Man-up Against Suicide

Male suicide rates are high in Western countries including the US and Canada. Underpinned by men’s resistance to health help-seeking and challenges diagnosing mental illness including male depression, suicide ends the lives of many men amid inflicting pain and grief on the family and friends who are left behind. Fuelled by the discordant relationship between men’s low rates of depression and high rates of suicide we embarked on a unique and novel photovoice study title Man-Up Against Suicide. Specifically, men who have contemplated suicide in the past, and individuals (men and women) who have lost a male partner, family member or friend to suicide were invited to take photographs representing their experiences with men’s suicide with the ultimate goal of messaging ‘at risk’ men that there are alternatives to taking one’s life. Participants subsequently completed semi-structured individual interviews narrating the photographs and providing captions to accompany their selected images. In this presentation we share the preliminary study findings along with some participant photographs and narratives as a means to discussing; 1) men’s experiences of suicidal behaviours and their management strategies; and, 2) how men’s and women’s experiences of losing a male to suicide can de-stigmatize men’s mental illness and raise public awareness about male suicide.

Research Ethics in Divided and Violent Societies: Seizing the Ethical Opportunity

This chapter explores how to conduct social research in divided and violent societies by developing the concept of the ‘ethical opportunity’. The ‘ethical opportunity’ is situated in a brief discussion of ‘action’ and feminist approaches to research. It argues that seizing the ethical opportunity requires researchers to: plan for their personal safety, plan for participants’ personal safety and plan how they will communicate and disseminate their results. It draws on the author’s personal experience researching in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Northern Ireland, concluding that it is in the communication and dissemination phase that researchers’ hopes for ‘making a difference’ may be realised or dashed. It cautions would-be researchers to manage their own – and research participants’ – expectations about what social research can achieve. Its effects may not often be as transforming and liberating as idealistic researchers hope for, but that should not dissuade them from striving towards those ends.

Fungal stress biology: A preface to the Fungal Stress Responses special edition

There is currently an urgent need to increase global food security, reverse the trends of increasing cancer rates, protect environmental health, and mitigate climate change. Toward these ends, it is imperative to improve soil health and crop productivity, reduce food spoilage, reduce pesticide usage by increasing the use of biological control, optimize bioremediation of polluted sites, and generate energy from sustainable sources such as biofuels. This review focuses on fungi that can help provide solutions to such problems. We discuss key aspects of fungal stress biology in the context of the papers published in this Special Issue of Current Genetics. This area of biology has relevance to pure and applied research on fungal (and indeed other) systems, including biological control of insect pests, roles of saprotrophic fungi in agriculture and forestry, mycotoxin contamination of the food-supply chain, optimization of microbial fermentations including those used for bioethanol production, plant pathology, the limits of life on Earth, and astrobiology.

The Climate of War: Violence, Warfare and Climatic Reductionism

National security agencies and other interested parties now often regard conflict as the inevitable consequence of climate change. This inclination to reduce war to the vicissitudes of climate is not new however. Here I examine some of the earlier ways in which violence was attributed to climatic conditions, particularly in the United States, and trace links between these older advocates of climatic determinism and the recent writings of those insisting that climate change will usher in a grim world of chronic warfare. It ends by drawing attention to the writings of some critics who are troubled by the ease with which climatic reductionism is capturing the public imagination.

Michael Allen: Close Readings: Essays on Irish Poetry

The late Michael Allen was a member of the famous Belfast Group, and one of the most authoritative critical voices on poetry from Northern Ireland, intimately part of the North’s poetic movement since the early 1960s. He taught at Queen’s University, where he was a colleague of Seamus Heaney and tutor to poets such as Paul Muldoon and Medbh McGuckian. Seamus Heaney called him ‘the reader over my shoulder’. Close Readings brings together interlinked critical writings which have crucially influenced approaches to Irish poetry during the last forty years. The book ends with an extended essay, hitherto unpublished: ‘Doubles, Twins and the Feminine: Development in the Poetry of Michael Longley’.

Close Readings contains a Foreword by Fran Brearton, which relates Michael Allen’s essays to continuing critical and cultural debates. Edna Longley’s Afterword offers a personal view of Allen’s involvement with poetry in Belfast.

A technique for reducing strain concentrations in FRP wrapped concrete columns

Existing studies have shown conclusively that the measured fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) rupture strain in FRP wrapped concrete columns is usually significantly smaller than the rupture strain obtained from flat coupon tests. One of the main causes for this phenomenon is the existence of geometrical discontinuities at both ends of the FRP sheets. This study proposes a new strengthening method in which continuous FRP spiral wrapping is used to eliminate strain concentrations due to the geometrical discontinuities and thus increase the FRP rupture strain at column failure. The effect of the spiral angle of FRP on the FRP rupture strain in FRP wrapped specimens was experimentally investigated. The test results indicate that the spiral wrapping with a small angle with respect to the column circumference can significantly increase the strain efficiency of FRP and thus enhance the axial compression capacity of the strengthened cylinders.

Bond behavior of NSM FRP strips between two adjacent cracks in concrete beams: A numerical study

Strengthening RC structures with near-surface mounted (NSM) fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has a number of advantages compared with that with externally bonded (EB) FRP sheets/plates. As with EB FRP, the performance of the bond between NSM FRP and concrete is one of the key factors affecting the behaviour of the strengthened structure. This paper presents a numerical investigation into the behaviour of NSM FRP loaded at its both ends to simulate the NSM FRP-toconcrete bond between two adjacent cracks in RC members. The main objective of this study is to quantitatively clarify the effect of the bondline damage during slip reversal on the ultimate load (bond strength). The results show that the bondline damage has a significant effect on the load-carrying capacity of the NSM FRP-to-concrete bonded interface and should be considered in FE modeling of the interface.

Gender and Cosmopolitanism in Europe: A Feminist Perspective

Gender and Cosmopolitanism in Europe combines a feminist critique of contemporary and prominent approaches to cosmopolitanism with an in-depth analysis of historical cosmopolitanism and the manner in which gendered symbolic boundaries of national political communities in two European countries are drawn. Exploring the work of prominent scholars of new cosmopolitanism in Britain and Germany, including Held, Habermas, Beck and Bhabha, it delivers a timely intervention into current debates on globalisation, Europeanisation and social processes of transformation in and beyond specific national societies.

A rigorous examination of the emancipatory potential of current debates surrounding cosmopolitanism in Europe, this book will be of interest to sociologist and political scientists working on questions of identity, inclusion, citizenship, globalisation, cosmopolitanism and gender.
Contents: Introduction: gendered cosmopolitanism: the scope of this book; Who belongs? Who is the Other?; Recognition, social equality and the current EU anti-discrimination policy; Kulturnation and the homogenised notion of community belonging: Jürgen Habermas's and Ulrich Beck's approaches to 'European' cosmopolitanism; Global trade, the city and commercial cosmopolitanism: David Held's and Homi K. Bhabha's approaches to new cosmopolitanism; About dead-ends, one-way streets and critical crossroads; Transversal conversations on the scope of new cosmopolitanism beyond the Eurocentric framework; Bibliography; Index.

A comparative study of Type II-P and II-L supernova rise times as exemplified by the case of LSQ13cuw

We report on our findings based on the analysis of observations of the Type II-L supernova LSQ13cuw within the framework of currently accepted physical predictions of core-collapse supernova explosions. LSQ13cuw was discovered within a day of explosion, hitherto unprecedented for Type II-L supernovae. This motivated a comparative study of Type II-P and II-L supernovae with relatively well-constrained explosion epochs and rise times to maximum (optical) light. From our sample of twenty such events, we find evidence of a positive correlation between the duration of the rise and the peak brightness. On average, SNe II-L tend to have brighter peak magnitudes and longer rise times than SNe II-P. However, this difference is clearest only at the extreme ends of the rise time versus peak brightness relation. Using two different analytical models, we performed a parameter study to investigate the physical parameters that control the rise time behaviour. In general, the models qualitatively reproduce aspects of the observed trends. We find that the brightness of the optical peak increases for larger progenitor radii and explosion energies, and decreases for larger masses. The dependence of the rise time on mass and explosion energy is smaller than the dependence on the progenitor radius. We find no evidence that the progenitors of SNe II-L have significantly smaller radii than those of SNe II-P.

Violence against women in the Irish War of Independence, 1919-1921

This chapter examines the nature and extent of violence experienced by women in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921) at the hands of both the Crown forces and the Irish Republican Army. It argues that targetted killings of women by either side was rare. The most common forms of such violence can be categorised as physical, gendered (cutting of hair) and psychological (intimidation and the killing of male relatives). It argues that there was a difference between gendered and sexual crime, the latter of which appears to have been very uncommon. A considerable part of the chapter uses theoretical literature on violence against women in conflict zones to explain why sexual violence was uncommon, arguing that neither side had much to gain from its employment, that the Crown forces were aware of the damage it could do to Britain's international reputation and that the terror tactics adopted by the Crown forces were sufficient to achieve their ends without resorting to rape. In regard to the IRA, the absence of any evidence of rape or sexual assault being perpetrated could be attributable to their Catholicism, reliance on support from the community, the efforts of the first Dáil to achieve foreign recognition of the Republic and the role of Cumann na mBan women in the guerrilla conflict. The historiography of women in the Irish revolution is also analysed.

Trends in Approval Times for Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States and the European Union

Genetically engineered (GE) crops are subject to regulatory oversight to ensure their safety for humans and the environment. Their approval in the European Union (EU) starts with an application in a given Member State followed by a scientific step (risk assessment), and ends with a political decision-making step (risk management); and in the United States (US) it starts with a scientific (field trial) step and ends with a ‘bureaucratic’ decision-making step. We investigated trends for the time taken for these steps and the overall time taken for approving GE crops in the US and the EU (traders in these commodities). Results show that from 1996-2015 the overall time trend for approval in the EU decreased and then flattened off, with an overall mean completion-time of 1,763 days. In the US in 1998 there was a break in the trend of the overall approval time: Initially, from 1988 until 1997 the trend decreased with a mean approval time of 1,321 days; from 1998-2015, the trend almost stagnated with a mean approval time of 2,467 days.

Two Novel Dermaseptin-Like Antimicrobial Peptides with Anticancer Activities from the Skin Secretion of Pachymedusa dacnicolor

The dermaseptin antimicrobial peptide family contains members of 27–34 amino acids in length that have been predominantly isolated from the skins/skin secretions of phyllomedusine leaf frogs. By use of a degenerate primer in Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR designed to a common conserved domain within the 5′-untranslated regions of previously-characterized dermaseptin encoding cDNAs, two novel members of this peptide family, named dermaseptin-PD-1 and dermaseptin-PD-2, were identified in the skin secretion of the phyllomedusine frog, Pachymedusa dacnicolor. The primary structures of both peptides were predicted from cloned cDNAs, as well as being confirmed by mass spectral analysis of crude skin secretion fractions resulted from reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Chemically-synthesized replicates of dermaseptin-PD-1 and dermaseptin-PD-2 were investigated for antimicrobial activity using standard model microorganisms (Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria and a yeast) and for cytotoxicity using mammalian red blood cells. The possibility of synergistic effects between the two peptides and their anti-cancer cell proliferation activities were assessed. The peptides exhibited moderate to high inhibition against the growth of the tested microorganisms and cancer cell lines with low haemolytic activity. Synergistic interaction between the two peptides in inhibiting the proliferation of Escherichia coli and human neuronal glioblastoma cell line, U251MG was also manifested.

Avaliar o impacto das novas medidas de política educativa para o 1º ciclo do ensino básico e educação de adultos na oferta local dos ambientes de aprendizagem (Anos lectivos de 2004-2005 e 2006-2007) : o caso do Concelho de Gavião

Tendo como principal fio condutor a pergunta de partida (Qual o impacto das novas medidas de política educativa para o 1° Ciclo do Ensino Básico e Educação de Adultos na oferta local dos ambientes de aprendizagem?) procuramos encontrar uma resposta para a problemática na qual se centra esta investigação. A partir desta questão inicial delineámos o corpo da dissertação em duas partes: a primeira referente ao enquadramento teórico e a segunda respeitante ao estudo empírico. No âmbito do enquadramento teórico, procedemos a uma reflexão cruzada entre educação e território, no sentido de perceber as suas potenciais (inter) ligações, bem como à análise de alguns dos normativos que dão suporte legal a esta problemática, finalizando com a apresentação do campo de estudo. Ao nível do estudo empírico, seguimos uma metodologia partilhada (qualitativa quantitativa), apoiada essencialmente numa aproximação conceptual ao estudo de caso. Os dados recolhidos, por melo de inquérito por questionários aplicados, permitiram-nos conceber várias leituras do território: Cartografia Institucional do Concelho de Gavião e Cartografia Educacional do Concelho de Gavião referente aos anos Ietivos de 2004-2005 e 2006-2007, respetivamente, dado o estuda ter decorrido ao Iongo de um período de três anos Ietivos. Da análise dos dados disponíveis, centramos as nossas conclusões em, pelo menos, duas dimensões totalmente opostas. Por um lado, o novo paradigma de “escola a tempo inteiro” assume, atualmente, neste território um papel preponderante, devolvendo aos ambientes formais de educação uma clara liderança no que concerne à quantidade e diversidade de aprendizagens desenvolvidas; por outro, assistimos a um claro abandono das aprendizagens realizadas em espaços não formais, as quais eram dirigidas quase exclusivamente às faixas etárias mais avançadas, que agora vêm as várias possibilidades de aprender, o que quer que seja, como uma oportunidade cada vez mais distante. Face à problemática em estudo, a nossa dissertação termina com a formulação das sugestões e recomendações que nos parecem mais oportunas. /ABSTRACT - The main question of this work is: "Which is the impact of new rules of education politics and rules, in first level (6-10years old) and adult education, in local offers into learning contexts?” we look for an answer to this problematic which is the matter of our research. Throughout this question, this essay was divided into two parts: the first one refers the theoretic frame, and the second one is about the empiric study. On the theoretic frame, we made a profound consideration between education and district, in order to understand its potentials (inter) connections, as well as the analysis of some normatives, which Iegally supports this problematic, ending with a presentation of the subject. On the empiric study, our approach is a mix methodology (qualitative and quantitative one) mainly supported on the concept of the “case study” Data collected by inquiry and questionnaire, allowed us to realize several knowledge of the municipality: Institutional Cartography of Gavião's Municipality and Educational Cartography of Gavião's Municipality, it refers to the academic years 2004-2005 and 2006-2007, because the study was done during those two years. From data analyses, we centered our conclusions into, at least, two opposite ways. On one hand, a new paradigm of “full time school” (from 9:00am to 5:30pm) claims, actually, in this municipality an important rule, it restores in the formal educational environment a great control, concerning the quantity and diversity of developed learning, on the other hand, we saw a destitution of developed learning on no formal environment, which were almost exclusively direct to the elder one, now this population felt learning possibilities rather far away. Our essay ends with some suggestions and recommendations which seams to us proper into this context.

Estabilidade de sistemas comutados com reset parcial

A presente tese é dedicada ao estudo da estabilidade de sistemas definidos por famílias finitas de sistemas lineares invariantes e por regras de comutação que coordenam a comutação entre eles. Assumimos que, em cada instante de tempo onde ocorre comutação, a trajectória do estado do sistema possa sofrer um "salto" desencadeado pela aplicação de um reset. Estes sistemas são, neste trabalho, designados por sistemas comutados com reset. Os resets podem ser de dois tipos - totais ou parciais, dependendo se a totalidade ou apenas uma parte das componentes do estado está disponível para reset. Neste sentido, distinguimos sistemas comutados com reset (total) e sistemas comutados com reset parcial. Analisamos a estabilidade dos dois tipos de sistemas comutados referidos à luz da teoria de Lyapunov e sob duas perspectivas; por um lado determinamos sob que condições um sistema comutado com reset é estável e por outro, identificamos resets que, quando aplicados, asseguram a estabilidade do sistema. Neste último ponto, a escolha dos resets adequados a aplicar pode por si só revelar-se insuficiente para obter estabilidade, especialmente se apenas parte das componentes do estado estiver disponível para reset (caso de reset parcial).

Control of uncertain compartmental systems

Os sistemas compartimentais são frequentemente usados na modelação de diversos processos em várias áreas, tais como a biomedicina, ecologia, farmacocinética, entre outras. Na maioria das aplicações práticas, nomeadamente, aquelas que dizem respeito à administração de drogas a pacientes sujeitos a cirurgia, por exemplo, a presença de incertezas nos parâmetros do sistema ou no estado do sistema é muito comum. Ao longo dos últimos anos, a análise de sistemas compartimentais tem sido bastante desenvolvida na literatura. No entanto, a análise da sensibilidade da estabilidade destes sistemas na presença de incertezas tem recebido muito menos atenção. Nesta tese, consideramos uma lei de controlo por realimentação do estado com restrições de positividade e analisamos a sua robustez quando aplicada a sistemas compartimentais lineares e invariantes no tempo com incertezas nos parâmetros. Além disso, para sistemas lineares e invariantes no tempo com estado inicial desconhecido, combinamos esta lei de controlo com um observador do estado e a robustez da lei de controlo resultante também é analisada. O controlo do bloqueio neuromuscular por meio da infusão contínua de um relaxante muscular pode ser modelado como um sistema compartimental de três compartimentos e tem sido objecto de estudo por diversos grupos de investigação. Nesta tese, os nossos resultados são aplicados a este problema de controlo e são fornecidas estratégias para melhorar os resultados obtidos.