81 research outputs found
Women of "The Wire"
In this paper we analyze the representation of women on the popular television show The Wire. We discuss how, while writers attempt to portray race, crime, and inner-city life with sociological accuracy, characterizations of women, and of violence against women, are not especially complex or realistic. In particular, the crime of rape is underrepresented. While the show does feature certain competent, successful professional women, overall the portrayal of underclass women differs significantly from that of underclass men, featuring far fewer sympathetic female characters and demonizing several. In these ways the show succumbs to the sexist, patriarchal norms that characterize much of the representation of women in popular entertainment products. Some posit that this asymmetry of gender representation results from the male-oriented street experience of the show's male writers.En aquest treball s'analitza la representació de la dona en el popular programa de televisió The Wire (El cable). Discutim com, mentre que els escriptors intenten retratar la raça, el crim i la vida a les ciutats amb precisió sociològica, les caracteritzacions de la dona i de la violència contra la dona no són especialment complexes o realistes. En particular, el delicte de violació està infrarepresentat. Encara que l'espectacle presenta diverses dones competents i amb èxit professional, en general, el retrat de les dones de classe baixa difereix significativament del dels homes de classe baixa. Així, presenta els personatges femenins molt menys solidaris i fins i tot en demonitza uns quants. El programa sucumbeix, doncs, a les normes sexistes i patriarcals que caracteritzen gran part de les representacions de la dona en productes d'entreteniment popular. Alguns postulen que aquesta asimetria de la representació de gènere és el resultat de l'experiència del carrer fonamentalment androcèntrica dels escriptors del programa.En este trabajo se analiza la representación de la mujer en el popular programa de televisión The Wire (El cable). Discutimos cómo, mientras que los escritores intentan retratar la raza, el crimen y la vida en las ciudades con precisión sociológica, las caracterizaciones de la mujer y de la violencia contra la mujer no son especialmente complejas o realistas. En particular, el delito de violación está infrarrepresentado. Aunque el espectáculo presenta a varias mujeres competentes y con éxito profesional, en general, el retrato de las mujeres de clase baja difiere significativamente del de los hombres de clase baja. Así, presenta a los personajes femeninos mucho menos solidarios e incluso demoniza a varios. El programa sucumbe, pues, a las normas sexistas y patriarcales que caracterizan gran parte de las representaciones de la mujer en productos de entretenimiento popular. Algunos postulan que esta asimetría de la representación de género es el resultado de la experiencia de la calle fundamentalmente androcéntrica de los escritores del programa
Normal Modes in Model Jammed Systems in Three Dimensions
Vibrational spectra and normal modes of mechanically stable particle packings
in three dimensions are analyzed over a range of compressions, from near the
jamming transition, where the packings lose their rigidity, to far above it. At
high frequency, the normal modes are localized at all compressions. At low
frequency, the nature of the modes depends somewhat on compression. At large
compressions, far from the transition, the lowest-frequency normal modes have
some plane-wave character, though less than one would expect for a crystalline
or isotropic solid. At low compressions near the jamming transition, the
lowest-frequency modes are neither plane-wave-like nor localized. We
characterize these differences, highlighting the unusual dispersion behavior
that emerges for marginally jammed solids.Comment: Under review at Phys. Rev. E. Lower resolution figures her
Geometric approach to the dynamic glass transition
We numerically study the potential energy landscape of a fragile glassy
system and find that the dynamic crossover corresponding to the glass
transition is actually the effect of an underlying geometric transition caused
by a qualitative change in the topological properties of the landscape.
Furthermore, we show that the potential energy barriers connecting local glassy
minima increase with decreasing energy of the minima, and we relate this
behaviour to the fragility of the system. Finally, we analyze the real space
structure of activated processes by studying the distribution of particle
displacements for local minima connected by simple saddles
Probing the properties of convective cores through g modes: high-order g modes in SPB and gamma Doradus stars
In main sequence stars the periods of high-order gravity modes are sensitive
probes of stellar cores and, in particular, of the chemical composition
gradient that develops near the outer edge of the convective core. We present
an analytical approximation of high-order g modes that takes into account the
effect of the mu gradient near the core. We show that in main-sequence models,
similarly to the case of white dwarfs, the periods of high-order gravity modes
are accurately described by a uniform period spacing superposed to an
oscillatory component. The periodicity and amplitude of such component are
related, respectively, to the location and sharpness of the mu gradient.
We investigate the properties of high-order gravity modes for stellar models
in a mass domain between 1 and 10 Msun, and the effects of the stellar mass,
evolutionary state, and extra-mixing processes on period spacing features. In
particular, we show that for models of a typical SPB star, a chemical mixing
that could likely be induced by the slow rotation observed in these stars, is
able to significantly change the g-mode spectra of the equilibrium model.
Prospects and challenges for the asteroseismology of gamma Doradus and SPB
stars are also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 29 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Random Packings of Frictionless Particles
We study random packings of frictionless particles at T=0.
The packing fraction where the pressure becomes nonzero is the same as the
jamming threshold, where the static shear modulus becomes nonzero. The
distribution of threshold packing fractions narrows and its peak approaches
random close-packing as the system size increases. For packing fractions within
the peak, there is no self-averaging, leading to exponential decay of the
interparticle force distribution.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Coherent Bayesian analysis of inspiral signals
We present in this paper a Bayesian parameter estimation method for the
analysis of interferometric gravitational wave observations of an inspiral of
binary compact objects using data recorded simultaneously by a network of
several interferometers at different sites. We consider neutron star or black
hole inspirals that are modeled to 3.5 post-Newtonian (PN) order in phase and
2.5 PN in amplitude. Inference is facilitated using Markov chain Monte Carlo
methods that are adapted in order to efficiently explore the particular
parameter space. Examples are shown to illustrate how and what information
about the different parameters can be derived from the data. This study uses
simulated signals and data with noise characteristics that are assumed to be
defined by the LIGO and Virgo detectors operating at their design
sensitivities. Nine parameters are estimated, including those associated with
the binary system, plus its location on the sky. We explain how this technique
will be part of a detection pipeline for binary systems of compact objects with
masses up to 20 \sunmass, including cases where the ratio of the individual
masses can be extreme.Comment: Accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravity, Special
issue for GWDAW-1
Kepler Mission Stellar and Instrument Noise Properties
Kepler Mission results are rapidly contributing to fundamentally new
discoveries in both the exoplanet and asteroseismology fields. The data
returned from Kepler are unique in terms of the number of stars observed,
precision of photometry for time series observations, and the temporal extent
of high duty cycle observations. As the first mission to provide extensive time
series measurements on thousands of stars over months to years at a level
hitherto possible only for the Sun, the results from Kepler will vastly
increase our knowledge of stellar variability for quiet solar-type stars. Here
we report on the stellar noise inferred on the timescale of a few hours of most
interest for detection of exoplanets via transits. By design the data from
moderately bright Kepler stars are expected to have roughly comparable levels
of noise intrinsic to the stars and arising from a combination of fundamental
limitations such as Poisson statistics and any instrument noise. The noise
levels attained by Kepler on-orbit exceed by some 50% the target levels for
solar-type, quiet stars. We provide a decomposition of observed noise for an
ensemble of 12th magnitude stars arising from fundamental terms (Poisson and
readout noise), added noise due to the instrument and that intrinsic to the
stars. The largest factor in the modestly higher than anticipated noise follows
from intrinsic stellar noise. We show that using stellar parameters from
galactic stellar synthesis models, and projections to stellar rotation,
activity and hence noise levels reproduces the primary intrinsic stellar noise
features.Comment: Accepted by ApJ; 26 pages, 20 figure
Planetary Candidates Observed by Kepler, III: Analysis of the First 16 Months of Data
New transiting planet candidates are identified in sixteen months (May 2009 -
September 2010) of data from the Kepler spacecraft. Nearly five thousand
periodic transit-like signals are vetted against astrophysical and instrumental
false positives yielding 1,091 viable new planet candidates, bringing the total
count up to over 2,300. Improved vetting metrics are employed, contributing to
higher catalog reliability. Most notable is the noise-weighted robust averaging
of multi-quarter photo-center offsets derived from difference image analysis
which identifies likely background eclipsing binaries. Twenty-two months of
photometry are used for the purpose of characterizing each of the new
candidates. Ephemerides (transit epoch, T_0, and orbital period, P) are
tabulated as well as the products of light curve modeling: reduced radius
(Rp/R*), reduced semi-major axis (d/R*), and impact parameter (b). The largest
fractional increases are seen for the smallest planet candidates (197% for
candidates smaller than 2Re compared to 52% for candidates larger than 2Re) and
those at longer orbital periods (123% for candidates outside of 50-day orbits
versus 85% for candidates inside of 50-day orbits). The gains are larger than
expected from increasing the observing window from thirteen months (Quarter 1--
Quarter 5) to sixteen months (Quarter 1 -- Quarter 6). This demonstrates the
benefit of continued development of pipeline analysis software. The fraction of
all host stars with multiple candidates has grown from 17% to 20%, and the
paucity of short-period giant planets in multiple systems is still evident. The
progression toward smaller planets at longer orbital periods with each new
catalog release suggests that Earth-size planets in the Habitable Zone are
forthcoming if, indeed, such planets are abundant.Comment: Submitted to ApJS. Machine-readable tables are available at
http://kepler.nasa.gov, http://archive.stsci.edu/kepler/results.html, and the
NASA Exoplanet Archiv
Sexual dimorphism in cancer.
The incidence of many types of cancer arising in organs with non-reproductive functions is significantly higher in male populations than in female populations, with associated differences in survival. Occupational and/or behavioural factors are well-known underlying determinants. However, cellular and molecular differences between the two sexes are also likely to be important. In this Opinion article, we focus on the complex interplay that sex hormones and sex chromosomes can have in intrinsic control of cancer-initiating cell populations, the tumour microenvironment and systemic determinants of cancer development, such as the immune system and metabolism. A better appreciation of these differences between the two sexes could be of substantial value for cancer prevention as well as treatment
- …