Special Section Introduction: Mass Observation as Method

Since Mass Observation's foundation in 1937, the organisation has played witness to the great and the small events of everyday life during the last eight decades, recording people's opinions, beliefs and experiences, and making them available for researchers to develop new interpretations of British social life. Although the data produced is often messy and unwieldy and apparently contradicts many sociological assumptions about methodological rigour, the Archive is uniquely placed to offer detailed and exceptionally rich accounts of the fibre of everyday life and to reveal the deep complexities of family, personal and intimate life. As Mike Savage notes in Identities and Social Change in Britain since 1940, 'Mass-Observation is the most studied, and arguably the most important, social research institution of the mid-twentieth century' (Savage 2010: 57). He situates this significance in it providing the focus for the emergence of a new intellectual class in late 1930s Britain of people who identified with a social scientific outlook. Until that point in time, the main point of entry into intellectual circles for newly educated classes was through literary culture, which was often implicitly elitist and hierarchical in its attitude to wider society

Rockwall To Royse City Pipeline Route Rockwall County, Texas

North Texas Municipal Water District is proposing to construct a 3.05- mile-long pipeline and a storage tank area (measuring up to 4.7 acres) in Rockwall County, Texas. The combination of permanent and temporary easements varies along the route but they are never wider than 70 ft combined. AR Consultants, Inc. (ARC) was contracted to survey the route and conducted the survey March 17 and 26, 2015. No prehistoric archaeological sites were found during the survey. This follows the predictions made prior to field work which were based on the project area’s location in the upper reaches of the Camp Creek Watershed. One historic farmstead site (41RW30) was recorded. This site consists of a well/cistern at a location of a mapped structure on maps dating to the 1920s through the 1970s. However, no structure remains and the only intact feature is the well/cistern. Additionally, the artifacts recovered are indicative of an early to mid-20th century residence and the site lacks overall integrity. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation

The Non-Existence of Risk Attitude

This is the final published version of: Chater, N., Johansson, P., & Hall, L. (2011). The non-existence of risk attitude. Frontiers in psychology, 2, 303. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00303 Opening Paragraph: Where do risk preferences come from? How do we decide if it is safe to eat unpasteurized cheese, whether to take up paragliding or mini-golf as a new hobby, whether to save in government bonds or place our money in a new technology hedge fund? Asking about the origin of risk preference in this general form requires two presuppositions, both of which may be challenged. The first presupposition is that there is some unitary basis to decisions about risk, where the nature of such risks (whether food poisoning, instant death, social embarrassment, or financial disaster) may vary substantially. The second presupposition is this unitary basis determines stable risk preferences, which help determining our choices when faced with ris

The development and use of the zoom lens in American film and television: 1946-1974

This dissertation documents two aspects of the development and use of zoom lenses in American film and television from 1946 to 1974. It contributes a detailed account of the impact of Zoomar lenses on early postwar American television, and of the later role of ‘TV Generation’ creative figures who started their careers in television before becoming feature directors. Chapter 1 introduces the study and defines key terms used throughout. Chapter 2 includes a comprehensive literature review of existing critical and historical approaches to the zoom lens. Chapter 3 outlines methodologies for source selection and analysis. Chapter 4 accounts for the development and technological heritage of the Zoomar lens. Inventive efforts and methods used by its primary inventor, Frank Back, are discussed. Chapter 5 outlines the means by which Back and his business partners marketed the lens. In Chapter 6, the extent to which the lens was used in the American television industry between 1946 and 1956 is demonstrated. Chapter 7 discusses the American market entry of the Pan Cinor zoom lens, and attempts by Zoomar to use patent law to block it. Chapter 8 discusses the way in which zoom lenses were used in television during the later 1950s and early 1960s, with a particular focus on some of the ‘TV Generation’ directors. Chapter 9 discusses developments in zoom lens technology and in industrial attitudes towards the use of such technology. Chapter 10 discusses the use of the zoom by TV Generation directors in their later feature film work. The final chapter compares discussions of Robert Altman’s use of the zoom in the early 1970s with the problematizing example of contemporaneous television style. Significant findings are summarized, and areas for future investigation suggested. Specifically, the dissertation demonstrates that early postwar American television is a rich untapped area for future investigations of the roots of film technology, and that from 1946 to 1974 zoom lens development was more gradual, incremental and complex than previously suggested

An Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Fannin County Bridge Study Areas Fannin County, Texas

North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) is proposing to construct the Lower Bois d’Arc Creek Reservoir in northeast Fannin County, Texas. Due to the proposed inundation, nine bridge/culvert locations will be inundated, and new bridges/culverts will be constructed. White Hawk, which is handling the engineering for the project, contracted with AR Consultants, Inc. to evaluate the proposed bridge locations to determine if significant cultural resources are within the study areas. Prior to and during the cultural resources survey, it was thought that 11 locations would be impacted and 11 were surveyed. After the survey was complete, it was determined that locations 4A and 8 would not be impacted by this project. Even so, the survey results for these two locations is included in this report. All road improvements and new construction will take place within a study area that can vary from 140 to 300 feet wide. In total, 112.11 acres were surveyed. The routes were surveyed on August 29-31, 2016, January 30-February 2, and May 11 2017. During the survey, four historic sites (41FN253, 41FN255, 41FN256 and 41FN257) and one site (41FN254) with historic and prehistoric components were recorded. No historic artifacts were collected; prehistoric artifacts and notes from these sites will be curated at the Texas Archeological Research Laboratory at the University of Texas in Austin. As land access on private land was only granted within the easement, the sites on private land could only be fully defined, recorded, and evaluated within these corridors. Sites found on land owned by NTMWD were recorded fully. Because of this, site 41FN257, which sits on private land, was not fully recorded. Therefore, only the portion of the site within the project area can be evaluated, and site 41FN257 is recommended not eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places or as a State Antiquities Landmark. Sites 41FN253, 41FN254, 41FN255, and 41FN256, which were recorded fully, are also recommended not eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places or as State Antiquities Landmark. Given the results of this survey, AR Consultants, Inc. recommends that further cultural resource investigations are unnecessary for this project, and requests that the Texas Historical Commission concur with this recommendation

The incidence of subsequent contralateral hip fracture and factors associated with increased risk:The IMPACT Contralateral Fracture Study

IntroductionHip fractures are associated with high morbidity and mortality and patients that sustain a subsequent contralateral fracture experience inferior outcomes. The risk of contralateral fracture is highest within the first year, however the incidence and associated factors remain poorly understood. The aims were to investigate i) the incidence of a subsequent contralateral hip fracture within the first year ii) identify factors associated with an increased risk of contralateral fracture, and iii) compare early mortality risk after index versus contralateral hip fracture. MethodsThis study included all patients aged over 50 years admitted to NHS hospitals in Scotland between 1st March 2020 and 31st December 2020 (n=5566) as routine activity of the Scottish Hip Fracture Audit (SHFA). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with 30-day mortality and cox regression was used to identify factors associated with a contralateral fracture. ResultsDuring the study period 2.5% (138/5566) of patients sustained a contralateral hip fracture within 12 months of the index hip fracture. Socioeconomic deprivation was inversely associated with increased risk of contralateral fracture (odds ratio 2.64, p&lt;0.001), whilst advancing age (p=0.427) and sex (p=0.265) were not. After adjusting for significant cofounders there was no significant difference in 30-day mortality following contralateral fracture compared to index fracture (OR 1.22, p=0.433). ConclusionOne in 40 (2.5%) hip fracture patients sustained a contralateral fracture within 12 months of their index fracture and deprivation was associated with a reduced risk of contralateral fracture. No difference in 30-day mortality was found. <br/

Optimising Resources to Develop a Strategic Approach to Open Access - final report

Our Open Access (OA) Pathfinder, a collaboration between the University of Northumbria and the University of Sunderland, aimed to develop and share tools and best practice to enable HEIs with limited external resources to effectively and creatively respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by OA. To achieve this we identified four discrete project objectives and a methodology which emphasised engagement locally and with the other HEI’s that comprised the wider programme. Importantly, the wider context of this focus was our recognition of the global movement towards open research and an impact agenda which demonstrates and rewards value for money from public investment. Subsequently, throughout our project activity we aimed to explore and develop extensible models, policies and procedures which go beyond OA compliance to engage with and shape these wider debates. Throughout the programme we disseminated our preliminary findings and ongoing thinking via our project blog (http://oapathfinder.wordpress.com) as well as fora including conferences and workshops. By the end of the two year programme, our project had successfully delivered against the four objectives and in so doing demonstrated tangible impact. Crucially, for each aspect of our project further work is needed to refine and develop solutions and practice to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by OA. We believe that against a background of a rapidly evolving policy and funding landscape JISC are uniquely positioned to facilitate a community of practice to play a pivotal role in making this happen