Blood sports: violence and the performance of masculinity in early modern drama

This dissertation explores the construction of masculine identity at the intersection between early modern English drama and competitively violent entertainment. It argues that early modern Englishmen navigated a complex system of dangers and rewards associated with violent self-assertion, and that the playhouse represented a space uniquely suited to the embodying and interrogating of that system. Spaces used for performing plays frequently doubled as venues for cockfights, animal baitings, and fencing exhibitions, and the violence of such entertainments often appeared, either physically or rhetorically, in the period's drama. The project of the dissertation will be to provide a historicizing lens through which to view this violence "in play" in order to understand how early modern English drama refracted and participated in shaping the period's highly contested norms of violent self-assertion in the performance of male identity. Chapter One maps the cultural disruptions precipitated by the importation of the Italian rapier into late-sixteenth century England. It argues that the secretive exclusivity of rapier culture rendered its novel form of violent masculinity fundamentally "untheatrical" in comparison to more traditional male identities, leading playwrights to caricature the duelist as either a cowardly braggart or a treacherous assassin. Chapter Two examines Shakespeare's plays in light of the discourses described in Chapter One. Shakespeare's work consistently associates traditional weaponry with a threatened male honor culture while associating rapiers with the undermining of male identity through cowardice or treachery. Chapter Three considers the English hunt as a means of asserting a capacity for violence, focusing on attempts to use the wild boar as a means of restoring the hunt's fading masculine associations. The chapter ends with an extended reading of Thomas Heywood's Age plays, the English Renaissance theater's richest staging of hunting culture. Chapter Four offers an historically informed understanding of the interconnections between bearbaiting and theater by addressing the early modern image of the bear as both a terrifying representative of a threatening natural world and a figure of courageous self-defense in the face of overwhelming odds.2016-11-18T00:00:00

Conversion of Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Algae Biomass Produced Biodiesel

As the effects of global warming continue to escalate, carbon-neutral fuels are becoming sought after alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. Biodiesel is a promising source of carbon-neutral fuel that can be produced from organisms such as algae. A new process has been proposed by Yadav for algal oil extraction using sonic waves and carbon dioxide microbubbles (Yadav et al., 2019). Although a novel idea, it currently struggles to compete economically with other types of biodiesel production as well as traditional food sources. However, a small subsection of the FAMEs is able to be further processed into Omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids can be added to foods as nutraceutical supplements and can be sold for a higher price than biodiesel. This proposal attempts to modify a theoretical algae-to-biodiesel process to separate these valuable FAMEs from the other biodiesel products and produce approximately 12,000 tons/yr of raw Omega-3 supplement. The process utilizes liquid-liquid extraction to remove the methyl EPA and methyl DHA from the biodiesel and then uses base-catalyzed ester hydrolysis to convert the long chain methyl esters into their marketable carboxylic acid form. The proposed plant will produce 547,830 US-tons of biodiesel which satisfies 10% of the current biodiesel market, 12,000 US-tons of Omega-3 fatty acids, and 39,683 US-tons of crude glycerol per year. This production level 30% of the United States Omega-3 market in 2024, and 6% of the current glycerol market. A financial analysis of manufacturing the plant to separate desired FAMEs and hydrolyze them to the Omega-3s over a 20-year period shows that this process could be profitable to a varying degree based on the sale price of the Omega-3s. The profitability of this design is contingent on a few factors, such as being able to access the right markets to sell the raw Omega-3 product being formed and how the market for these supplements will grow in the future. Thus, this proposal can recommend, with some hesitation, pursuing the modifications to the plant to co-produce biodiesel with Omega-3 fatty acids

Comparison of Fuel Yield of Biomaterials Between Fast Pyrolysis and Gasification

Pyrolysis is a viable method of extracting combustible fuels as gases or liquids from various, high carbon and hydrogen containing biomaterials. This Meta-study attempts to find the ideal combinations of processes for maximising biofuel output by comparing a range of biomaterials (cotton stalks, algae and peach scraps), put through the two primary methods of pyrolysis, through analysis of reactor type, Temperature, particle size and lower heating value achieved from biofuel output. It is proposed that the fast pyrolysis of Algae in a Fluidized bed reactor at a temperature of 550°C is the optimum combination of parameters for maximising biofuel output in terms of bio-oil yield and lower heating value (LHV) in kJ/kg

Novel Extensions of Label Propagation for Biomarker Discovery in Genomic Data

One primary goal of analyzing genomic data is the identification of biomarkers which may be causative of, correlated with, or otherwise biologically relevant to disease phenotypes. In this work, I implement and extend a multivariate feature ranking algorithm called label propagation (LP) for biomarker discovery in genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data. This graph-based algorithm utilizes an iterative propagation method to efficiently compute the strength of association between a SNP and a phenotype. I developed three extensions to the LP algorithm, with the goal of tailoring it to genomic data. The first extension is a modification to the LP score which yields a variable-level score for each SNP, rather than a score for each SNP genotype. The second extension incorporates prior biological knowledge that is encoded as a prior value for each SNP. The third extension enables the combination of rankings produced by LP and another feature ranking algorithm. The LP algorithm, its extensions, and two control algorithms (chi squared and sparse logistic regression) were applied to 11 genomic datasets, including a synthetic dataset, a semi-synthetic dataset, and nine genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets covering eight diseases. The quality of each feature ranking algorithm was evaluated by using a subset of top-ranked SNPs to construct a classifier, whose predictive power was evaluated in terms of the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve. Top-ranked SNPs were also evaluated for prior evidence of being associated with disease using evidence from the literature. The LP algorithm was found to be effective at identifying predictive and biologically meaningful SNPs. The single-score extension performed significantly better than the original algorithm on the GWAS datasets. The prior knowledge extension did not improve on the feature ranking results, and in some cases it reduced the predictive power of top-ranked variants. The ranking combination method was effective for some pairs of algorithms, but not for others. Overall, this work’s main results are the formulation and evaluation of several algorithmic extensions of LP for use in the analysis of genomic data, as well as the identification of several disease-associated SNPs

Strategies used by professional rugby union clubs to manage players for artificial turf exposure

Background: The use of artificial turf on rugby pitches is increasingly commonplace but there is limited evidence around its effects on injury, recovery, and performance. It is unclear whether this uncertainty influences player management strategies in professional clubs. Objectives: To understand how professional rugby union clubs in England approach player management for artificial turf, to explore how the beliefs of medical and strength/conditioning staff influence these decisions, and to determine whether differences exist between clubs with different levels of exposure to artificial surfaces. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional mixed methods study. Twenty-three medical and strength/conditioning staff members from 12 English Premiership Rugby Union clubs completed two bespoke questionnaires and participated in a semi-structured interview. Results: Two-thirds of the participants described formal club-level approaches to artificial turf. All participants from low- exposure clubs (<50% training and match time on artificial pitches) reported adjusting player recovery strategies following games on artificial turf to mitigate elevated muscle soreness and fatigue. Clubs with artificial surfaces at their home venues were less likely to adapt recovery than clubs with natural turf pitches. Regardless of exposure participants believed switching between surface types was a risk factor for injury. Medics reported that acute injuries associated with artificial turf exposure typically occurred at the foot or ankle, whereas abrasions and overuse injuries were more common and often affected the knees, hips and lower back. Players with compromised joints were less likely to be selected for matches on artificial surfaces. Conclusion: Player management around artificial turf is a focus for staff at professional rugby union clubs. Club practices vary by exposure and may consequently influence injury risk estimates

Finnish Class Teacher’s Views on Multilingualism and Multilingual Children

In this thesis, Finnish class teachers were interviewed to learn more about their views on multilingualism and multilingual children. The following research questions were asked: 1. What are Finnish class teachers’ attitudes towards and beliefs about multilingualism? 2. How do Finnish class teachers report on their practice regarding multilingual primary school students? In six semi-structured interviews, the interviewed teachers could elaborate on their views, attitudes, beliefs, and practices related to multilingual students and multilingualism. To analyze the collected data, thematic analysis was used, and the theoretical lens of a monolingual habitus proposed by Gogolin was applied. Different expressions of multi- and monolingualism were observed in the interviewed Finnish class teachers. The two themes that were identified when analyzing the interview transcripts were: • Function of Language in School • Challenges of Teaching in Multilingual Schools. Aspects of monolingual habitus were present in the interviewed teachers, even those who taught English and Bilingual classes. Language as a resource was a subtheme in which beliefs and practices were particularly opposed. However, this habitus does not dominate all facets of teaching. Other languages are mostly seen as unproblematic when used in a social context. When language is used as a teaching tool, the language of instruction is positioned above other languages. The gap between beliefs and practices and the different contexts of language use indicates a habitus in transition. It would be interesting to investigate different contexts of Finnish primary education in future research, as this study was performed in a small area. This is especially relevant as equity and social justice are pillars of Finnish education. Therefore, it is also recommended that mixed-method research would be performed in this field in the future

Assessing victim risk in cases of violent crime

Purpose: There is a body of evidence that suggests a range of psychosocial characteristics demarcate certain adults to be at an elevated risk for victimisation. To this end, the aim of the current study was to examine consistency between one police force, and a corresponding victim support service based in England, in their assessment of level of risk faced by victims of violent crime. Methodology: This study explored matched data on 869 adult victims of violent crime gathered from these two key services in Preston, namely Lancashire Constabulary and Victim Support, from which a sub-group of comparable ‘domestic violence’ cases (n=211) were selected for further examination. Findings: Data analyses revealed methodological inconsistencies in the assessment of victimisation resulting in discrepancies for recorded levels of risk in domestic violence cases across these two agencies. Practical implications: These findings provide a compelling argument for developing a more uniformed approach to victim assessment and indicate a significant training need. Value: This paper highlights areas of good practice and forwards several recommendations for improved practice that emphasises the integration of empirical research conducted by psychologists to boost the validity and reliability of risk assessment approaches and tools used

Repeat Victimisation, Retraumatisation and Victim Vulnerability

Abstract: This study explores the contribution that traumatic experiences and psychological post-traumatic stress symptoms make to predicting subsequent revictimisation in a sample of violent crime victims. In addition, the timing of first trauma exposure was also explored. Fifty-four adult victims (27 male and 27 female) of police recorded violent crime were interviewed and their traumatic exposure history, trauma symptomology, age at first trauma exposure as well as psychological and psychosocial functioning were assessed. These victims were followed longitudinally and subsequent revictimisation between six and twelve months post index victimisation measured. A greater number of types of trauma exposure was related lower emotional stability, higher trauma symptomology and revictimisation. Those victims with childhood traumatic exposure reported more trauma symptomology exposure than those without prior exposure. The implications for law enforcement and victim services are discussed