Shining a Spotlight on Media Freedom: Media Coverage of the Global Campaign for Media Freedom

In our first project report, we analyse English-language, online news coverage and Twitter commentary about media freedom. Specifically, we ask whether the Global Campaign for Media Freedom (GCMF) has succeeded in ‘shining a spotlight’ on media freedom in its first year of activities, from July 2019- July 2020. Key Findings: *Media freedom receives more coverage than many other international human rights issues. However, this coverage has been in decline in recent years. It is also highly episodic and largely restricted to annual days / events and individual cases in which journalists are targeted or harmed. *In its first year, the GCMF has helped to shine a spotlight on media freedom, generating a significant amount of new, online, English-language news coverage and social media commentary. Notably, it generated more attention than most other international media freedom initiatives. *However, this spotlight was fleeting. Media attention was primarily focussed on the inaugural Global Media Freedom Conference in London in July 2019. The GCMF’s other initiatives generated much more limited coverage. *Media attention focused on well-known personalities associated with the campaign, especially Amal Clooney and the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary (at the time) Jeremy Hunt. *Disappointingly, George Clooney was also frequently mentioned in online news stories about the Global Campaign for Media Freedom (25%) – more mentions than even Jamal Khashoggi or the United Nations – despite not being involved in the campaign

Montessori Education: Teacher Perceptions of Challenges in Transitioning to Virtual Instruction

In 2020, Montessori teachers and families across the world had to adjust as schools were closed because of the rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those working in the Montessori classroom, which typically favors a hands-on approach and limited use of technology, had to devise new ways to engage with students in the virtuallearning environment. How do teachers perceive that the transition to online learning affected their instruction? This descriptive case study examined the ways in which a school’s Lower and Upper Elementary Montessori teachers adjusted their instruction to meet student needs online, as well as the benefits and challenges that the teachers felt they and the students experienced as a result

Synthesis and MALDI-ToF characterization of dendronized poly(ethylene glycol)s

Well-defined hybrids of linear poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) and dendritic polyesters were prepared via the dendronization of the alcohol end groups of the mono and difunctional linear PEGs. Though useful for rudimentary product characterization, GPC and NMR could not verify the overall structural purity of these linear-dendritic hybrids. On the other hand, the detailed data provided by MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry enabled confirmation of the high structural purity of the dendronized PEGs at each step of the dendronization procedure. The well-defined number of functionalities on these dendronized PEGs, renders them particularly useful for research in the biomedical sphere where functionality and purity are of the utmost importance. The MALDI-ToF mass spectrometric approach described herein represents a valuable technique for detailed monitoring of these dendronization reactions, as well as a variety of other polymer end group modifications.Híbridos bem definidos de poli(etilenoglicol) lineares (PEGs) e poliésteres dendriméricos foram preparados via "dendronização" de álcool e grupos de PEGs lineares mono e bifuncionais. Embora úteis para a caracterização rudimentar de produtos, Cromatografia por Permeação em Gel e RMN podem não demonstrar a pureza estrutural global desses híbridos lineares dendríticos. Por outro lado, informações detalhadas provenientes de espectrometria de massas MALDI-ToF permitiram a confirmação de elevada pureza estrutural de PEGs "dendronizados" em cada passo do processo de "dendronização". O número de funcionalidades bem definidas destes PEGs "dendronizados", torna-os particularmente úteis para pesquisa na área biomédica, na qual funcionalidade e pureza são de grande importância. A abordagem de espectrometria de massas MALDI-ToF descrita aqui representa uma técnica valiosa para o monitoramento detalhado destas reações de "dendronização", bem como diversas modificações de outros polímeros e grupos

Quantum simulation costs for Suzuki-Trotter decomposition of quantum many-body lattice models

Quantum computers offer the potential to efficiently simulate the dynamics of quantum systems, a task whose difficulty scales exponentially with system size on classical devices. To assess the potential for near-term quantum computers to simulate many-body systems we develop a formalism to straightforwardly compute bounds on the number of Trotter steps needed to accurately simulate the time evolution of fermionic lattice models based on the first-order commutator scaling. We apply this formalism to two closely related many-body models prominent in condensed matter physics, the Hubbard and t-J models. We find that, while a naive comparison of the Trotter depth first seems to favor the Hubbard model, careful consideration of the model parameters and the allowable error for accurate simulation leads to a substantial advantage in favor of the t-J model. These results and formalism set the stage for significant improvements in quantum simulation costs.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figure

Can exhaled volatile organic compounds differentiate high and low responders to resistance exercise?

Participation in resistance training improves muscle strength and size, as well as reduced risk of chronic disease and frailty. However, the exercise response to resistance training is highly variable. In part this may be attributed to individual physiological differences. Identification of biomarkers that can distinguish between high and low responders to exercise are therefore of interest. Exhaled volatile organic compounds may provide a non-invasive method of monitoring the physiological response to resistance training. However, the relationship between exhaled organic compounds and the acute response to resistance exercise is not fully understood. Therefore, this research will investigate exhaled volatile organic compounds in acute response to resistance exercise with an aim to discover a common group of compounds that can predict high and low responders to standardised resistance training. © 2022 Elsevier Lt

Apparatus for testing high pressure injector elements

An apparatus for testing and evaluating the spray pattern of high pressure fuel injector elements for use in supplying fuel to combustion engines is presented. Prior art fuel injector elements were normally tested by use of low pressure apparatuses which did not provide a purge to prevent mist from obscuring the injector element or to prevent frosting of the view windows; could utilize only one fluid during each test; and had their viewing ports positioned one hundred eighty (180 deg) apart, thus preventing optimum use of laser diagnostics. The high pressure fluid injector test apparatus includes an upper hub, an upper weldment or housing, a first clamp and stud/nut assembly for securing the upper hub to the upper weldment, a standoff assembly within the upper weldment, a pair of window housings having view glasses within the upper weldment, an injector block assembly and purge plate within the upper weldment for holding an injector element to be tested and evaluated, a lower weldment or housing, a second clamp and stud/nut assembly for securing the lower weldment to the upper hub, a third clamp and stud/nut assembly for securing the lower hub to the lower weldment, mechanisms for introducing fluid under high pressure for testing an injector element, and mechanisms for purging the apparatus to prevent frosting of view glasses within the window housings and to permit unobstructed viewing of the injector element

Positive practices : solution-focused and narrative therapeutic techniques with children with sexually harmful behaviours

This article explores the use of solution-focused and Narrative Therapeutic approaches with a boy who had sexually harmful behaviours. The paper will highlight the practical challenges of working with someone who is 'problem-saturated' through institutionalisation and who is also subjected to powerful discourses claiming the 'truth' about him. The use of solution-focused and Narrative Therapeutic principles and approaches will be demonstrated in the work described, in a way that allows the reader to reflect on how these may differ from modernist understandings and responses to this behaviour

An optical coherence microscope for 3-dimensional imaging in developmental biology

An optical coherence microscope (OCM) has been designed and constructed to acquire 3-dimensional images of highly scattering biological tissue. Volume-rendering software is used to enhance 3-D visualization of the data sets. Lateral resolution of the OCM is 5 mm (FWHM), and the depth resolution is 10 mm (FWHM) in tissue. The design trade-offs for a 3-D OCM are discussed, and the fundamental photon noise limitation is measured and compared with theory. A rotating 3-D image of a frog embryo is presented to illustrate the capabilities of the instrument