A Content Analysis of Indirect, Verbal, and Physical Aggression in Television Programs Popular among School-Aged Girls

A content analysis of indirect, verbal, and physical aggression was conducted of 77 hours of television programming popular among fifth grade girls. Eighty-eight percent of programs contained aggression. Physical aggression occurred at a rate of 9.6 acts per hour, whereas indirect and verbal aggression occurred at a rate of 3.7 and 2.8 acts per hour, respectively. Rates of aggression varied by gender, age, and attractiveness of perpetrators, as well as by relationship between perpetrator and victim. Additionally, motivation and consequences of aggressive acts varied by form of aggression. Implications of the findings are discussed in light of current research and theories of media effects

You and CO2: a Public Engagement Study to Engage Secondary School Students with the Issue of Climate Change

School students are growing up in a world with a rapidly changing climate, the effects of which will become increasingly apparent during their lifetimes. We designed and pilot tested “You and CO2”, a STEAM program designed to encourage students to reflect on their personal impact on the environment, while also appreciating their place within society to bring about positive societal change. Over three interlinked workshops, students analyzed the carbon footprints of some everyday activities, which they then explored in more detail through interacting with a bespoke piece of digital fiction, No World 4 Tomorrow. The program culminated with students producing their own digital fictions, allowing them the freedom to explore the themes from the previous workshops with a setting and focus of their choice. We reflect here on the experience of running the You and CO2 program and on the themes that emerged from the students’ original digital fictions

OPTIMIZING POLYMERS FOR USE IN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS

Electronic sensors are often an ideal choice for vapor and liquid environmental monitoring due to their highly adaptable structures, rapid testing time, and simplicity of use. Biomolecule sensors achieve selectivity to a particular analyte of interest through attachment of a specific antibody to a portion of the active device substrate. Sensors for gases such as ammonia do not have the option of a selective antibody, but must instead rely on monitored molecular interactions between the active surface and the atmosphere. In both of these cases, it is of utmost importance to design the recognition layer in such a way to allow for both high specificity and high sensor output response. We can modify these films in numerous ways to achieve optimum device performance. In the following projects, I investigated some chemical and physical attachment layer optimization methods that may be used to meet specific device requirements including flexibility, portability, and rapid speed. This dissertation is broadly divided into two sections: vapor sensing (Chapter 2) and biomolecule sensing (Chapters 3 and 4). For vapor sensors, many different methods allow for increased sensitivity to target gases. The addition of metal particles and controlled porosity to a conductive film provides for increased sensitivity to ethylene, which is typically poorly reactive due to its simple chemical structure. In a separate project, two electronic devices are used in tandem with an inverter geometry to increase selectivity for ammonia sensing. This device is fabricated entirely on a plastic, flexible substrate which can be conveniently worn by an individual at risk for ammonia exposure. The biomolecular sensors presented in this work can detect the small electronic shift that occurs from protein binding to a corresponding antibody in the sensing layer. However, this attachment produces a limited voltage or current change alone. While it is common to use secondary labels and additives to increase this signal, in the case of measuring antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the field, the design is required to be as simple and portable as possible, thus limiting the possibility of complicated additives or processing. For this reason, I developed a binding polymer layer with acid-labile side chains that deprotect in the presence of pH changes. When measuring this film with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, it is possible to see the decrease in impedance that occurs upon complementary protein binding, as the hydrophobic polymer layer degrades and allows infiltration with water

Imaging dreams in the Middle Ages: the Roman de la Rose and artistic vision, c.1275-1540

This thesis constitutes an investigation into the depiction of dreams in imagery accompanying the late-medieval manuscripts and printed editions of the Roman de la Rose. It reflects on the changing approaches to depicting dreams during the 250 years of the Rose’s popularity in central France, as well as discussing the historical theoretical understanding of the concept of dreams, and its expression in a specific Rose context. It examines the representation of dreams in a number of Rose manuscripts – in particular their prominent dreamer incipits – alongside other relevant miniatures of both a secular and religious nature. Furthermore, the alteration of trends for depicting the dream space in Rose manuscripts during the fifteenth century are also considered, as well as a case-study of the luxurious Valencia manuscript, which contains a variety of dream subjects. This is followed by a discussion of the methodology of manuscript production in the medieval period, gleaned from a number of extant Roses. This chapter underscores the important role played by artistic originality and intention in the processes of manuscript making – addressing the ‘artistic vision’ indicated in the title of this thesis. An outline of the printed editions of the Rose and their resurrection of earlier tropes of dream depiction is also included. Finally, the appendix contains a Catalogue of the Rose manuscripts studied in preparation for and throughout the production of the thesis

'The difference in determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium in a sample of young Australian women.'

BACKGROUND Differences in the determinants of Chlamydia trachomatis ('chlamydia') and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) genital infection in women are not well understood. METHODS A cohort study of 16 to 25 year old Australian women recruited from primary health care clinics, aimed to determine chlamydia and MG prevalence and incidence. Vaginal swabs collected at recruitment were used to measure chlamydia and MG prevalence, organism-load and chlamydia-serovar a cross-sectional analysis undertaken on the baseline results is presented here. RESULTS Of 1116 participants, chlamydia prevalence was 4.9% (95% CI: 2.9, 7.0) (n = 55) and MG prevalence was 2.4% (95% CI: 1.5, 3.3) (n = 27). Differences in the determinants were found - chlamydia not MG, was associated with younger age [AOR:0.9 (95% CI: 0.8, 1.0)] and recent antibiotic use [AOR:0.4 (95% CI: 0.2, 1.0)], and MG not chlamydia was associated with symptoms [AOR:2.1 (95% CI: 1.1, 4.0)]. Having two or more partners in last 12 months was more strongly associated with chlamydia [AOR:6.4 (95% CI: 3.6, 11.3)] than MG [AOR:2.2 (95% CI: 1.0, 4.6)] but unprotected sex with three or more partners was less strongly associated with chlamydia [AOR:3.1 (95%CI: 1.0, 9.5)] than MG [AOR:16.6 (95%CI: 2.0, 138.0)]. Median organism load for MG was 100 times lower (5.7 × 104/swab) than chlamydia (5.6 × 10⁶/swab) (p < 0.01) and not associated with age or symptoms for chlamydia or MG. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate significant chlamydia and MG prevalence in Australian women, and suggest that the differences in strengths of association between numbers of sexual partners and unprotected sex and chlamydia and MG might be due to differences in the transmission dynamics between these infections.This project was funded by the Commonwealth of Australia, as part of a National Chlamydia Pilot program that is currently running to test the effectiveness of a number of models for chlamydia testing in Australia. This project will assist in developing possible recommendations for a National Chlamydia Program. The analysis of MG was funded by the National Health and Research Council (research grant number 509144)

Clinical application of a cancer genomic profiling assay to guide precision medicine decisions

AIM: Develop and apply a comprehensive and accurate next-generation sequencing based assay to help clinicians to match oncology patients to therapies. MATERIALS and METHODS: The performance of the CANCERPLEX(R) assay was assessed using DNA from well-characterized routine clinical formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens and cell lines. RESULTS: The maximum sensitivity of the assay is 99.5% and its accuracy is virtually 100% for detecting somatic alterations with an allele fraction of as low as 10%. Clinically actionable variants were identified in 93% of patients (930 of 1000) who underwent testing. CONCLUSION: The test\u27s capacity to determine all of the critical genetic changes, tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability status and viral associations has important ramifications on clinical decision support strategies, including identification of patients who are likely to benefit from immune checkpoint blockage therapies

Center on Disability Studies eNewsletter, September 2023

Welcome to the September 2023 CDS Quarterly eNewsletter. Special highlights in this issue include: Maui Response Director’s Message Featured Artist Alexandra McClurg, MACL Educators Scholarship, Spark Aloha! H-PEP Inclusive First Aid/CPR/AED Upcoming Classes Nā Hōkū Newsletter Release, Project Hoʻokuʻi V Mia Ives-Rublee and Justice Shorter #PacRim 2024 Keynotes Hōkūlani Insider Newsletter Release, Project Hōkūlani Swim Safe: ASD Program Upcoming Classes Scholarships Opportunities, #PacRim2024 Sponsor and Exhibitor Invitations, #PacRim2024 Hawaiʻi Inclusive Early Childhood Professional Prep Project Soccer Classes, Wellness Matters Program Webinar with Dr. Jun Yaeda, University of Tsukuba, Japan September Events, Access to Independence Featured Film Release on KHON, The Power of Hoʻokuʻ

VITALITY trial: protocol for a randomised controlled trial to establish the role of postnatal vitamin D supplementation in infant immune health

Introduction Postnatal vitamin D supplementation may be associated with a reduction in IgE-mediated food allergy, lower respiratory tract infections and improved bone health. Countries in the Northern hemisphere recommend universal infant vitamin D supplementation to optimise early vitamin D levels, despite the absence of large trials proving safety or efficacy for any disease outcome. With the aim of determining the clinical and cost-effectiveness of daily vitamin D supplementation in breastfed infants from age 6&ndash;8 weeks to 12 months of age, we have started a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of daily 400 IU vitamin D supplementation during the first year of life, VITALITY. Methods nd analysis Infants (n=3012) who are fully breastfed and not receiving vitamin D supplementation will be recruited at the time of their first immunisation, from council-led immunisation clinics throughout metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. The primary outcome is challenge-proven food allergy at 12 months of age. Secondary outcomes are food sensitisation (positive skin prick test), number of lower respiratory infections (through hospital linkage), moderately-severe and persistent eczema (by history and examination) and vitamin D deficiency (serum vitamin D &lt;50 nmol/L) at age 12 months. The trial is underway and the first 130 participants have been recruited