253 research outputs found
"Simply the best (better than all the rest?)" : an investigation into the Booker Prize, 1980-1989, with particular regard to the general rise in business sponsorship of literary awards during the eighties, and the likely effects of the Booker on fiction
The thesis was planned as an attempt to investigate the general increase in the number of literary prizes in the 1980s and particularly those sponsored by business. However it is also an investigation into the specific workings of the Booker Prize as the best known literary award of its kind in Britain, and into the effects that prizes such as the Booker may have had on fiction.
Part 1 deals initially with the history and founding of the Booker Prize. Then in Chapter Two it covers some of the broader issues involving literary awards in general, such as the tendency among them to encourage a conflation of business and aesthetic ideals.
Part 2 deals with the issue of patronage for the arts and with the predominance of particular social groups among the authors, judges and members of the Management Committee of the Booker Prize. I also examine how certain types of supposedly aesthetic evaluations arise and how they subsequently come to predominate.
In the final part of the thesis I look at the issue of standardisation as it relates to the novels which won the Booker Prize during the 1980s
Being WISE I: Validating Stellar Population Models and M/L ratios at 3.4 and 4.6 microns
Using data from the WISE mission, we have measured near infra-red (NIR)
photometry of a diverse sample of dust-free stellar systems (globular clusters,
dwarf and giant early-type galaxies) which have metallicities that span the
range -2.2 < [Fe/H] (dex) < 0.3. This dramatically increases the sample size
and broadens the metallicity regime over which the 3.4 (W1) and 4.6 micron (W2)
photometry of stellar populations have been examined.
We find that the W1 - W2 colors of intermediate and old (> 2 Gyr) stellar
populations are insensitive to the age of the stellar population, but that the
W1 - W2 colors become bluer with increasing metallicity, a trend not well
reproduced by most stellar population synthesis (SPS) models. In common with
previous studies, we attribute this behavior to the increasing strength of the
CO absorption feature located in the 4.6 micron bandpass with metallicity.
Having used our sample to validate the efficacy of some of the SPS models, we
use these models to derive stellar mass-to-light ratios in the W1 and W2 bands.
Utilizing observational data from the SAURON and ATLAS3D surveys, we
demonstrate that these bands provide extremely simple, yet robust stellar mass
tracers for dust free older stellar populations that are freed from many of the
uncertainties common among optical estimators.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Ap
Project KEWL: Kinect Engineering With Learning
Project KEWL is a joint project between NASA/JPL and NASA/JSC to stimulate interest of children in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and bring the NASA space exploration experience to the classroom, museum and ultimately the living room. Using the Kinect game controller KEWL allows children to engage in NASA s missions in a fundamentally new way. KEWL allows children to experiment with gravity on Mars and the Moon; navigate through the International Space Station; fix a torn solar array on the ISS; drive a robot on Mars; visit an Asteroid; learn about the differences in gravity on different planets and control Robonaut 2 using their body as the input device. Project KEWL complements NASA s outreach investments in television, mobile platforms and the web by engaging the public through the rapidly expanding medium of console gaming. In 2008, 97% of teenagers played video games and 86% played on a home gaming console. (source: http://pewresearch.org/pubs/953/) As of March 2011, there have been more than 10 million Kinects sold. (source: http://www.itproportal.com/2011/03/10/kinect-record-breaking-sales-figures-top-10-million/) Project KEWL interacts with children on a platform on which they spend much of their time and teaches them information about NASA while they are having fun. Project KEWL progressed from completely custom C++ code written in house to using a commercial game engine. The art work and 3D geometry models come from existing engineering work or are created by the KEWL development team. Six different KEWL applications have been demonstrated at nine different venues including schools, museums, conferences, and NASA outreach events. These demonstrations have allowed the developers the chance to interact with players and observe the gameplay mechanics in action. The lessons learned were then incorporated into the subsequent versions of the applications
An Atmospheric Atomic Oxygen Source for Cleaning Smoke Damaged Art Objects
Soot and other carbonaceous combustion products deposited on the surfaces of porous ceramic, stone, ivory and paper can be difficult to remove and can have potentially unsatisfactory results using wet chemical and/or abrasive cleaning techniques. An atomic oxygen source which operates in air at atmospheric pressure, using a mixture of oxygen and helium, has been developed to produce an atomic oxygen beam which is highly effective in oxidizing soot deposited on surfaces by burning candles made of paraffin, oil or rendered animal fat. Atomic oxygen source operating conditions and the results of cleaning soot from paper, gesso, ivory, limestone and water color-painted limestone are presented
Hormonal contraceptive methods and risk of HIV acquisition in women : a systematic review of epidemiological evidence
Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Using the evidence: a comparison of Civil and Building lecturers and students' approach to the literature review
Lecturers and students in the Civil and Building Engineering Department at Loughborough University were surveyed to gain an understanding of how they expected the literature review element of Final Year Projects to be undertaken. The results showed a disparity in the number and type of resources expected to be used; in the problems they anticipated when undertaking a literature review; and in the confidence levels students had in the use of information tools. Recommendations are made to improve the teaching of the literature review
A multiple scales approach to crack front waves
Perturbation of a propagating crack with a straight edge is solved using the
method of matched asymptotic expansions (MAE). This provides a simplified
analysis in which the inner and outer solutions are governed by distinct
mechanics. The inner solution contains the explicit perturbation and is
governed by a quasi-static equation. The outer solution determines the
radiation of energy away from the tip, and requires solving dynamic equations
in the unperturbed configuration. The outer and inner expansions are matched
via the small parameter L/l defined by the disparate length scales: the crack
perturbation length L and the outer length scale l associated with the loading.
The method is first illustrated for a scalar crack model and then applied to
the elastodynamic mode I problem.
The dispersion relation for crack front waves is found by requiring that the
energy release rate is unaltered under perturbation. The wave speed is
calculated as a function of the nondimensional parameter kl where k is the
crack front wavenumber, and dispersive properties of the crack front wave speed
are described for the first time. The example problems considered here
demonstrate that the potential of using MAE for moving boundary value problems
with multiple scales.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure
Kinect Engineering with Learning (KEWL)
According to a Nielsen survey at the time of this reporting, 41% of all households have a game console. This is one market in which NASA has been absent from education and outreach efforts. Kinect Engineering with Learning (KEWL) is made to enter into that market and bring NASA education and outreach to a very familiar venue. KEWL creates an education and outreach experience that is more participatory, both in a school and museum environment. KEWL is a set of applications that runs on an Xbox 360 using the Kinect controller used for education and outreach. These applications currently include: Train R2, a visual simulation of Robonaut 2 that allows students to control a virtual R2 in a game environment; Drive R2, an interface using the Xbox 360 and Kinect controller that allows students to control the real R2 using the methods they learned playing Train R2; ISS experience, a visual tour of the interior of the International Space Station where students use their body to fly through the virtual ISS; Gravity Ball, a simulation of throwing balls in the gravity of different planets; Solar Array repair, a simulation of the simplified STS-121 solar array repair mission; and PlaySpace, a Mars/Moon application that allows students to experience different aspects of Mars/Moon. Users can "fly through" the ISS using their body, allowing an experience similar to what an astronaut would have on orbit. In PlaySpace, users can fly over the surface of Mars and view surface data obtained by Mars rovers. Users of Train R2 and Drive R2 can experience what it is like to control a robot over a distance with a time delay, simulating the time delay that would occur between ground control and an on-orbit robot. The initial ISS experiences were built using parts of code from the NASA Enigma software. The models used in these experiences were also from the Integrated Graphics Operations and Analysis Lab model database. The PlaySpace experience incorporates surface data obtained from NASA rovers and satellites and was built by NASA JPL
The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance Atlas on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease in women - Chapter 5 : sex- and gender-unique manifestations of cardiovascular disease.
This Atlas chapter summarizes sex- and some gender-associated, and unique aspects and manifestations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. CVD is the primary cause of premature death in women in Canada and numerous sex-specific differences related to symptoms and pathophysiology exist. A review of the literature was done to identify sex-specific differences in symptoms, pathophysiology, and unique manifestations of CVD in women. Although women with ischemic heart disease might present with chest pain, the description of symptoms, delay between symptom onset and seeking medical attention, and prodromal symptoms are often different in women, compared with men. Nonatherosclerotic causes of angina and myocardial infarction, such as spontaneous coronary artery dissection are predominantly identified in women. Obstructive and nonobstructive coronary artery disease, aortic aneurysmal disease, and peripheral artery disease have worse outcomes in women compared with men. Sex differences exist in valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathies. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is more often diagnosed in women, who experience better survival after a heart failure diagnosis. Stroke might occur across the lifespan in women, who are at higher risk of stroke-related disability and age-specific mortality. Sex- and gender-unique differences exist in symptoms and pathophysiology of CVD in women. These differences must be considered when evaluating CVD manifestations, because they affect management and prognosis of cardiovascular conditions in women.Dans le prĂ©sent chapitre dâAtlas sont rĂ©capitulĂ©s les aspects et les manifestations uniques, associĂ©s au sexe et certains associĂ©s au genre, des maladies cardiovasculaires (MCV) chez les femmes. Les MCV sont la cause principale de dĂ©cĂšs prĂ©maturĂ©s chez les femmes au Canada. De nombreuses diffĂ©rences quant aux symptĂŽmes et Ă la physiopathologie existent entre les sexes. Nous avons rĂ©alisĂ© une revue de la littĂ©rature pour dĂ©terminer les diffĂ©rences entre les sexes dans les symptĂŽmes et la physiopathologie, et les manifestations uniques des MCV chez les femmes. Bien que les femmes atteintes dâune cardiopathie ischĂ©mique puissent Ă©prouver des douleurs thoraciques, la description des symptĂŽmes, le dĂ©lai entre lâapparition des symptĂŽmes et lâobtention de soins mĂ©dicaux, et les symptĂŽmes prodromiques sont souvent diffĂ©rents de ceux des hommes. Les causes de lâangine et de lâinfarctus du myocarde non liĂ©es Ă lâathĂ©rosclĂ©rose telles que la dissection spontanĂ©e de lâartĂšre coronaire sont principalement observĂ©es chez les femmes. La coronaropathie obstructive et non obstructive, lâanĂ©vrisme aortique et la maladie artĂ©rielle pĂ©riphĂ©rique montrent de plus mauvaises issues chez les femmes que chez les hommes. Des diffĂ©rences entre les sexes sont observĂ©es dans la cardiopathie valvulaire et les cardiomyopathies. Le diagnostic dâinsuffisance cardiaque avec fraction dâĂ©jection prĂ©servĂ©e est plus souvent posĂ© chez les femmes qui prĂ©sentent un meilleur taux de survie aprĂšs un diagnostic dâinsuffisance cardiaque. Lâaccident vasculaire cĂ©rĂ©bral (AVC) pourrait survenir tout au long de la vie des femmes, qui sont exposĂ©es Ă un risque plus Ă©levĂ© dâincapacitĂ©s liĂ©es Ă lâAVC et de mortalitĂ© par Ăąge. Il existe des diffĂ©rences uniques entre les sexes et les genres pour ce qui est des symptĂŽmes et de la physiopathologie des MCV chez les femmes. Lors de lâĂ©valuation des manifestations des MCV, il faut tenir compte de ces diffĂ©rences puisquâelles influencent la prise en charge et le pronostic des maladies cardiovasculaires chez les femmes
The Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance atlas on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular disease in women - Chapter 6 : sex- and gender-specific diagnosis and treatment
This chapter summarizes the sex- and gender-specific diagnosis and treatment of acute/unstable presentations and nacute/stable presentations of cardiovascular disease in women. Guidelines, scientific statements, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and primary research studies related to diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), valvular heart disease, and heart failure in women were reviewed. The evidence is summarized as a narrative, and when available, sex- and gender-specific practice and research recommendations are provided. Acute coronary syndrome presentations and emergency department delays are different in women than they are in men. Coronary angiography remains the gold-standard test for diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease. Other diagnostic imaging modalities for ischemic heart disease detection (eg, positron emission tomography, echocardiography, single-photon emission computed tomography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance, coronary computed tomography angiography) have been shown to be useful in women, with their selection dependent upon both the goal of the individualized assessment and the testing resources available. Noncontrast computed tomography and computed tomography angiography are used to diagnose stroke in women. Although sex-specific differences appear to exist in the efficacy of standard treatments for diverse presentations of acute coronary syndrome, many cardiovascular drugs and interventions tested in clinical trials were not powered to detect sex-specific differences, and knowledge gaps remain. Similarly, although knowledge is evolving about sex-specific difference in the management of valvular heart disease, and heart failure with both reduced and preserved ejection fraction, current guidelines are lacking in sex-specific recommendations, and more research is needed.Ce chapitre prĂ©sente un rĂ©sumĂ© sur le diagnostic et le traitement des tableaux cliniques aigus/instables et non aigus/stables des maladies cardiovasculaires chez les femmes, et les diffĂ©rences propres Ă chacun des deux sexes. Les lignes directrices, les Ă©noncĂ©s scientifiques, les revues systĂ©matiques/mĂ©ta-analyses et les Ă©tudes de recherche originale sur le diagnostic et le traitement des coronaropathies, des maladies vasculaires cĂ©rĂ©brales (AVC), des valvulopathies cardiaques et de lâinsuffisance cardiaque chez les femmes ont Ă©tĂ© examinĂ©s. Les donnĂ©es probantes sont rĂ©sumĂ©es sous forme narrative et, lorsquâelles sont disponibles, des recommandations en matiĂšre de pratique et de recherche pour chacun des deux sexes sont prĂ©sentĂ©es. Les tableaux cliniques du syndrome coronarien aigu et les dĂ©lais dâattente Ă lâurgence sont diffĂ©rents selon quâune femme ou un homme en est atteint. Lâangiographie coronarienne reste lâexamen de rĂ©fĂ©rence pour le diagnostic des coronaropathies obstructives. Dâautres examens dâimagerie diagnostique (p. ex. la tomographie par Ă©mission de positons, lâĂ©chocardiographie, la tomographie d'Ă©mission Ă photon unique, la rĂ©sonance magnĂ©tique cardiovasculaire, lâangiographie coronarienne par tomodensitomĂ©trie) se sont avĂ©rĂ©s utiles pour la dĂ©tection des cardiopathies ischĂ©miques chez les femmes. Le recours Ă ces modalitĂ©s dĂ©pend de lâobjectif de lâĂ©valuation personnalisĂ©e et des ressources disponibles. La tomodensitomĂ©trie sans agent de contraste et lâangiographie par tomodensitomĂ©trie sont utilisĂ©es pour le diagnostic des AVC chez les femmes. MalgrĂ© les diffĂ©rences entre les sexes quant Ă lâefficacitĂ© des traitements de rĂ©fĂ©rence des divers tableaux cliniques du syndrome coronarien aigu, bon nombre des mĂ©dicaments et des interventions cardiovasculaires qui ont fait lâobjet dâessais cliniques nâavaient pas la puissance statistique nĂ©cessaire pour dĂ©tecter des diffĂ©rences selon les sexes, de sorte que les connaissances restent fragmentaires sur ce sujet. De mĂȘme, malgrĂ© lâĂ©volution des connaissances sur les diffĂ©rences sexuelles quant Ă la prise en charge des valvulopathies cardiaques et de lâinsuffisance cardiaque avec fraction dâĂ©jection rĂ©duite ou prĂ©servĂ©e, on ne trouve pas de recommandations pour chaque sexe dans les lignes directrices actuelles, dâoĂč la pertinence dâĂ©tudes supplĂ©mentaires portant sur cette question
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