Blog to be real: a mixed methods approach to defining, measuring, and determining predictors of blogger authenticity

Blogs are public sites that document the thoughts, ideas, opinions, and experiences of individuals through posts and images. Initially, these sites were reserved for political and educational discourse. However, the progression of social media and growth of virtual platforms has led to the expansion of blogs, particularly fashion and personal style blogs. Due to this shift in focus, researchers have developed a growing interest in blogs and how they are used to create and communicate online identities. With online identity development, individuals transfer aspects of the self from offline to online, a structured process that results in the creation of a digital self. Fashion bloggers use digital selves to share capital goods, such as clothing selections and accessories, as well as other appearance-related aspects of their identity, including hair and makeup. Similar to actors on stage, these performances are open to evaluation and criticism. Items that are displayed by the blogger and evaluated by an audience can validate or invalidate the online identity. In the case that the identity is invalidated, the blogger will craft and recraft the identity until approval is received from the audience. The two-fold purpose of this dissertation was to gain a better understanding of this process, specifically how fashion bloggers use appearance-related components, including capital, to construct online identities and how blog audiences assess the authenticity of these identities. To address this purpose, in-depth interviews were conducted with four fashion bloggers to understand their experiences in the blogosphere. Themes that emerged from the data were then used to develop a blogger authenticity scale. This scale was tested in Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) with other related constructs, including blogger responsiveness (H1a-c) and number of sponsorships (H2a-c). Regression was used to determine the relationship between (1) blogger responsiveness and authenticity and (2) number of sponsorships and authenticity. In addition, MANOVA was used to assess gender differences on the three factors of authenticity. Findings from the in-depth interviews revealed three proposed dimensions of authenticity: (1) cognitive intimacy, (2) affirmation, and (3) transparency. These dimensions were confirmed with the completion of an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). As it pertains to the hypotheses, blogger responsiveness had a significant positive relationship with authenticity (H1a-c supported) while number of sponsorships had a non-significant relationship with authenticity (H2a-c not supported). Lastly, males perceived stronger bonds with fashion bloggers than their female counterparts. These findings contribute to existing theory and address gaps in the literature. The new blogger authenticity scale adds a dimension to existing theory (identity theory) by addressing fashion bloggers as a relevant and important group of consumers. Moreover, the use of quantitative instruments addresses a gap in the literature by providing support to findings from previous qualitative studies. In addition, the findings have managerial implications, such as the consideration of blogger activity level when selecting brand ambassadors. Limitations include sampling techniques and suggestions for future research include examination of the perceived bond males have with bloggers

Unstretched: wants, palms, and pits

This thesis explores my final series of paintings. In the writing, I consider unfulfilled wanting channeled through the surrogate, female self-portrait. Here, I assert the power of yearning as related to female desire (and subsequent agency) and ultimately unpack my relationship to the contemporary as a figurative, female painter

We hang elephants here: excerpts from a novel

In 1916, the town of Erwin, TN was made infamous for hanging the circus elephant Mary for the murder of her caretaker. Ever since, the town has carried around the moniker, “The Town that Hung the Elephant.” Appearing on storefronts, t-shirts, and book covers, the grainy photo of Mary’s limp body hanging from the railroad derrick has haunted the town for years, earning a profit for those seeking out the macabre and disgusting those in the town that just wish the world would forget its grisly past. But, perhaps the town is cursed. A hundred years after the hanging of Murderess Mary, another mad elephant, Bernice, kills the ringmaster of a local circus, and businessman turned politician Dan Lange is paying for votes with blood. Rallying the people of the region, Lange obtains enough signatures to have the murdering elephant hanged in the same spot where Mary met her maker, the recently closed CSX railyard. The first public hanging on American soil in years draws together an unlikely group of people–Todd Bedford, an Erwin native and green field reporter sent back home to cover the hanging; Danielle Myers, a University of Tennessee student, Florida transplant, and animal rights activist; and Jim Bedford, a recently displaced railroad worker and Lange supporter. Though sharing little in common, the fates of these three people are intertwined through their attempts to save Bernice and bring the attention of the nation to one small town in East Tennessee. This creative thesis will be comprised of three representative chapters of the working novel We Hang Elephants Here. As an Appalachian native and scholar, I have had a keen interest in representing the region with the respect and honesty it deserves. Drawing on inspiration from Appalachian authors such as Ron Rash and Barbara Kingsolver, I first seek to address and dispel harmful Appalachian stereotypes that have been traditionally perpetuated in books, television, and films. I will focus strongly on place writing, which I define as representing equally the positive and negative aspects of a region the author has chosen. This novel will take place in my hometown of Erwin, TN and is based on the hanging of the elephant, a historical event that happened in Erwin in 1916. Furthermore, in the vein of Ann Pancake’s activist novel Strange as This Weather Has Been (2007), I will focus on the effects of the local railroad industry closing on the town and its people. Overall, this novel seeks to comment on the sensationalism of the historical event, address regional problems often overshadowed by stereotypes and absurd history, and understand the faults and virtues of Appalachia through insider and outsider perspectives

The efficacy of small-scale removal of an invasive species (redbreast sunfish, Lepomis auritus) by electrofishing

Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) in Richland Creek, Haywood County, NC, were studied todetermine if back-pack electrofishing was an effective method of removal of this invasive species. Threestudy sites were established, with 100 m removal reaches and paired 100 m control reaches which wereresampled at intervals over a nine month period to test for population depletion by electrofishing. Allredbreast sunfish were sacrificed from removal reaches while those captured in control reaches werereturned to the stream after marking by fin clipping. While electrofishing, any rock bass (Ambloplitesrupestris) captured were measured noted to look for re-establishment in areas where redbreast sunfish hadbeen removed.The results indicate that the population was significantly smaller in removal reaches; averagedover the period of the study, population estimates from removal reaches were approximately 50% lowerthan those from control reaches. However, there was not a significant difference of the interaction ofmonth by treatment. While the local populations of redbreast sunfish in removal reaches in RichlandCreek may have been reduced by electrofishing, fin-clipped fish from control reaches were occasionallycaptured in removal reaches suggesting upstream-downstream movement. Given that the small reservoirdownstream (Lake Junaluska) may serve as a source population, I suspect that a continuing program of removal would be needed in order to control the population by electrofishing. I was unable to detect aresponse of rock bass to the removal of redbreast sunfish due to their extremely low capture rate

Limiar do Índice Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) para Resistência à Insulina numa População de Doentes Admitidos Electivamente numa Enfermaria Portuguesa de Cardiologia

INTRODUCTION: Insulin resistance is the pathophysiological key to explain metabolic syndrome. Although clearly useful, the Homeostasis Model Assessment index (an insulin resistance measurement) hasn't been systematically applied in clinical practice. One of the main reasons is the discrepancy in cut-off values reported in different populations. We sought to evaluate in a Portuguese population the ideal cut-off for Homeostasis Model Assessment index and assess its relationship with metabolic syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We selected a cohort of individuals admitted electively in a Cardiology ward with a BMI < 25 Kg/m2 and no abnormalities in glucose metabolism (fasting plasma glucose < 100 mg/dL and no diabetes). The 90th percentile of the Homeostasis Model Assessment index distribution was used to obtain the ideal cut-off for insulin resistance. We also selected a validation cohort of 300 individuals (no exclusion criteria applied). RESULTS: From 7 000 individuals, and after the exclusion criteria, there were left 1 784 individuals. The 90th percentile for Homeostasis Model Assessment index was 2.33. In the validation cohort, applying that cut-off, we have 49.3% of individuals with insulin resistance. However, only 69.9% of the metabolic syndrome patients had insulin resistance according to that cut-off. By ROC curve analysis, the ideal cut-off for metabolic syndrome is 2.41. Homeostasis Model Assessment index correlated with BMI (r = 0.371, p < 0.001) and is an independent predictor of the presence of metabolic syndrome (OR 19.4, 95% CI 6.6 - 57.2, p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Our study showed that in a Portuguese population of patients admitted electively in a Cardiology ward, 2.33 is the Homeostasis Model Assessment index cut-off for insulin resistance and 2.41 for metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: Homeostasis Model Assessment index is directly correlated with BMI and is an independent predictor of metabolic syndrome

Prognostic Impact of Admission Blood Glucose for All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes: Added Value on Top of GRACE Risk Score

BACKGROUND: Abnormal glucose metabolism is a predictor of worse outcome after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, this parameter is not included in risk prediction scores, including GRACE risk score. We sought to evaluate whether the inclusion of blood glucose at admission in a model with GRACE risk score improves risk stratification. METHODS: Study of consecutive patients included in a single centre registry of ACS. Our primary endpoint was the occurrence of all-cause mortality at one-year follow-up. The ability of the two logistic regression models (GRACE risk score alone and in combination with blood glucose) to predict death was analysed. Continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were also calculated. RESULTS: We included 2099 patients, with a mean age of 64 (SD=13) years, 69% males. In our sample, 55.1% presented with ST-segment elevation ACS and 13.1% in Killip class ≥ 2. Only 25% were known diabetic at admission. In-hospital mortality was 5.8% and 9.7% at one-year follow-up. The best cut-point for blood glucose was 160 mg/dl (sensitivity 62% and specificity 68%), and 35.2% of the patients had increased levels. This group was elderly, had more prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, worse renal function and GRACE score as well as more frequently Killip class ≥2. Treatment was similar in both groups besides less frequent use of clopidogrel in high glycaemic patients. The hyperglycaemia group had higher one-year mortality (17.2% vs. 5.6%, p<0.001). Moreover, binary blood glucose remained a predictor of death independently of the GRACE risk score and the presence of diabetes (odds ratio (OR) 1.99, 95% CI 1.40-2.84, p<0.001). The inclusion of blood glucose, as a continuous variable, in a logistic regression model with GRACE score, increased the area under the ROC curve from 0.80 to 0.82 (p=0.018) as well as the goodness-of-fit and was associated with an improvement in both the NRI (37%) and the IDI (0.021), suggesting effective reclassification. CONCLUSIONS: A blood glucose level on admission ≥ 160 mg/dl is an independent predictor of mortality in medium-term follow-up. It offers an incremental predictive value when added to the GRACE risk score, although with a modest magnitude of improvement, probably due to the high predictive performance of the GRACE risk score alone.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does Admission NT-ProBNP Increase the Prognostic Accuracy of GRACE Risk Score in the Prediction of Short-Term Mortality After Acute Coronary Syndromes?

BACKGROUND: NT-proBNP has prognostic implications in heart failure. In acute coronary syndromes (ACS) setting, the prognostic significance of NT-proBNP is being sought. We studied short-term prognostic impact of admission NT-proBNP in patients admitted for ACS and in association with GRACE risk score (GRS). METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 1035 patients admitted with ACS. Patients were divided in quartiles according to NT-proBNP levels on admission: Q1 <180 pg/ml; Q2 180-691 pg/ml; Q3 696-2664 pg/ml; Q4 2698-35 000 pg/ml. Groups were compared in terms of short-term all-cause mortality. Patients with higher NT-proBNP had worst GRS on admission. They also received less aggressive treatment. In-hospital mortality was 0.8%, 3.0%, 5.8% and 12.8% (P<0.001) and 30-day mortality 1.6%, 4.6%, 6.5% and 16.7% (P<0.001) respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, NT-proBNP is an independent predictor of in-hospital (OR 2.35; 95% CI: 1.12-4.93, P=0.022) and 30-day mortality (OR 2.20; 95% CI: 1.17-4.12, P=0.014). However, NT-proBNP does not add any incremental benefit to GRS for prediction of outcome by ROC curve analysis. CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP is an independent predictor of in-hospital and 30-day mortality after ACS, independently of left ventricular function, but does not increase the prognostic accuracy of GRS.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Predictive Impact on Medium-Term Mortality of Hematological Parameters in Acute Coronary Syndromes: Added Value on Top of GRACE Risk Score

BACKGROUND: Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) prognostic value in patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) has been well validated whereas that of Platelet Distribution Width (PDW) is less well known. OBJECTIVES: Investigate the incremental prognostic value, on top of GRACE risk score, of a new variable resulting from the combination of RDW and PDW. METHODS: Consecutive patients with ACS. Complete blood count, with RDW and PDW, was obtained. Primary endpoint was one-year all-cause mortality and Cox regression models were used to measure the influence of RDW and PDW on patients' survival time. A new combination categorical variable (RDW/PDW) was created with both discretized RDW and PDW and logistic regression models were used. Predictive value and discriminative ability of the model with GRACE risk score alone and of the model with inclusion of RDW/PDW was assessed. RESULTS: We included 787 patients. Hospital and one-year mortality rates were 5.1% and 7.8%, respectively. Both continuous RDW and PDW were independent predictors of death. The best cut-off for RDW was 13.9%, and 14.5% for PDW. Inclusion of RDW/PDW in a model with GRACE risk score improved the AUC from 0.81 (95% CI 0.75-0.86) to 0.84 (95% CI 0.79-0.90) (p=0.024) with an improvement in total NRI (56%) and IDI (0.048). CONCLUSIONS: Simple markers such as RDW and PDW can be useful in risk stratification of death after ACS. Combining both markers with GRACE risk score improved the predictive value for all-cause mortality and reduced the estimated risk of those who did not die.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Screening highly-specific hairpin guide RNAs for CRISPR-Cas gene editing

This thesis outlines the development of a screening method to improve the specificity of the CRISPR effector, Cas9, in gene editing applications. We accomplish this by identifying modifications to the RNA-cofactor of Cas9, its guide RNA (gRNA), that determines the DNA sequence recognized by the effector, where changes to the gRNA secondary structure are hypothesized to limit the potential for mutations at unintended sites. The identification of highly specific gRNA sequences can potentially lead to highly specific gene editing techniques that can be used to treat genetic diseases such as Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, and sickle cell anemia without off-target mutations. Randomized libraries of gRNAs with extra nucleotides that can form secondary structures such as “hairpins” with the targeting segment of the gRNA (hairpin-gRNAs or hp-gRNAs) are screened with SpyCas9 in the presence of DNA with the intended target, and DNA containing “off-target” sequences that are similar but not an exact match for the target. The results from this screen can provide insights to the biophysical requirements that dictate target recognition and the potential for design rules for high-fidelity hp-gRNAs for any genetic target for use in effective gene therapeutics

Teachers’ perspectives on toy value, potential, and utilization in classrooms of two-to-three-year-olds

Although toy-mediated play has been the focus of much research over several decades, most work has focused on how parents are engaging with their children while playing with toys. However, teachers at childcare centers are interacting with children and toys or materials on a daily basis. Guided by the theory of affordance and sociocultural theory, the current study sought to explore the perspectives of teachers who engage with young children in object-mediated play and what they believe gives certain toys value. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with ten teachers currently teaching 2- and 3-year-old children at highly rated childcare centers in North Carolina with the aim of understanding how they define a toy in relation to other learning materials, and what makes a toy likely to afford an interaction or likely to promote a child’s development and learning. After inductive and deductive thematic analysis, three main themes emerged: the impact of the toy on children, the teacher’s use of a toy in the classroom, and the design aspects of certain toys. Overall, teachers tended to value toys that can be used in a number of different ways and toys that can capture and hold the attention of children in their classroom. Results are discussed in relation to theory as well as implications for toy design and classroom organization