Symbolic pride:Understanding violence against cisgender and non-cisgender women in Vietnam

This thesis narrates how pride in symbolic or transformative forms determines women’s and perpetrators’ experiences of and responses to cases of violence. The research was conceptualized based on theories about the formation and transformation of power and resistance, including symbolic violence, panopticon surveillance and technologies of the self as practices of freedom. The manifestation and resistance of symbolic violence are examined using comparative design to look at violence perpetrated against two groups of women – cisgender and non‐cisgender women. The research finds that symbolic pride, a form of symbolic violence, underlies the endurance of husband’s violence against cisgender married women, as well as the violent acts against non‐cisgender people, the self‐destruction of non‐cisgender women and the complicity of institutions such as family, school, local government in these cases of violence. Heteronormativity, which is not limited to heterosexual relationships but refers to social norms and expectations of stable and reproductive relationships, plays an overarching role in shaping the symbolic pride. The action part of this research shows that symbolic pride can be transformed and substituted by transformative pride, which helps people recognize violence and motivates people to stop the violence. The research also finds that the intersectionality of gender, sexuality, poverty, substance abuse, and illness among other factors is indispensable in understanding violence and creating transformation. Intersectionality is core to the subversion and resistance to violence

Quasi-continuous magnets

The National High Magnetic Field Laboratory is completing a quasi-continuous magnet which will sustain a constant field of 60 T for 100 ms in a 32-mm 77 K bore. This magnet consists of 9 mechanically independent, nested, liquid nitrogen-cooled coils which are individually reinforced by high-strength stainless steel outer shells. The coils were wound from rectangular large cross-section, high-strength, high-conductivity copper conductor insulated wtih polyimide and fiberglass tapes. After winding, the coils were inserted into closely fitted, stainless steel reinforcing shells and impregnated with epoxy resin. Design, analysis, material, fabrication and operational issues for this class of magnets are reviewed. Fabrication and quality assurance testing of the 60 T coil set are covered in detail. Future growth of and possible links from this technology to other magnet systems are discussed. Needed improvements in design, analysis, materials, and fabrication are outlined

NRQCD Analysis of Bottomonium Production at the Tevatron

Recent data from the CDF collaboration on the production of spin-triplet bottomonium states at the Tevatron p \bar p collider are analyzed within the NRQCD factorization formalism. The color-singlet matrix elements are determined from electromagnetic decays and from potential models. The color-octet matrix elements are determined by fitting the CDF data on the cross sections for Upsilon(1S), Upsilon(2S), and Upsilon(3S) at large p_T and the fractions of Upsilon(1S) coming from chi_b(1P) and chi_b(2P). We use the resulting matrix elements to predict the cross sections at the Tevatron for the spin-singlet states eta_b(nS) and h_b(nP). We argue that eta_b(1S) should be observable in Run II through the decay eta_b -> J/psi + J/psi.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figure

Properties of heavy quarkonia and B_c mesons in the relativistic quark model

The mass spectra and electromagnetic decay rates of charmonium, bottomonium and B_c mesons are comprehensively investigated in the relativistic quark model. The presence of only heavy quarks allows the expansion in powers of their velocities. All relativistic corrections of order v^2/c^2, including retardation effects and one-loop radiative corrections, are systematically taken into account in the computations of the mass spectra. The obtained wave functions are used for the calculation of radiative magnetic dipole (M1) and electric dipole (E1) transitions. It is found that relativistic effects play a substantial role. Their account and the proper choice of the Lorentz structure of the quark-antiquark interaction in a meson is crucial for bringing theoretical predictions in accord with experimental data. A detailed comparison of the calculated decay rates and branching fractions with available experimental data for radiative decays of charmonium and bottomonium is presented. The possibilities to observe the currently missing spin-singlet S and P states as well as D states in bottomonium are discussed. The results for B_c masses and decays are compared with other quark model predictions.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figures, minor correction

Hot topics in research: Preventive neuroradiology in brain aging and cognitive decline

Preventive neuroradiology is a new concept supported by growing literature. The main rationale of preventive neuroradiology is the application of multimodal brain imaging toward early and subclinical detection of brain disease and subsequent preventive actions through identification of modifiable risk factors. An insightful example of this is in the area of age-related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia with potentially modifiable risk factors such as obesity, diet, sleep, hypertension, diabetes, depression, supplementation, smoking, and physical activity. In studying this link between lifestyle and cognitive decline, brain imaging markers may be instrumental as quantitative measures or even indicators of early disease. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the major studies reflecting how lifestyle factors affect the brain and cognition aging. In this hot topics review, we will specifically focus on obesity and physical activity

Magnetic Field Amplification in Galaxy Clusters and its Simulation

We review the present theoretical and numerical understanding of magnetic field amplification in cosmic large-scale structure, on length scales of galaxy clusters and beyond. Structure formation drives compression and turbulence, which amplify tiny magnetic seed fields to the microGauss values that are observed in the intracluster medium. This process is intimately connected to the properties of turbulence and the microphysics of the intra-cluster medium. Additional roles are played by merger induced shocks that sweep through the intra-cluster medium and motions induced by sloshing cool cores. The accurate simulation of magnetic field amplification in clusters still poses a serious challenge for simulations of cosmological structure formation. We review the current literature on cosmological simulations that include magnetic fields and outline theoretical as well as numerical challenges.Comment: 60 pages, 19 Figure

Analysis of LIGO data for gravitational waves from binary neutron stars

We report on a search for gravitational waves from coalescing compact binary systems in the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds. The analysis uses data taken by two of the three LIGO interferometers during the first LIGO science run and illustrates a method of setting upper limits on inspiral event rates using interferometer data. The analysis pipeline is described with particular attention to data selection and coincidence between the two interferometers. We establish an observational upper limit of $\mathcal{R}<$1.7 \times 10^{2}$per year per Milky Way Equivalent Galaxy (MWEG), with 90coalescence rate of binary systems in which each component has a mass in the range 1--3$M_\odot$.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure