"The Fashion of Playmaking": Cloth in Middleton's City Comedy

This thesis focuses on the dramatic uses of cloth within the works of the playwright Thomas Middleton (1580-1627). In a developing urban setting within which cloth enjoyed increasing cultural significance, the evolving London cloth trade augmented Jacobean dramatists’ material lexicon. The individual and collaborative efforts of Thomas Middleton reveal a particularly dense amount of references to foreign and domestic cloth, cloth merchants, and the overall cloth trade. This project examines in detail how cloth functioned as a tangible center around which Middleton could build a common frame of reference, creating a conduit for social content and commentary. Five Middleton city comedies are discussed (two are solely authored by Middleton, three are collaborative works), based on their density of cloth references, as detailed in an appendix. These plays are: The Patient Man and the Honest Whore (1604), Michaelmas Term (1606), Your Five Gallants (1608), The Roaring Girl (1611), and Anything for a Quiet Life (1621). This project works to demonstrate how a cloth-centered analysis allows for fruitful discussion of expectations, inconsistencies, tensions, and boundaries during the early modern period. This thesis explores the tension surrounding the expectations of patient masculinity in a commercial setting in Chapter One, the contradictory nature of a social system based on unreliable visual markers in Chapter Two, the inconsistency-generated identity of the prodigal gallant of display in Chapter Three, the tension generated by unconventional display and malleable gender expectations in Chapter Four, as well as the shifting perceptions of England’s cloth trade in a post-Cokayne climate in Chapter Five. This project endeavors to show how a focused literary analysis of cloth specifically can further advance current scholarship, allowing for increased insight into the early modern perspective in matters such as identity, gender, and commerce

Digital Three-Dimensional Atlas of Quail Development Using High-Resolution MRI

We present an archetypal set of three-dimensional digital atlases of the quail embryo based on microscopic magnetic resonance imaging (µMRI). The atlases are composed of three modules: (1) images of fixed ex ovo quail, ranging in age from embryonic day 5 to 10 (e05 to e10); (2) a coarsely delineated anatomical atlas of the µMRI data; and (3) an organ system–based hierarchical graph linked to the anatomical delineations. The atlas is designed to be accessed using SHIVA, a free Java application. The atlas is extensible and can contain other types of information including anatomical, physiological, and functional descriptors. It can also be linked to online resources and references. This digital atlas provides a framework to place various data types, such as gene expression and cell migration data, within the normal three-dimensional anatomy of the developing quail embryo. This provides a method for the analysis and examination of the spatial relationships among the different types of information within the context of the entire embryo

Cultural Resources Investigations for the Proposed Espada Road Widening Project City of San Antonio Bexar County, Texas

Between February 2014 and October 2015, Atkins North America, Inc. (Atkins), conducted cultural resources investigations for the City of San Antonio’s (COSA’s) proposed Espada Road Widening Project. The project area extends from Southeast Interstate Loop 410 to approximately 137 meters (450 feet) west of the intersection of East Ashley Road and Espada Road, a distance of approximately 1.6 kilometers (1.0 mile), comprising 7.99 acres (3.2 hectares). The project area was subjected to an intensive pedestrian survey, which was supplemented by mechanical trenching. In total, 27 shovel tests and 9 backhoe trenches were placed in locations across the Area of Potential Effects (APE), with particular emphasis on areas potentially containing remnants of distribution laterals extending from the Espada Acequia. Although the locations of a few of the acequia laterals were visible from the surface, most have been backfilled and affected by modern disturbances. Mechanical trenching was employed in an attempt to catch the acequia laterals in cross-section, but no such features were observed. No new archaeological resources were identified during the survey. An archival review hypothesized the presence of three acequia laterals extending into the parcel immediately south of Rilling Road. Because the property currently houses a construction yard and no excavation was possible, the parcel could not be examined at the time of the surveys. Therefore, Atkins recommends that any construction within that section of the APE be monitored by a qualified archaeologist. Atkins also recommends monitoring the property at the northern end of Espada Road, where an outfall will be located. Due to the APE’s proximity to existing archaeological site 41BX260 at that location, excavation within that portion of the APE should be monitored as well

Beyond peer observation of teaching

OBJECTIVE To summarize the evidence on effectiveness of translational diabetes prevention programs, based on promoting lifestyle change to prevent type 2 diabetes in real-world settings and to examine whether adherence to international guideline recommendations is associated with effectiveness. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Bibliographic databases were searched up to July 2012. Included studies had a follow-up of ≥12 months and outcomes comparing change in body composition, glycemic control, or progression to diabetes. Lifestyle interventions aimed to translate evidence from previous efficacy trials of diabetes prevention into real-world intervention programs. Data were combined using random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression considering the relationship between intervention effectiveness and adherence to guidelines. RESULTS Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. The primary meta-analysis included 22 studies (24 study groups) with outcome data for weight loss at 12 months. The pooled result of the direct pairwise meta-analysis shows that lifestyle interventions resulted in a mean weight loss of 2.12 kg (95% CI -2.61 to -1.63; I(2) = 91.4%). Adherence to guidelines was significantly associated with a greater weight loss (an increase of 0.3 kg per point increase on a 12-point guideline-adherence scale). CONCLUSIONS Evidence suggests that pragmatic diabetes prevention programs are effective. Effectiveness varies substantially between programs but can be improved by maximizing guideline adherence. However, more research is needed to establish optimal strategies for maximizing both cost-effectiveness and longer-term maintenance of weight loss and diabetes prevention effects

A psychophysical investigation of binary bitter-compound interactions

The aim of this study was to determine if taste interactions occur when bitter stimuli are mixed. Eight bitter stimuli were employed: denatonium benzoate (DB), quinine-HCl (QHCl), sucrose octaacetate (SOA), urea, L-tryptophan (L-trp), L-phenylalanine (L-phe), ranitidine-HCl, and Tetralone. The first experiment constructed individual psychophysical curves for each subject (n = 19) for each compound to account for individual differences in sensitivities when presenting bitter compounds in experiment 2. Correlation analysis revealed two groupings of bitter compounds at low intensity (1, L-trp, L-phe, and ranitidine; 2, SOA and QHCl), but the correlations within each group decreased as the perceived intensity increased. In experiment 2, intensity ratings and two-alternative forced-choice discrimination tasks showed that bitter compounds generally combine additively in mixture and do not show interactions with a few specific exceptions. The methods employed detected synergy among sweeteners, but could not detect synergy among these eight bitter compounds. In general, the perceived bitterness of these binary bitter-compound mixtures was an additive function of the total bitter-inducing stimuli in the mouth.<br /

Magnitude estimation of disfluency by stutterers and nonstutterers

UKEveryone produces disfluencies when they speak spontaneously. However, whereas most disfluencies pass unnoticed, the repetitions, blocks and prolongations produced by stutterers can have a severely disruptive effect on communication. The causes of stuttering have proven hard to pin down - researchers differ widely in their views on the cognitive mechanisms that underlie it. The present chapter presents initial research which supports a view (Vasic and Wijnen, this volume) that places the emphasis firmly on the self-monitoring system, suggesting that stuttering may be a consequence of over-sensitivity to the types of minor speech error that we all make. Our study also allows us to ask whether the speech of people who stutter is perceived as qualitatively different from that of nonstutterers, when it is fluent and when it contains similar types of minor disfluencies. 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(1991). Theories of monitoring and the timing of repairs in spontaneous speech. Cognition, 39, 173-194. Bloodstein, O. (1970). Stuttering and normal nonfluency: A continuity hypothesis. British Journal of Disorders of Communication, 1970, 30-39. Branigan, H., Lickley, R.J. & McKelvie, D. (1999). Non-linguistic influences on rates of disfluency in spontaneous speech. Proceedings of the ICPhS, International Congress on Phonetic Sciences, San Francisco, pp 387-390. Cohen, J.D., MacWhinney, B., Flatt, M. & Provost, J. (1993). Psyscope: A new graphic interactive environment for designing psychology experiments. Behavioral Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 25 (2), 257-271. Cross, D.E. (n.d.) A systems approach to stuttering. Retrieved 30 October, 2002, from http://www.ithaca.edu/cross/SPECIALIZATIONS/STUTTERING/Stuthome.html Dell, G.S. and Repka, R.J., (1992). Errors in inner speech. In B.J. Baars (Ed.), Experimental slips and human error: Exploring the architecture of volition. New York, NY: Plenum Press. Hartsuiker, R.J., & Kolk, H.H.J. (2001). Error monitoring in speech production: A computational test of the perceptual loop theory. Cognitive Psychology, 42, 113-157. Hartsuiker, R.J., Kolk, H.H.J. & Lickley, R.J. (2003). Stuttering on function words and content words: A computational test of the Covert Repair Hypothesis. In R.J. Hartsuiker, R. Bastiaanse, A. Postma, & F. Wijnen (Eds.), Phonological encoding and monitoring in normal and pathological speech. Hove (East Sussex): Psychology Press. Keller, F. (2000). Gradience in grammar: Experimental and computational aspects of degrees of grammaticality. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Edinburgh. Keller, F. & Alexopoulou, T. (2001). Phonology competes with syntax: Experimental evidence for the interaction of word order and accent placement in the realization of information structure. Cognition, 79, 301-372. Laver, J.D.M., (1973). The detection and correction of slips of tongue. In V.A. Fromkin (Ed.), Speech errors as linguistic evidence. The Hague: Mouton. Laver, J.D.M., (1980). Monitoring systems in the neurolinguistic control of speech production. In V.A. Fromkin (Ed.), Errors in linguistic performance: Slips of the tongue, ear, pen, and hand. New York, NY: Academic Press. Levelt, W.J.M. (1983). Monitoring and self-repair in speech. Cognition, 14, 41-104. Levelt, W.J.M. (1989). Speaking: From intention to articulation. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Lickley, R.J. (1998). HCRC Disfluency Coding Manual. HCRC Technical Report. HCRC/TR-100, Human Communication Research Centre, University of Edinburgh. Lickley, R.J. (2001). Dialogue Moves and Disfluency Rates. In Proceedings of DiSS '01, Disfluency in spontaneous speech, ISCA Tutorial and Research Workshop, University of Edinburgh, pp 93-96. MacKay, D.G. (1987). The organization of perception and action: a theory for language and other cognitive skills. New York, NY: Springer. MacKay, D.G. (1992a). 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Diabetes and Technology for Increased Activity (DaTA) Study: Results of a remote monitoring intervention for prevention of metabolic syndrome

Objective: An increasingly aged, overweight, and sedentary population has resulted in elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The escalating incidence of diabetes and other chronic illnesses, deficits in health care budgets, and physician shortages, especially in rural communities, have prompted investigations of feasible solutions. The Diabetes and Technology for Increased Activity (DaTA) study was designed to test the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention driven by self-monitoring of blood glucose (BG), blood pressure (BP), physical activity (PA), and weight to positively impact CVD risk factors in a medically underserviced rural population with a high incidence of metabolic syndrome (MS). Research Design and Methods: Conducted in a community-based research setting, this single-center open feasibility study used smart phones to transmit BP, BG, pedometer, weight, heart rate, and activity measurements to a database. Technology allowed participants to interface with the clinical team and self-monitor their personal health indicators. Results: Twenty-four participants aged 30 to 71 years completed the 8-week intervention. Participants had significant improvement in clinic (p = .046) and self-monitored diastolic BP (p = .001), body mass index (p = .002), and total cholesterol (p = .009), and steps per day. Daily PA increased as well as participants\u27 interest in and willingness to make lifestyle changes that impact health outcomes. Conclusions: The DaTA study demonstrated that self-monitoring of the risk factors for MS and increased PA improved the participant\u27s CVD risk profile. Considering the 8-week time period of this intervention, results are encouraging. This lifestyle intervention, which uses education and technology as tools, confirms the utility of remote health monitoring. © Diabetes Technology Society

Acceptability and Effectiveness of NHS-Recommended e-Therapies for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress: Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is a disconnect between the ability to swiftly develop e-therapies for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress, and the scrupulous evaluation of their clinical utility. This creates a risk that the e-therapies routinely provided within publicly funded psychological health care have evaded appropriate rigorous evaluation in their development. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to conduct a meta-analytic review of the gold standard evidence of the acceptability and clinical effectiveness of e-therapies recommended for use in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Systematic searches identified appropriate randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Depression, anxiety, and stress outcomes at the end of treatment and follow-up were synthesized using a random-effects meta-analysis. The grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation approach was used to assess the quality of each meta-analytic comparison. Moderators of treatment effect were examined using subgroup and meta-regression analysis. Dropout rates for e-therapies (as a proxy for acceptability) were compared against controls. RESULTS: A total of 24 studies evaluating 7 of 48 NHS-recommended e-therapies were qualitatively and quantitatively synthesized. Depression, anxiety, and stress outcomes for e-therapies were superior to controls (depression: standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.38, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.52, N=7075; anxiety and stress: SMD 0.43, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.63, n=4863), and these small effects were maintained at follow-up. Average dropout rates for e-therapies (31%, SD 17.35) were significantly higher than those of controls (17%, SD 13.31). Limited moderators of the treatment effect were found. CONCLUSIONS: Many NHS-recommended e-therapies have not been through an RCT-style evaluation. The e-therapies that have been appropriately evaluated generate small but significant, durable, beneficial treatment effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registration CRD42019130184; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=130184