The Scholarship of Public Diplomacy: Analysis of a Growing Field

Public diplomacy is a fast-growing area of study with little agreement on its boundaries. In support of the subject’s development as a field of academic inquiry, we present a content analysis of English-language peer-reviewed articles on public diplomacy since 1965 (N= 2,124). We begin with analysis of bibliographic data to establish the field’s institutional boundaries by highlighting trends in scholarship over time and identifying prominent disciplines and journals. We then sketch the field’s conceptual boundaries by analyzing the concepts and topics that appear most in the literature. This process allows us to characterize decades of scholarship on public diplomacy and offer recommendations for future work

Single or Double Degenerate Progenitors? Searching for Shock Emission in the SDSS-II Type Ia Supernovae

From the set of nearly 500 spectroscopically confirmed type~Ia supernovae and around 10,000 unconfirmed candidates from SDSS-II, we select a subset of 108 confirmed SNe Ia with well-observed early-time light curves to search for signatures from shock interaction of the supernova with a companion star. No evidence for shock emission is seen; however, the cadence and photometric noise could hide a weak shock signal. We simulate shocked light curves using SN Ia templates and a simple, Gaussian shock model to emulate the noise properties of the SDSS-II sample and estimate the detectability of the shock interaction signal as a function of shock amplitude, shock width, and shock fraction. We find no direct evidence for shock interaction in the rest-frame $B$-band, but place an upper limit on the shock amplitude at 9% of supernova peak flux ($M_B > -16.6$ mag). If the single degenerate channel dominates type~Ia progenitors, this result constrains the companion stars to be less than about 6 $M_{\odot}$ on the main sequence, and strongly disfavors red giant companions.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figure

A systematic review and narrative synthesis of mental imagery tasks in people with an intellectual disability : implications for psychological therapies [search strategy]

Review question What do we understand about the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities to engage with mental imagery (the generation, maintenance, inspection, and transformation of mental images)? What do we understand about the phenomenology of mental images in people with intellectual disabilities? Searches Sources that will be used to identify studies for the systematic review: Bibliographic databases: AMED, BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will also be searched. Unpublished studies will be sought and the grey literature included as part of my search strategy: - ETHoS (UK research theses) - Google Scholar will be searched and the first 100 links examined for relevance to this study - Conference Proceedings Index (via Web of Science) - GreyNet The order in which these platforms will be searched is as follows: 1. Bibliographic databases 2. ETHoS 3. Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) 4. Google Scholar 5. Conference Proceedings Index (via Web of Science) 6. GreyNet The reference lists of eligible studies and review articles, key journals, conference proceedings and trials registers will also be searched. Key authors and experts within the field will be proactively contacted to identify any unpublished or prospective studies meeting inclusion criteria. No restrictions on language will be made Search dates 1 January 1980 to present. Searches will be re-run prior to the final analysis Types of study to be included All types of studies will be included. This includes randomised-control trials, qualitative studies, cohort studies, case control studies, cross sectional studies, case reports and series, reviews, opinions, editorial and letters. Condition or domain being studied Intellectual disability or learning disability. For the purposes of this review, the British Psychological Society (2015) definition of intellectual disability will be used: • A significant impairment of intellectual functioning (generally an IQ score of less than 70) • A significant impairment of adaptive behaviour • Onset before adulthood (18 years

Relationships Between Neuromuscular Function and Functional Balance Performance in Firefighters

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between neuromuscular function and functional balance performance in firefighters. Fifty career firefighters (35.1±7.5yr) performed isometric leg extension and flexion muscle actions to examine peak torque (PT), and absolute (aTQ) and normalized (nTQ; %PT) rapid torque variables at 50, 100, 150, and 200ms. A performance index (PI) was determined from the functional balance assessment completion time. Partial correlations were used to examine the relationship between the PI and the maximal and rapid TQ variables for each muscle and the composite value, while controlling for demographic data related to the PI. Multiple regression analyses examined the relative contributions of the maximal and rapid aTQ variables, and demographic data on the PI. After controlling for age and %BF, the majority of the later aTQ and nTQ variables (100– 200ms) and PT were associated with the PI (r=−0.501–−0.315). Age, %BF, and aTQ100 explained 42– 50% of the variance in the PI. Lower rapid strength, increased age, and poorer body composition were related to worse performance during the functional balance assessment. Strategies to improve rapid strength and %BF, especially in aging firefighters may impact dynamic balance abilities in firefighters

A systematic review and narrative synthesis of mental imagery tasks in people with an intellectual disability : implications for psychological therapies

Mental imagery is recognised for its role in both psychological distress and wellbeing, with mental imagery techniques increasingly being incorporated into psychological interventions. In this systematic review and narrative synthesis (PROSPERO 2021: CRD42021240930), we identify and evaluate the evidence base for the phenomenon and phenomenology of mental imagery in people with intellectual disabilities, to ascertain the applicability of such interventions for this population. Electronic searches of nine databases and grey literature identified relevant publications. Two reviewers independently assessed titles and abstracts of retrieved records (n = 8609) and full-text articles (n = 101) against eligibility criteria. Data were extracted and quality appraised. Forty-one papers met our eligibility criteria. The quality and designs were variable. Mental imagery was facilitated through ensuring participants understood tasks, providing opportunity to rehearse tasks (including using concrete prompts) and using scaffolding to help participants elaborate their responses. People with intellectual disabilities can engage with mental imagery, with appropriate adaptations, although the associated phenomenology has not been thoroughly investigated. Mental imagery interventions may be useful for people with intellectual disabilities with appropriate modifications

Self-shielding of Soft X-rays in SN Ia Progenitors

There are insufficient super soft (~ 0.1 keV) X-ray sources in either spiral or elliptical galaxies to account for the rate of explosion of Type Ia supernovae in either the single degenerate or the double degenerate scenarios. We quantify the amount of circumstellar matter that would be required to suppress the soft X-ray flux by yielding a column density in excess of 10^{23} cm^{-2}. We summarize evidence that appropriate quantities of matter are extant in SN Ia and in recurrent novae that may be supernova precursors. The obscuring matter is likely to have a large, but not complete, covering factor and to be substantially non-spherically symmetric. Assuming that much of the absorbed X-ray flux is re-radiated as black-body radiation in the UV, we estimate that fewer than 100 sources might be detectable in the GALEX all sky survey.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal, not yet referee

The Subluminous Supernova 2007qd: A Missing Link in a Family of Low-Luminosity Type Ia Supernovae

We present multi-band photometry and multi-epoch spectroscopy of the peculiar Type Ia supernova (SN Ia) 2007qd, discovered by the SDSS-II Supernova Survey. It possesses physical properties intermediate to those of the peculiar SN 2002cx and the extremely low-luminosity SN 2008ha. Optical photometry indicates that it had an extraordinarily fast rise time of <= 10 days and a peak absolute B magnitude of -15.4 +/- 0.2 at most, making it one of the most subluminous SN Ia ever observed. Follow-up spectroscopy of SN 2007qd near maximum brightness unambiguously shows the presence of intermediate-mass elements which are likely caused by carbon/oxygen nuclear burning. Near maximum brightness, SN 2007qd had a photospheric velocity of only 2800 km/s, similar to that of SN 2008ha but about 4000 and 7000 km/s less than that of SN 2002cx and normal SN Ia, respectively. We show that the peak luminosities of SN 2002cx-like objects are highly correlated with both their light-curve stretch and photospheric velocities. Its strong apparent connection to other SN 2002cx-like events suggests that SN 2007qd is also a pure deflagration of a white dwarf, although other mechanisms cannot be ruled out. It may be a critical link between SN 2008ha and the other members of the SN 2002cx-like class of objects.Comment: To be published in the Astrophysical Journal; 37 pages, 13 figures, 4 table

The efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” suicide prevention and mental health education program for tertiary students: a crossover randomised control trial

Despite suicide ideation being one of the most frequently reported health issues impacting tertiary students, there is a paucity of research evaluating the efficacy of preventive interventions aimed at improving mental health outcomes for students studying at two tertiary institutes. The current study evaluated the efficacy of the “Talk-to-Me” Mass Open Online Course (MOOC) in improving tertiary students’ abilities to support the mental health of themselves and their peers via a randomised controlled trial design, comparing them to a waitlist control group. Overall, 129 tertiary students (M = 25.22 years, SD = 7.43; 80% female) undertaking a health science or education course at two Western Australian universities were randomly allocated to either “Talk-to-Me” (n = 66) or waitlist control (n = 63) groups. The participants’ responses to suicidal statements (primary outcome), knowledge of mental health, generalised self-efficacy, coping skills, and overall utility of the program (secondary outcomes) were collected at three timepoints (baseline 10-weeks and 24-weeks from baseline). Assessment time and group interaction were explored using a random-effects regression model, examining changes in the primary and secondary outcomes. Intention-to-treat analysis (N = 129) at 10-weeks demonstrated a significant improvement in generalised self-efficacy for “Talk-to-Me” compared to the control group (ES = 0.36, p = .04), with only the “Talk-to-Me” participants reporting increased knowledge in responding to suicidal ideation (primary outcome). This change was sustained for 24 weeks. Findings provide preliminary evidence suggesting that the “Talk-to-Me” MOOC can effectively improve tertiary students’ mental health and knowledge of how to support themselves and others in distress. ACTRN12619000630112, registered 18-03-2019, anzctr.org.au. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00787-022-02094-4