Multi-wavelength studies of non-magnetic cataclysmic variables

This thesis comprises spectroscopic case studies of three non-magnetic nova-like and dwarf nova type cataclysmic variables (CVs). The principal goals were to investigate the accretion disk and optical spectral line properties of a sample of CVs which are known (usually from ultraviolet studies) to drive a fast outflow or wind. New optical, time-series data sets, secured from La Palma and Canada, are used to establish the (often complex) time- and phase-dependent behaviour of the emission and absorption line sources. The optical analyses have also been compared and contrasted with constraints from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and archive International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) data. High resolution optical spectroscopy of V795 Herculis is presented. Separate low and high velocity fluctuations phased on the 2.6 hr orbital period are observed in the Balmer lines. This thesis argues against models which invoke channelled accretion columns flowing onto a synchronously rotating white dwarf, instead presenting disk-overflow model simulations which quantitatively account for several of the observed dynamical properties of V795 Her. The discrepancies of this model are addressed. A comparison of these optical spectra to quasi-simultaneous HST observations (which provide an unprecedented multi-wavelength data set) is made. A strong correlation between the overall UV and optical line strength changes implies that the UV changes cannot be principally due to the fast outflow. A time-resolved orbital study of the dwarf nova SS Cygni is also presented. These observations were taken at the maximum of a long, asymmetric type outburst, and confirm the presence of stationary, low velocity emission previously reported during a long, symmetric outburst. Possible sources for this emission, including a wind origin, are investigated. The peculiar nova-like BZ Camelopardalis, associated with a bow-shock nebula, has previously shown unambiguous evidence for a wind in its optical spectrum. New optical data reveal wind-formed features in the Balmer lines. Model fits constrain the inclination angle and archive IUE spectra are used to estimate the wind mass loss

Needlework and John Ruskin's "acicular art of nations"

This essay outlines Victorian cultural critic John Ruskin’s use of needlework. Paying particular attention to textiles in the opening and closing of Fors Clavigera (1871-1885), and highlighting educational texts by two women cited there (Kate Stanley and Millicent Garrett Fawcett), this paper argues that Ruskin blurs the boundaries of Victorian Britain’s hierarchical classifications of gender, class, nation and art. Mapping a shift in Ruskin’s knowledge and use of needlework, particularly as negotiated through learning about plain sewing and embroidery from Stanley, it demonstrates how Ruskin takes a traditionally feminine form of work and uses it to teach universal lessons

Ruskin and a Generation Worth Remembering

Inspired by what he saw in artefacts from the past, Victorian cultural critic John Ruskin (1819-1900) believed that there are individuals and generations of particular ‘worth’. Looking to biblical and Venetian models which influenced Ruskin, this paper offers a brief overview of how he conceived both of a ‘generation’ and of particularly inspirational individuals within ideal generations. Consistently in Ruskin, perceptive judging – combined with the ability actively to communicate this through artistic ability, whether in fine art, literature or music – are requisites for the genius which characterises individuals of special ‘worth’. This paper is in three parts. It begins with a definition of Ruskinian ‘generation’, then traces how he read the work of a specific Venetian artist, Carpaccio, as representative of a historical generation of particular note, and concludes by briefly considering Ruskin’s theories of generation and genius in relation to his own specific generation of Victoria’s Victorians, born in 1819

Gender Diversity Cultural Responsiveness Education in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Programs: A Pilot Survey

Purpose: Gender-affirming voice therapy aims to align a person’s voice and communication with their gender identity. Historically, transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals have been marginalized and continue to face significant healthcare disparities. The goal of this research was to examine the self-perceived preparedness of recent speech-language pathology (SLP) graduates for working with TGNC clients. A survey was developed to include both multiple choice and open-ended questions. Topics included graduate-level training on working with TGNC individuals, perceived preparedness to work with this client population, educational resources sought by respondents, and suggested improvements for SLP graduate programs. Thirty recent (since 2016) SLP graduates completed the survey anonymously. Although a majority (83%) of respondents reported that working with TGNC clients was addressed in their graduate education, 66% of respondents felt that instruction time spent on this topic was insufficient or slightly insufficient. Those who had clinical experiences with TGNC clients, or who learned from the perspectives of the TGNC community (e.g., from a guest speaker or video), reported that their graduate education better prepared them to work with TGNC clients. One of the most common recommendations to improve graduate education was to invite TGNC speakers to share their experiences. The majority of respondents identified a need for improvement of gender diversity education in SLP graduate programs. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of different curricula in increasing the knowledge and skills of SLP graduates specific to TGNC clients to ensure clinical competency and equitable care

Gender Diversity Cultural Responsiveness Education in Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Programs: A Pilot Survey

Purpose: Gender-affirming voice therapy aims to align a person’s voice and communication with their gender identity. Historically, transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) individuals have been marginalized and continue to face significant healthcare disparities. The goal of this research was to examine the self-perceived preparedness of recent speech-language pathology (SLP) graduates for working with TGNC clients. A survey was developed to include both multiple choice and open-ended questions. Topics included graduate-level training on working with TGNC individuals, perceived preparedness to work with this client population, educational resources sought by respondents, and suggested improvements for SLP graduate programs. Thirty recent (since 2016) SLP graduates completed the survey anonymously. Although a majority (83%) of respondents reported that working with TGNC clients was addressed in their graduate education, 66% of respondents felt that instruction time spent on this topic was insufficient or slightly insufficient. Those who had clinical experiences with TGNC clients, or who learned from the perspectives of the TGNC community (e.g., from a guest speaker or video), reported that their graduate education better prepared them to work with TGNC clients. One of the most common recommendations to improve graduate education was to invite TGNC speakers to share their experiences. The majority of respondents identified a need for improvement of gender diversity education in SLP graduate programs. Further research is needed to determine the efficacy of different curricula in increasing the knowledge and skills of SLP graduates specific to TGNC clients to ensure clinical competency and equitable care

Perceived weight gain and eating disorder symptoms among LGBTQ+ adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: a convergent mixed-method study

Background: In this study, we further explore the role of COVID-19 pandemic-related stress, social support, and resilience on self-reported eating disorder symptoms (using the EDE-QS) and perceived weight gain among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and/or queer (LGBTQ+ adults) in the US context during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Employing a convergent mixed method design, we surveyed 411 individuals, and conducted qualitative semi-structured follow-up interviews with 43 LGBTQ+ -identifying survey respondents. Using OLS regression and multinomial logistic regression, we modeled eating disorder symptoms and perceived weight gain among LGBTQ+ individuals (n = 120) and cisgender and heterosexual-identifying women (n = 230), to cisgender and heterosexual-identifying men (n = 61). We also explored complementary interview narratives among LGBTQ+ people by employing selective coding strategies. Results: Study results suggest that LGBTQ+ individuals are likely experiencing uniquely high levels of pandemic-related stress, and secondly, that pandemic-related stress is associated with elevated eating disorder symptoms and higher risk of perceived weight gain. Nearly 1 in 3 participants reported eating disorder symptoms of potentially clinical significance. Social support, but not resilient coping, was found to be protective against increased eating disorder symptoms. Qualitative analyses revealed that LGBTQ+ individuals situated physical exercise constraints, challenging eating patterns, and weight concerns within their pandemic experiences. Conclusions: Clinicians of diverse specialties should screen for eating disorder symptoms and actively engage patients in conversations about their COVID-19-related weight gain and eating behaviors, particularly with LGBTQ+ -identifying adults

Something old, something new: rare books and RDA [at the University of Kent]

The library collections at the University of Kent include a full range of accessible lending resources, as well as a unique selection of book collections held within its Special Collections and Archives. The entire lending library’s bibliographic content was migrated from AACR2 to RDA in 2013. Although our rare and special book collections were subjected to some minor RDA enhancements, they were not fully integrated. With an exciting collaborative cataloguing project on the horizon in early 2015, between the University of Kent and Rochester Cathedral, a defined RDA/DCRM(b) hybrid standard was imperative to the success of the venture. With a short deadline ahead of us our efforts became focused on defining a working process to develop a unified cataloguing standard. This article focuses on this working process, the drivers for this, and the cataloguing practice that has emerged as a result of it. This article is the result of a paper that was given at the Rare Books & RDA Seminar 2015