen Anbauten erhalten haben. Fotographie hat das Vermögen diese Aspekte wiederzugeben, und somit die Zeit zu strecken. Eine zentrale Eigenschaft der Fotographie ist daher sein zwiespältiges Verhältnis zur Zeit. Dieser Artikel erforscht die fotographischen Representationen der Architektur im Verhältniß zu der gebauten Landschaft von Johannesburg, von seiner kolonialen Vergangeheit bis zur post-aparheit Gegenwart

c-Met/HGF in triple negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer which is negative for the oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and lacks over-expression of HER2. The aim of this PhD was to examine c-Met and its ligand HGF as potential targets for TNBC. Expression of c-Met was higher in TNBC relative to other subtypes of BC. c-Met expression did not show a significant association with patient outcome (DFS/OS). We evaluated 3 c-Met/HGF selective inhibitors (CpdA, PRS110 and rilotumumab) in the panel of TNBC cell lines. Only CpdA showed moderate responses in proliferation assays. Cell lines were significantly more sensitive to c-Met inhibition by either CpdA or PRS110 in clonogenic assays. 3D growth assays were all significantly less sensitive to c-Met inhibition. Co-expression of c-Met and Src/p-Src (Y418) was detected in 86.6 /38.8 % respectively. No significant association was seen between clinico- pathological variables. Combined treatment with c-Met inhibitors and HGF, EGFR or Src inhibitors enhanced response in some cell lines suggesting a potential role in specific subsets of TNBC. A dasatinib resistant and a cetuximab resistant TN cell line (231-DasB and MDA-MB-CR) showed increased sensitivity to CpdA compared to the parental cells. The parental cell lines show synergistic inhibition of growth with combination of CpdA and dasatinib or cetuximab. We identified 7 receptor tyrosine kinases (FGFR1, FGFR3, VEGFR1, PDGFRβ, ROS1, TIE1 and EPHA5) which are associated with poor outcome (DFS/OS). Combined expression of FGFR3, EPHA5 and ROS1 shows significantly stronger association than the RTKs as single prognostic indicators. FGFR3 was associated with histological subtype and EPHA5 was significantly associated with increased age at diagnosis. Based on our in vitro evaluation, targeting c-Met/HGF signalling does not appear to be a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC. We identified FGFR3 and EPHA5 as potential targets which warrant further investigation in TNBC