Labours Of Love: Affect, Fan Labour, And The Monetization Of Fandom

Fans who launch campaigns to “save our show” or protest storytelling decisions typically see their efforts as standard fannish practices, but these “labours of love” must also be considered, as the name suggests, as labour. Using affect theory, I argue that fan activities and activism are motivated by affect, which in turn drives the affective, immaterial, and digital labour that makes up fandom. While fandom operates on a gift economy, the world of media production is fundamentally capitalist, and as fan labour becomes increasingly visible to producers, it also becomes increasingly susceptible to co-option and monetization. Through analyses of fan campaigns targeting As The World Turns (CBS, 1956–2010), Torchwood (BBC, 2006–2011), and Chuck (NBC, 2007–2012), this thesis explores the ways in which fan labour intersects with the dominant capitalist interests of mainstream media culture and considers how fans understand and position their own fannish practices and labour

The drying of abattoir paunch for waste-to-energy conversion

Abattoir paunch waste has the potential to become a site-specific, viable, waste-to-energy stream for adoption within the red meat processing industry. While the literature suggests numerous end uses for dried paunch, the high initial moisture content makes undried paunch a waste product of little to no value to the industry. Thus, this thesis aims to determine some of the specific properties of paunch to determine its inherent drying behaviour. If the initial moisture content of paunch can be reduced in a cost effective manner it can become a useful biomass for industrial uses such as co-combustion, pyrolysis, or gasification. Thus, the aim of the thesis is to characterise paunch waste and develop predictive equations to enable assessment of its re-use as a biomass. To achieve the aim this thesis determined drying rates, energy content, equilibrium moisture content, bulk density, and the latent heat of vaporisation of paunch to allow predictive equations to be developed to inform the future design and modelling of a paunch drying method. To enable characterisation of paunch a new thin layer dryer was developed using an environment chamber with purpose built load cells used to record weight changes over time. The results obtained in this study showed that the thin layer drying constant, k, varied from 0.0002 to 0.0029 min-n with an average n value of 1.42 ± 0.081 for 35 to 55 °C operating air at 40, 50, 60, and 80% relative humidity. The equilibrium moisture content varied from 7.14 to 13.44% moisture content and constants for the Chung-Pfost equation were determined. Calorific values varied from 17 to 20 MJ/kg for grass and grain type paunches respectively. Based on newly derived equations the bulk density for untapped paunch ranged from 106 kg/m3 (dry) to 504 kg/m3 (100%) and for tapped 152 kg/m3(dry) to 862 kg/m3(100%). The energy density values for paunch varied from 4 865 to 2 110 MJ/m3. The latent heat of vaporisation for paunch varied from 3 741 to 2 519 kJ/kg for 6 to 15% moisture content. A solution to the Hukill deep-bed drying equation was found with new coefficients specific to paunch determined for the dimensionless time unit. The paunch drying characteristics in this study are expected to benefit Australian and international red meat processing plants by allowing a fundamental understanding of paunch behaviour. This understanding will inform the design of paunch dryers and the selection of appropriate end uses based on the intrinsic properties of paunch such as the energy content and energy density

The Effect of Remote Ischaemic Preconditioning on the Immune Response

Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) describes the phenomenon where brief intermittent periods of limb ischaemia are used to protect the heart and other organs from subsequent prolonged ischaemic insults. RIPC has been identified as a promising intervention for use during cardiac surgery and has consistently shown a beneficial effect in animal models; however, the results of early clinical trials have not been as successful. The exact mechanisms involved in mediating RIPC have not yet been characterised and a better understanding of the pathways through which RIPC exerts its protective effects will be essential in order to progress the translation of this intervention into the clinical setting. There is increasing evidence that RIPC modifies the inflammatory response, therefore the central aim of the research presented in this thesis was to investigate how RIPC affects the human immune system. We performed a double-blind randomised controlled trial of RIPC in 96 high-risk cardiac surgery patients and found no evidence that the intervention reduced myocardial injury or altered peri-operative expression levels of the key inflammatory cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and IL-10, during simple or more complex procedures. There was a trend towards higher levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in the preconditioned patients; however, confounding variables in the trial design and the heterogeneous patient population limited our ability to interpret the results. We next conducted a paired-analysis trial with 10 healthy male volunteers to assess the direct effect of preconditioning on the early immune response, away from any form of ischaemic injury or comorbidities. We found that RIPC directly and significantly decreased serum levels of the chemokines MIP-1α and MIP-1β, but did not increase the serum concentrations of a range of key cytokines or alter the cytokine producing potential of peripheral blood leukocytes. These findings strongly suggest that a cytokine is not likely to be the humoral mediator associated with transmitting the RIPC protective signal. RIPC did not alter the immunophenotype or extravasation of peripheral leukocyte populations, or the proliferative and cytokine responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to pharmacological, physiological, and antigen-specific stimuli. However, preconditioning did appear to reduce the ability of monocytes and neutrophils to respond to activation signals, as indicated by lower levels of CD11b expression in stimulated cultures, and a significant increase in the basal production of IL-22 was also detected in PBMC cultured for 6 days following preconditioning. These alterations may reduce neutrophil and monocyte tissue infiltration and limit the inflammatory response during the early window of RIPC-induced protection and enhance tissue and wound repair several days later. A multivariate analysis confirmed that there was a significant difference in the response between the control and RIPC treatments and the main contributing factors were identified as changes in neutrophil and T cell activation, serum levels of MIP-1α and β, and production of IL-10 and IL-22 from PBMC cultured for 6 days. Overall, our results suggest that RIPC has a subtle but direct effect on the systemic innate immune response during the early window of protection in healthy volunteers, whereas the effects on the adaptive immune system seem to be considerably delayed. The changes detected following RIPC are likely to contribute to protection against ischaemia-reperfusion injury but not solely account for the extent of the beneficial effects of RIPC detected in animals. Our findings reinforce the safety profile of this intervention and have defined a number of immune parameters that are altered by preconditioning for focusing future research

Site-Specific Cleavage by Topoisomerase 2: A Mark of the Core Centromere.

In addition to its roles in transcription and replication, topoisomerase 2 (topo 2) is crucial in shaping mitotic chromosomes and in ensuring the orderly separation of sister chromatids. As well as its recruitment throughout the length of the mitotic chromosome, topo 2 accumulates at the primary constriction. Here, following cohesin release, the enzymatic activity of topo 2 acts to remove residual sister catenations. Intriguingly, topo 2 does not bind and cleave all sites in the genome equally; one preferred site of cleavage is within the core centromere. Discrete topo 2-centromeric cleavage sites have been identified in α-satellite DNA arrays of active human centromeres and in the centromere regions of some protozoans. In this study, we show that topo 2 cleavage sites are also a feature of the centromere in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the metazoan Drosophila melanogaster and in another vertebrate species, Gallus gallus (chicken). In vertebrates, we show that this site-specific cleavage is diminished by depletion of CENP-I, an essential constitutive centromere protein. The presence, within the core centromere of a wide range of eukaryotes, of precise sites hypersensitive to topo 2 cleavage suggests that these mark a fundamental and conserved aspect of this functional domain, such as a non-canonical secondary structure

An investigation into the fertilizer potential of slaughterhouse cattle paunch

In Australia, the red meat processing industry actively seeks approaches to improve the management of solid waste from processing operations and enhance the environmental performance. Recycling of paunch waste to farmland could be a cost-effective and practicable environmental option. However, little is known about the agronomic value of fresh and composted paunch, and the associated requirements for land application. Therefore, a short-term experimental work was undertaken to assess potential risks due to weed seed contamination and determine the agronomic response of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) to soil incorporation of paunch. The risk of weed contamination from soil application of paunch appeared to be low; however, methods that account for viability of seeds may be required to fully discard such a risk. Soil application of paunch at field equivalent rates of 150-300 kg ha-1 of N increased dry matter yield by ≈30% on average compared with untreated grass, but was approximately 35% lower than a mineral fertilizer treatment applied at the same rates. Dry matter yield of paunch-treated grass was between 2000 and 3000 kg per ha over four consecutive cuts at 25-day intervals. Nitrogen use-efficiency of paunch was approximately 10% (range: 3% to 20%, depending on paunch type), and total N in harvested plant material showed values, which were between 2% and 3%. Overall, there appears to be potential for paunch-derived products to be used as a source of carbon and nutrients in crop production. Areas that merit a research priority within this space are also outlined in this paper. Such work is required to inform soil-, climate- and crop-specific land application rates, optimize agronomic performance, and minimize environmental concerns. There is also a requirement for the value proposition to industry to be determined, including reduced cost of disposal of material via gate fees and fertilizer replacement value

Engineering Students’ Perceptions of Belongingness in Civil Engineering

Prior research shows that engineering students with low feelings of belongingness tend to switch to non-technical majors. With the understanding that aspects of student motivation, identity, and personality, as well as their academic performance, affect their sense of community in engineering, this study seeks to assess these student attributes over time. The context for this study is a single civil engineering program that is undergoing both curricular and cultural changes as part of an NSF-funded project. The data and findings presented here are part of a larger study of how student attitudes and beliefs change during their experiences in a curriculum that is different from the status quo. The focus of this paper is on students’ sense of belonging within their courses, major and university, and how those perceptions differ based on student demographics and year in the program. Data collected for this study include responses to a survey designed to assess the current civil engineering students’ motivation, attitudes and beliefs about their courses, department, and university. The survey, which was adapted from a prior NSF-funded project, included eight constructs: sense of community, time-oriented motivation, goal orientation, career outcome expectations, grit, identity, agency beliefs and Big 5 personality traits. Subscales for students’ sense of community (which is the focus of this paper) were sense of community within their current engineering course, their engineering major and university. Undergraduates were invited to complete the survey during lab courses in which they were enrolled during the Fall and Spring semesters. Of the total number of students in the program, 92.2% completed the survey (86% White and 80% male, which is representative of enrollment in the department). Quantitative data analyses included descriptive statistics, inferential statistics (ANOVA) to compare the factor means by gender and race and by year in the program. Interviews were conducted with a subset of the survey participants (n=9) from a range of classes and demographics during the last two weeks of each semester. The interview questions pertaining to students’ perceptions of belongingness are included in this paper, although other questions explored students’ beliefs about identity and their perceptions of their future in engineering. Interviews were analyzed using open coding, with codes organized into categories and themes. Quantitative results showed that mean scores for all three belongingness sub-constructs increase as students’ time in the program increases, with the exception of juniors having the highest score for sense of belonging at the university level. The largest increases in sense of belonging at the course, major and institution levels were between sophomore and junior year. Some factors of belongingness were significantly lower for non-majority student groups. Qualitative analyses revealed that students’ perceptions of belongingness were affected by positive learning experiences, connecting with civil engineers in different contexts, making personal connections and having a sense of solidarity with others in the program. Perceptions of not belonging were affected by students selecting this major to fulfill others’ expectations, not meeting instructors’ expectations, and a lack of role models for females

The Engaged Identity: An approach to identity, complexity, and intravation for human adaptivity and transformation

Human adaptive capacity is increasingly understood as an important element of human flourishing and sustainability and yet the question of how we cultivate the capacities for transformation and human flourishing remains. This thesis introduces the Engaged Identity approach and examines the intersections of how we enact and embody identity, complexity, and adaptability. As a practice, it works to build the adaptive capacity of individuals and support identity expansion in order to create sustainable relationships. Grounded in identity theory, complexity science, and contemplative practice, the approach serves as a foundation on which frameworks and methodologies for conflict transformation and peacebuilding can exist. Furthermore, it proposes that without the cultivation of these capacities, regardless of the theoretical framework or methodology used, sustainable relationships and solutions are not possible. The thesis provides an overview of the Engaged Identity approach, examines the literature that grounds the praxis, and analyzes a case study, comprised of six training workshops held in Nigeria from October 2013 through August 2014. Examining how the approach aligns with and enhances conflict transformation processes, this thesis argues for an intravative approach to conceptualizing, cultivating, and enacting human adaptive capacity and transformative processes. Through phenomenological and grounded theory methodology, the study uses survey, interview, and participatory observations to document participants experiences and observations on the effects of the approach and the implications for inclusion in the broader context for adaptive and transformative praxis

The Space Technology 8 Mission

The Space Technology 8 (ST8) mission is the latest in NASA’s New Millennium Program technology demonstration missions. ST8 includes a spacecraft bus built by industry, flying four new technology payloads in low- Earth orbit. This paper will describe each payload, along with a brief description of the mission and spacecraft. The payloads include a miniature loop heat pipe intended to save mass and power on future small satellites, designed and built by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; a lightweight, 35g/m linear mass, 40-m deployable boom intended as a future solar sail mast built by ATK Space Systems; a deployable, lightweight Ultraflex solar array producing 175W/kg, also built by ATK Space Systems; and a high-speed, parallel-processing computer system built of state-of-the-art COTS processors, demonstrating SEU tolerance without the need for radiation-hardened electronics, and 100M operations per second per Watt processing throughput density

Structural response of a compliant pipe-in-pipe under frictionless and frictional conditions of the seabed.

Pipe-in-Pipe (PIP) technology has been studied significantly owing to its superior performance in deep-water and high-pressure high temperature fields than conventional single pipe. The PIP system has excellent track record of mitigating flow assurance problems from subsea wells through maintenance of the fluid's temperature in the pipe. It has also been applied in marine environment where conventional single pipe cannot perform. However, owing to complex interaction and contact within the PIP system and seabed, the mechanism of load transfer and the stresses that developed due to pressure, temperature and combined loading has not been fully understood and quantified. Therefore, this study examined the effect of pressure, temperature and the combined loading on PIP systems for flat seabed subsea pipeline. Simulations are performed to examined frictional and frictionless conditions of the flat seabed on PIP system and individual results of inner pipe, insulation material and outer pipe are presented for each analysis. The analytical calculations are carried-out for determining the operating stresses in each component of the PIP system in view of its significance for the overall structural behaviour of the system and validation of the numerical model. The impact response of the inner pipe, insulation and the outer pipe based on pressure, temperature and the combination of both (pressure and temperature) and the resulting stress on each component of the PIP system are investigated and the result presented. Furthermore, results of axial, radial and hoop stresses for the individual loading condition and with coupled analysis corresponding to each simulation (Frictional and Frictionless seabed conditions) are found to be closely similar with percentage difference less than 5 except for the von Mises stress which give 5.3%. This interesting finding revealed that the friction force does not affect structural integrity of the PIP system compared to conventional - single pipeline assuming all other parameters remains constant. Moreover, the presence of the outer pipe and the insulation material enhanced the performance of the inner pipe. The numerical simulation predicts closely the impact response for pipe-in-pipe composite specimens under individual and combined loading conditions. Therefore, the results obtained will serve as a reference guide for designing, construction and operating PIP system in the future to develop unconventional challenging energy resources like High Pressure High Temperature fields