Gender-Inclusive Library Workgroup Report

The Gender-Inclusive Workgroup explored how VCU Libraries can better serve trans and gender-nonconforming users and staff. The group’s recommendations cover library spaces, staff, systems, services, and culture. Key recommendations include highlighting existing all-gender restrooms; building more gender-inclusive restrooms; expanding availability of menstrual products and disposal bins; continuing support for name-of-use changes in library systems; minimizing display of legal name in library systems; offering ongoing staff training in gender-inclusive language and customer service; and encouraging staff to share pronouns. The workgroup also recommends pursuing a culture of shared learning and inclusive thinking, with a reminder that gender identity is one facet of multiple intersecting identities for people in the VCU community

An analysis of the Spanish press’s discourse on issues connected with the procés

Aquest article és una revisió del les construccions identitàries que s’observen en els discursos de la premsa espanyola i catalana al voltant del tema del procés sobiranista català. S’analitza un corpus de notícies i d’articles d’opinió centrats en sis talls transversals en l’extens eix cronològic del procés. Partim de conceptes com el d’ideologia lingüística i les construccions dialèctiques i simbòliques de les narratives identitàries, tot analitzat des del prisma de l’anàlisi crítica del discurs i de la sociolingüística.This article is a review of the identity constructions that are observed in the discourses in the Spanish and Catalan press connected with the issue of the Catalan sovereignty process. We analyse a corpus of news and opinion articles focusing on six key episodes in the extensive chronological history of El Procés. This work is based on concepts such as linguistic ideology and the dialectic and symbolic constructions of identity narratives, all analyzed from the persepctives of critical discourse analysis and sociolingüístics

A generalized k-epsilon model for turbulence modulation in fluid-particle flows

A large amount of published data show that particles with diameter above 10\% of the turbulence integral length scale ($D/l >0.1$) tend to increase the turbulent kinetic energy of the carrier fluid above the single-phase value, and smaller particles tend to suppress it. A revised phenomenological model of the $k-\epsilon$ type was developed to reproduce these effects with the correct asymptotic limit of no turbulence modulation for small particles, and augmentation for larger diameter solids. Particle-kinetic theory was used to derive the work exchanged between the particles and the fluid due to both drag and added mass forces to accommodate any particle/fluid density ratios including bubbles, droplets and heavy solids. For the larger particles, we devised a new model for vortex shedding induced by the slip between the particles and the turbulent flow, due to particle inertia. Simple approximate formulae for the turbulence modulation were obtained through asymptotic analysis. The overall effect for solid particles is that augmentation for large diameter solids is due to vortex shedding, and turbulence suppression for small diameters is due to mainly to turbulent drag forces and extra fluid dissipation. The transition from suppression to augmentation around $D/l = 0.1$ is a robust feature for a wide range of particle Reynolds and Stokes numbers, but we could not prove this to be a general relation on a theoretical basis. Indeed, bubbles and droplets may not display turbulence augmentation at all for the larger diameters due to moderate turbulence levels needed to prevent breakup, and the velocity difference between particles and fluid may therefore be too low for vortex shedding to occur. On the basis of the model we find that some data for solids in vertical gas flow show very large turbulence augmentation that can only be due to gravitational settling.Comment: 19 pages 8 figure

Reduction of the effective shear viscosity in polymer solutions due to crossflow migration in microchannels: Effective viscosity models based on DPD simulations

Molecular dynamics simulations (dissipative particle dynamics–DPD) were developed and used to quantify wall-normal migration of polymer chains in microchannel Poseuille flow. Crossflow migration due to viscous interaction with the walls results in lowered polymer concentration near the channel walls. A larger fraction of the total flow volume becomes depleted of polymer when the channel width h decreases into the submicron range, significantly reducing the effective viscosity. The effective viscosity was quantified in terms of channel width and Weissenberg number Wi, for 5% polymer volume fraction in water. Algebraic models for the depletion width δ(Wi, h) and effective viscosity μe(δ/h, Wi) were developed, based on the hydrodynamic theory of Ma and Graham and our simulation results. The depletion width model can be applied to longer polymer chains after a retuning of the polymer persistence length and the corresponding potential/thermal energy ratio.submittedVersio

Road transport taxation: a critical review of their internalising effectiveness

Over the last two decades there have appeared a lot of studies, with a European Union scope, aimed to estimate the externalities linked to the transport sector. An attempt to provide a tax instrument to get a socially optimal level is the ultimate reason of this kind of valuations. More specifically, this paper deals with the taxation of road transport. We analyse taxes in this sector in order to identify its real corrective design or, on the contrary, identify the criteria that should be introduced to improve its internalising efectiveness.externalities, road transport, taxes, internalising effectiveness.

Effects of polymer adsorption on the effective viscosity in microchannel flows: phenomenological slip layer model from molecular simulations

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Floral Nectary Fine Structure and Development in Glycine max L. (Fabaceae)

Floral nectaries of annual cultivated Glycine max develop between the bases of the central gynoecium and lateral stamen ring. Each discoid nectary forms immediately before flower opening and degenerates within 24 h. Three stages of nectary development are identified: preactive, active, and postactive. Preactive and active nectaries are composed of a single-layered epidermis that contains many open stomata, with guard cells having thickened walls, starch-engorged plastids, and other organelles. The major portion of each nectary consists of thin-walled special parenchyma cells, each having dense cytoplasm with a nucleus, Golgi bodies and vesicles, mitochondria, plastids, endoplasmic reticulum, many ribosomes, and one or more vacuoles. Fingers of phloem consisting of sieve tubes and companion cells, both with very small wall ingrowths and thought to provide sugars, penetrate the nectary at its base. The fingers originate from 10 vascular bundles with xylem, which innervate the stamen ring peripheral to the nectary. At the beginning of the active stage, special parenchyma around the phloem fingers become highly vacuolated first by each vacuole filling with non-water-soluble material and ribosome-like particles. In many of these cells and in the nonstomata epidermal cells, cytoplasmic bridges are associated with the vacuoles, and straight tubes containing single files of ribosome-like particles occur in the cytoplasm, or traverse plasmodesmata. In addition, bundles of tubules are often seen pressed to the outside of the vacuole tonoplast and in the cytoplasm before and during the time the tonoplast fragments and the vacuole contents mix with the cytoplasmic organelles. These cells then collapse, releasing their contents through the pores of the guard cells and onto the nectary surface. This holocrine secretion is different from that reported for other legume taxa and most other nonlegume taxa and suggests apoptosis. Remaining nectary special parenchyma cells follow the same fate, along with the epidermal cells, so that the entire nectary collapses, leaving only some of the guard cells intact. There are two types of elongate nonglandular trichomes and one type of short five- to seven-celled glandular trichome on the gynoecium adjacent to the nectary. These latter trichomes seem to be developed and functional during the active and postactive stages and following nectary collapse, suggesting that the nectar may consist of a variety of compounds originating from both the nectary and the glandular trichomes

Service user and family participation in mental health policy making in Timor-Leste: a qualitative study with multiple stakeholders.

BACKGROUND: Participation in mental health system strengthening by people with mental health problems and their families is a cornerstone of people-centred mental health care, yet there is a dearth of research about participation from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly from the Asia Pacific region. Hence, this study aimed to assess the current situation, challenges, enabling factors and future actions for service user and family participation in mental health policy making in Timor-Leste. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with 85 adults (≥18 years) who were: (1) mental health service users (n = 20) and their families (n = 10); (2) government decision makers (n = 10); (3) mental health and social service providers (n = 23); (4) civil society (n = 9); and (5) other groups (n = 13). Interview data was analysed using framework analysis. RESULTS: There was limited service user, family and community participation in mental health policy making in Timor-Leste. Perceptions that policy making is a technical exercise and that people with mental health problems lack cognitive capacity, and a lack of supportive mechanisms challenged participation. Enabling factors were a strong focus on human rights within the social sector, and existing mechanisms for advocacy and representation of people with disabilities in social policy making. Participants suggested bolstering civil society representation of people with mental health problems, and increasing mental health awareness and literacy, including government competencies to facilitate service user participation. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the need for theoretical and practical focus on the role of family within mental health system development in LMICs. Global mental health research and practice should adopt a critical approach to mental health service user and family participation to ensure that the concept and strategies to achieve this are embedded in LMIC knowledge