1,472 research outputs found
An exploration into how Students with Dyslexia identify with their condition, with particular reference to the tensions which surround Public and Private Perceptions of Dyslexia
This thesis, discusses the implications of the social and private constructions of
dyslexia for the individual with dyslexia and the dyslexic identity. In view of the
difficulties inherent in higher education this study interviews people with
dyslexia who successfully entered degree courses at university. It explores their
experiences in an effort to gain an understanding of how people with dyslexia
form an identity.
Issues surrounding 'dyslexia' have increasingly focused on its credibility as a
'genuine' medical and disabling condition. The social expectations of the
condition and the differing social and medical models of conditions warranting
the label 'disability' have complicated issues further. Thus far, research into
dyslexic issues has mainly focused on the causation and remediation of the
condition and although studies have exposed certain tensions surrounding
social expectation of those with conditions deemed to be disabling, how people
who describe themselves as dyslexic identify with their dyslexia as adults has
been largely ignored. In view of the tensions surrounding social expectations of
and certain official definitions associated with dyslexia, this thesis explores how
individual's identify with their dyslexia in view of dominant perceptions of
dyslexia, which is further identified through media portrayals of dyslexia and
their own experiences of living with this condition.
The study consists of a discourse analysis of the representations of dyslexic
issues in newspaper articles. Findings discuss how representations of dyslexia
are described within the context of 'inability' and how individuals are often
identified as 'victims' of the condition. The onus was often on finding a 'cure'.
However, the study also includes accounts of individuals who referred to social
barriers which had impacted on their learning.
The study carries out a discourse analysis of semi-structured interviews with
students who are attending university and describe themselves as dyslexic, and
investigates public representations of dyslexia informed through newspaper
articles which refer to dyslexia and those labelled dyslexic. The findings reveal
that media portrayals of dyslexia often associate it with inability or a lack of
ability to achieve in reading and writing skills. However, many of the participants
believed their dyslexia to be a benefit or gift, yet were often hesitant to disclose
these beliefs to public scrutiny. The study also found that some of the men and
women in the study often interpreted their experiences differently from each
other and this pronipted an investigation into how social constructions of gender
can provide insight into how some individuals with dyslexia re-form their identity
with this condition
Application of asymptotic expansions of maximum likelihood estimators errors to gravitational waves from binary mergers: the single interferometer case
In this paper we describe a new methodology to calculate analytically the
error for a maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) for physical parameters from
Gravitational wave signals. All the existing litterature focuses on the usage
of the Cramer Rao Lower bounds (CRLB) as a mean to approximate the errors for
large signal to noise ratios. We show here how the variance and the bias of a
MLE estimate can be expressed instead in inverse powers of the signal to noise
ratios where the first order in the variance expansion is the CRLB. As an
application we compute the second order of the variance and bias for MLE of
physical parameters from the inspiral phase of binary mergers and for noises of
gravitational wave interferometers . We also compare the improved error
estimate with existing numerical estimates. The value of the second order of
the variance expansions allows to get error predictions closer to what is
observed in numerical simulations. It also predicts correctly the necessary SNR
to approximate the error with the CRLB and provides new insight on the
relationship between waveform properties SNR and estimation errors. For example
the timing match filtering becomes optimal only if the SNR is larger than the
kurtosis of the gravitational wave spectrum
Adding value and meaning to coheating tests
Purpose: The coheating test is the standard method of measuring the heat loss coefficient of a building, but to be useful the test requires careful and thoughtful execution. Testing should take place in the context of additional investigations in order to achieve a good understanding of the building and a qualitative and (if possible) quantitative understanding of the reasons for any performance shortfall. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach: Leeds Metropolitan University has more than 20 years of experience in coheating testing. This experience is drawn upon to discuss practical factors which can affect the outcome, together with supporting tests and investigations which are often necessary in order to fully understand the results. Findings: If testing is approached using coheating as part of a suite of investigations, a much deeper understanding of the test building results. In some cases it is possible to identify and quantify the contributions of different factors which result in an overall performance shortfall. Practical implications: Although it is not practicable to use a fully investigative approach for large scale routine quality assurance, it is extremely useful for purposes such as validating other testing procedures, in-depth study of prototypes or detailed investigations where problems are known to exist. Social implications: Successful building performance testing is a vital tool to achieve energy saving targets. Originality/value: The approach discussed clarifies some of the technical pitfalls which may be encountered in the execution of coheating tests and points to ways in which the maximum value can be extracted from the test period, leading to a meaningful analysis of the building's overall thermal performance
Family visits to libraries and bookshops: observations and implications for digital libraries
This paper explores how families select books for leisure reading. We recruited 17 families (adults and children) for this study, and spent time with each in both bookshops and public libraries. Our research aims to add to understanding of how families interact with books and bookshelves in these places, and how digital libraries might best support the shared needs of these inter-generational users. Much of our understanding of how an eBook should look and feel comes from generalizations about books and assumptions about the needs of those individuals who read them. We explore how children and adults search and browse for books together, with specific focus on the type of information seeking tasks that families undertake and on the families’ shared search and browsing strategies. We further explore the implications of this study for the development of digital libraries for children and families
Basal Cell Carcinomas in Gorlin Syndrome: A Review of 202 Patients
Gorlin syndrome (Naevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome) is a rare autosomal dominant syndrome caused by mutations in the PTCH gene with a birth incidence of approximately 1 in 19,000. Patients develop multiple basal cell carcinomas of the skin frequently in early life and also have a predisposition to additional malignancies such as medulloblastoma. Gorlin Syndrome patients also have developmental defects such as bifid ribs and other complications such as jaw keratocysts. We studied the incidence and frequency of basal cell carcinomas in 202 Gorlin syndrome patients from 62 families and compared this to their gender and mutation type. Our data suggests that the incidence of basal cell carcinomas is equal between males and females and the mutation type cannot be used to predict disease burden
Recommended from our members
Dynamics and seismic performance of rocking bridges accounting for the abutment-backfill contribution
The present study explores analytically the concept of rocking isolation in bridges considering for the first time the influence of the abutment-backfill system. The dynamic response of rocking bridges with free-standing piers of same height and same section is examined assuming negligible deformation for the substructure and the superstructure. New relationships for the prediction of the bridge rocking motion are derived, including the equation of motion and the restitution coefficient at each impact at the rocking interfaces. The bridge structure is found to be susceptible to a failure mode related to the failure of the abutment-backfill system, which can occur prior to the well-known overturning of the rocking piers. Thus, a new failure spectrum is proposed called Failure Minimum Acceleration Spectrum (FMAS) which extends the overturning spectrum put forward in previous studies and it differs in principle from the latter. Parametric analyses are conducted with respect to the stiffness of the backfill, highlighting the importance of stiff profiles in rocking response of bridges. The comparison with the dynamic response of bridges modelled as rocking frames without abutments reveals that seat-type abutments and their backfill have a generally beneficial effect on the seismic performance of rocking pier bridges, but also that the simple frame model cannot capture all salient features of the rocking bridge response, as it misses potential failure modes, overestimating the rocking bridge’s safety when these modes are critical
Stochastic models in population biology and their deterministic analogs
In this paper we introduce a class of stochastic population models based on
"patch dynamics". The size of the patch may be varied, and this allows one to
quantify the departures of these stochastic models from various mean field
theories, which are generally valid as the patch size becomes very large. These
models may be used to formulate a broad range of biological processes in both
spatial and non-spatial contexts. Here, we concentrate on two-species
competition. We present both a mathematical analysis of the patch model, in
which we derive the precise form of the competition mean field equations (and
their first order corrections in the non-spatial case), and simulation results.
These mean field equations differ, in some important ways, from those which are
normally written down on phenomenological grounds. Our general conclusion is
that mean field theory is more robust for spatial models than for a single
isolated patch. This is due to the dilution of stochastic effects in a spatial
setting resulting from repeated rescue events mediated by inter-patch
diffusion. However, discrete effects due to modest patch sizes lead to striking
deviations from mean field theory even in a spatial setting.Comment: 47 pages, 9 figure
Mitochondrial Mislocalization Underlies Aβ42-Induced Neuronal Dysfunction in a Drosophila Model of Alzheimer's Disease
The amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42) is thought to play a central role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the molecular mechanisms by which Aβ42 induces neuronal dysfunction and degeneration remain elusive. Mitochondrial dysfunctions are implicated in AD brains. Whether mitochondrial dysfunctions are merely a consequence of AD pathology, or are early seminal events in AD pathogenesis remains to be determined. Here, we show that Aβ42 induces mitochondrial mislocalization, which contributes to Aβ42-induced neuronal dysfunction in a transgenic Drosophila model. In the Aβ42 fly brain, mitochondria were reduced in axons and dendrites, and accumulated in the somata without severe mitochondrial damage or neurodegeneration. In contrast, organization of microtubule or global axonal transport was not significantly altered at this stage. Aβ42-induced behavioral defects were exacerbated by genetic reductions in mitochondrial transport, and were modulated by cAMP levels and PKA activity. Levels of putative PKA substrate phosphoproteins were reduced in the Aβ42 fly brains. Importantly, perturbations in mitochondrial transport in neurons were sufficient to disrupt PKA signaling and induce late-onset behavioral deficits, suggesting a mechanism whereby mitochondrial mislocalization contributes to Aβ42-induced neuronal dysfunction. These results demonstrate that mislocalization of mitochondria underlies the pathogenic effects of Aβ42 in vivo
- …