Imaging, Keyboarding, and Posting Identities: Young People and New Media Technologies

Part of the Volume on Youth, Identity, and Digital Media Clicking, posting, and text messaging their way through a shifting digital landscape, young people are bending and blending genres, incorporating old ideas, activities, and images into new bricolages, changing the face, if not the substance, of social interaction and altering how they see themselves and each other. From data collected in Britain, Canada, and South Africa, we have selected cases that involve a range of technologies and contexts, from adult-mediated activities in schools and community centers to spontaneous media production done in private at home. Whether it be postings on websites, improvisations in video production, or the incorporation of objects in a multi-media presentation, these cases illustrate that, like digital cultural production, identity processes are multifaceted and in flux, constructed and deconstructed through a process of bricolage that we label as "identities-in-action." Analysis of the cases reveals certain shared features of digital production that contribute to identities-in-action: the "constructedness" of production, the collective and social aspects of individual productions, the neglected but crucial element of embodiment, the reflexivity and negotiation involved in producing and consuming one's own images, the creativity in media convergence, and the value of constructivist models of learning

The Play of Visually Impaired Preschoolers With Their Mothers

This thesis answers the following questions: (a) Is the Play Assessment Scale a true measure of development? (b) Does the mother have a significant, positive influence on the child\u27s level of development? (c) Does the mother\u27s interactional style influence the child\u27s development as measured by the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory? The subjects were 13 visually impaired preschoolers. Development was measured with the Play Assessment Scale and the Battelle Developmental Inventory. Maternal interactional style was assessed with the Parent / Caregiver Involvement Scale. The study indicated that the Play Assessment Scale is a valid, reliable measure of development in the preschool child. Mother was able to significantly raise the child\u27s developmental level through play. And, maternal interaction style appeared to be sensitive to the child\u27s level of development . To highlight the developmental importance of interaction in the context of play, an interactive paradigm was used to answer the three questions posed by the study

A Descriptive Study of the Relation Between Domestic Violence and Pet Abuse

This was a descriptive study that examined the relation between domestic violence and pct abuse. Participants were questioned about their styles of conflict resolution with partners and how pets were treated in the home. Information was gathered using the Conflict Tactics Scale, and three surveys were developed for this study: the Battered Partner Shelter Survey, Families and Pets Survey, and the Child \u27s Observations and Experience with Pets. Four groups were recruited: (a) women in crisis shelters who chose to include one of their children in the study (.n = 39), (b) women in crisis shelters who did not include one of their children in the study (n = 62), (c) women who had not been subjected to domestic violence and chose to share information about one of their children (.n = 30), and (d) women who had not been subjected to domestic violence and did not provide information about one of their children (.n = 30). Mothers who chose to include one of their children in the study completed a Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for that child. Five shelters in the state of Utah--Logan, Brigham City, Ogden, Salt Lake City, and Provo--were included. Data collection in the shelters occurred over 17 months. Participants in the comparison group were recruited via newspaper advertisements in the Herald Journal in Logan. Analyses of the data confirmed the coexistence of domestic violence and pet abuse . The results revealed that the severity of threats and abuse toward pets, and the severity of violent means of interpartner conflict resolution escalate in a parallel manner . However , many of the male partners who become violent toward women have a history of pet abuse that precedes their relationship with the woman. This study increased awareness of the coexistence of these two types of violence both as it was run and as a source for future professional presentations. The importance of this study and implications for future research are discussed

Influence of the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide on TNF- αα α -activated human endothelial cells

The present work deals with the inhibitory action of ANP on TNF- -induced expression of adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin), chemokines (MCP-1), and cytoskeleton changes in human endothelial cells. 5.1.1 Effect of ANP on TNF- α αα-induced CAM expression The following diagram shows a schematic outdraw of the summerized results of the first part of the present work. figure 1 summary: schematic diagram of the signal transduction pathways clarified by the first section of the present work It has been shown before that TNF- increases the expression of cell adhesion molecules E-selectin and ICAM-1 via activation of the transcription factor NF- B. We could show that ANP is able to inhibit the activation of NF- B via binding its guanylyl-cyclase-coupled NPR-A and -B receptor. We could further elucidate the molecular mechanism leading to the inhibition of NF- B activation by ANP. ANP was shown to transcriptionally activate the expression of I B isoforms. In consequence of the ANP mediated inhibition of NF- B DNA-binding activity we could demonstrate an attenuated surface expression of E-selectin and ICAM-1. E-selectin ICAM-1 NF- κκB κ B 5.1.2 Effect of ANP on TNF- αα α -induced cytoskeleton and perme- ability changes The following figure shows an outdraw of the summerized results of the second part of the present work. figure 2 summary: schematic diagram of the signal transduction pathways clarified by the second section of the present work TNF- has been shown to induce changes in cytoskeleton and macromolecule permeability of endothelial cells. We have shown here for the first time that ANP is able to abrogate both TNF- - induced effects via its guanylyl-cyclase-coupled NPR-A receptor. Moreover, ANP was shown to reduce TNF- -induced F-actin polymerization and stress fiber formation via the inhibition of p38 MAPK and its downstream target HSP27. Furthermore we could report here for the first time a decrease in TNF- -induced macromolecule permeability by ANP. The deactivation of p38 MAPK was demonstrated to be mediated via a significant transcriptional induction of the MKP-1 by ANP. intercellular gap5.1.3 Effect of ANP on TNF- α αα-induced MCP-1 expression The results of the third part of the present work are summerized in figure 3. figure 3 summary: schematic diagram of the signal transduction pathways clarified by the first and third section of the present work It is known that TNF- induces the release of MCP-1 during inflammatory processes via influencing the transcription factor NF- B and the p38 MAPK pathway. We could report here for the first time a decreased TNF- -induced MCP-1 expression by treatment of endothelial cells with ANP. The observed ANP effect was shown to be mediated via the particulate guanylyl-cyclase-coupled NPR. Furthermore we show that trancriptional induction of MKP-1 by ANP is essential for inhibition of TNF- - induced MCP-1 expression by ANP. In summary the data presented here provides evidence that ANP is able to preserve the structure and function of endothelial cells. These observations are of special importance because there is clear evidence that endothelial cell dysfunction is the cause for many acute and chronic vascular diseases (Biegelsen and Loscalzo 1999). The potency of an endogenous compound, i.e. ANP, to protect against such endothelial dysfunction points to an antiinflammatory and antiatherogenic potential of this cardiovascular hormone. This work has been supported by the DFG (Vo376/8-1). macromolecul

Controlled few-body interactions in ultracold bosonic mixtures

In this thesis two experiments with heteronuclear Bose-Bose mixtures are discussed. The goal of the first experiment is a controlled doping of a rubidium condensate with single caesium atoms. These undertake the task of a non-destructive probe to investigate quantum mechanical phenomena time- and spatially resolved. In this thesis the necessary methods to produce, store, and detect both components, single atoms and the condensate, are realized. In a first experiment up to 10 caesium atoms are stored as a probe in contact with a cold rubidium atomic cloud. The interaction parameters are extracted from the dynamics of the single atoms. This is an important step towards the controlled doping of a condensate. The aim of the second experiment is the production and spectroscopy of ultracold heteronuclear potassium-rubidium molecules with universal properties. Close to two magnetic s-wave Feshbach resonances weakly bound molecules in high vibrational states are created, and their binding energy and the position of the associated Feshbach resonance are determined. These results in combination with two narrow d-wave Feshbach resonances provide the basis for a more precise parametrization of the potassium-rubidium molecular potential. The knowledge of this is important to identify a proper scheme to transfer the molecules via coherent coupling into their rovibrational ground state. These molecules offer a permanent dipole moment and thus are of particular interest for e.g. quantum information processing due to their anisotropic, long-range dipole-dipole interaction.Gegenstand dieser Arbeit sind zwei Experimente mit heteronuklearen Bose-Bose Gemischen. Das Ziel des ersten Experiments ist die kontrollierte Dotierung eines Rubidium-Bose- Einstein-Kondensats mit einzelnen C¨asium-Atomen. Letztere k¨onnen die Rolle einer nicht-destruktiven Messsonde ¨ubernehmen um quantenmechanische Prozesse zeit- und ortsaufgel¨ost zu untersuchen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird die Erzeugung und Speicherung beider Komponenten, einzelne Atome und Kondensat, sowie deren Detektion realisiert. In einem ersten Experiment werden bis zu zehn C¨asium-Atome als Messsonde in Kontakt mit einer kalten Rubidium-Atomwolke gespeichert und aus der Einzelatomdynamik werden Wechselwirkungsparameter extrahiert. Damit ist ein wichtiger Schritt auf dem Weg zur kontrollierten Dotierung eines Kondensats erfolgt. Das Ziel des zweiten Experiments ist die Erzeugung und Spektroskopie ultrakalter heteronuklearer Kalium-Rubidium-Molek¨ule mit universellen Eigenschaften. Nahe zweier magnetischer s-Wellen-Feshbach-Resonanzen werden schwachgebundene Kalium-Rubidium- Molek¨ule in hohen Vibrationszust¨anden hergestellt und ihre Bindungsenergie sowie die Position der zugeh¨origen Feshbachresonanz bestimmt. Zusammen mit zwei schmalen d-Wellen-Feshbachresonanzen bilden sie die Grundlage f¨ur eine pr¨azisere Parametrisierung des Kalium-Rubidium-Molek¨ulpotentials. Dessen genaue Kenntnis dient der Optimierung der Transfermethoden um die Molek¨ule ¨uber koh¨arente Kopplung in den Rovibrationsgrundzustand zu bringen. Diese Molek¨ule besitzen ein permanentes Dipolmoment, deren anisotrope, langreichweitige Dipol-Dipol-Wechselwirkung z.B. f¨ur Anwendungen in der Quanteninformationsverarbeitung von Interesse ist

Von Automatisierung bis Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen: Trends und offene Fragen im Ausbildungs- und Berufsfeld 'Technik'

Im Zuge berufskundlicher Recherchen im Auftrag des AMS Österreich, Abteilung Arbeitsmarktforschung und Berufsinformation, analysierte die Prospect Unternehmensberatung im Jahr 2007 einige Trends wie auch offene Fragen zum Ausbildungs- und Berufsfeld 'Technik'

Modified sequential change point procedures based on estimating functions

A large class of sequential change point tests are based on estimating functions where estimation is computationally efficient as (possibly numeric) optimization is restricted to an initial estimation. This includes examples as diverse as mean changes, linear or non-linear autoregressive and binary models. While the standard cumulative-sum-detector (CUSUM) has recently been considered in this general setup, we consider several modifications that have faster detection rates in particular if changes do occur late in the monitoring period. More presicely, we use three different types of detector statistics based on partial sums of a monitoring function, namely the modified moving-sum-statistic (mMOSUM), Page’s cumulative-sum-statistic (Page-CUSUM) and the standard moving-sum-statistic (MOSUM). The statistics only differ in the number of observations included in the partial sum. The mMOSUM uses a bandwidth parameter which multiplicatively scales the lower bound of the moving sum. The MOSUM uses a constant bandwidth parameter, while Page-CUSUM chooses the maximum over all possible lower bounds for the partial sums. So far, the first two schemes have only been studied in a linear model, the MOSUM only for a mean change. We develop the asymptotics under the null hypothesis and alternatives under mild regularity conditions for each test statistic, which include the existing theory but also many new examples. In a simulation study we compare all four types of test procedures in terms of their size, power and run length. Additionally we illustrate their behavior by applications to exchange rate data as well as the Boston homicide data

Single Cs Atoms as Collisional Probes in a large Rb Magneto-Optical Trap

We study cold inter-species collisions of Caesium and Rubidium in a strongly imbalanced system with single and few Cs atoms. Observation of the single atom fuorescence dynamics yields insight into light-induced loss mechanisms, while both subsystems can remain in steady-state. This significantly simplifies the analysis of the dynamics, as Cs-Cs collisions are effectively absent and the majority component remains unaffected, allowing us to extract a precise value of the Rb-Cs collision parameter. Extending our results to ground state collisions would allow to use single neutral atoms as coherent probes for larger quantum systems.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure