Interrupting Everyday Life: Public Interventionist Art as Critical Public Pedagogy

In this article we explore two urban interventions art projects in the public sphere designed by our Masters’ students at New York University as they set the stage for a discussion on how urban art interventions can function as a form of critical public pedagogy. We argue that these kinds of public art projects provided a space for dialogue with people on the streets about the increased corporatisation of the public sphere. This kind of urban interventionism, we believe, is needed in art education today, as the public sphere is increasingly being eroded by private interests and it is only by reclaiming the public sphere that we can develop a cultural politics that in turn renews our democracy.     

An improved axisymmetric wilson nonconforming finite element method for stress analysis

The Wilson and Taylor elements Q6 and QM6, the representative nonconforming finite element method (FEM), have been successfully developed and implemented in the finite element code SAP for improved displacement and stress analysis. This paper formulates an improved convergent nonconforming axisymmetric element AQM6 over the corresponding axisymmetric Q6 and QM6 elements. The proposed modified nonconforming axisymmetric element AQM6 satisfies the engineering patch test condition for convergence, and also meets the condition for suppression of spurious shear stress by using a special remedying procedure. The numerical test results are in agreement with the element performance. Project supported by CAO Guangbiao High-Tech F. of Zhejiang Univ. (No. U19902), Zhejiang Edu. Committee SRF for Outstanding Returned Overseas Scholars (No. G59990), US NSF (No. DDM-9313204) and Seiko Epson-Rutgers Univ. Project (No. 4-27365).     

Detection of Helicobacter pylori using nested polymerase chain reaction in gastric biopsy samples

Helicobacter pylori remains a controversial organism with regards to humans, its epidemiology still unclear nearly two decades after discovery. The present study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of the organism in the gastrointestinal tract in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects to understand its precise natural history in India. A total of 154 specimens were a part of the study. These included gastric biopsies from peptic ulcer disease and Non ulcer dyspepsia subjects, as visualized on endoscopy, saliva and stool samples from apparently normal healthy adults. Nested polymerase chain reaction was performed using the primers Hp1, Hp2, Hp3 targeting 16S rRNA gene. A prevalence of 65.1%, 100%, 66.7%, and 73.3% respectively was observed by polymerase chain reaction. No association was observed between the H.pylori status and the disease condition of the patient.     

The Columbus Myth: Power and Ideology in Picturebooks About Christopher Columbus

In 1992, the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s landing in the Bahamas was simultaneously celebrated and denounced in the US. Damaging facts about Columbus and the impact of his voyages were aired along with demands for truth and change. This study analyzes the power relationships and political ideology of picturebooks about Columbus published in the US in the 20 years since that anniversary to determine what messages and attitudes young readers are likely to absorb from them and whether the picturebook image of Columbus has evolved. It draws on the ideas of progressive educator Herbert Kohl, who demonstrates how the analysis of power relationships in stories reveals their political stance (Should We Burn Babar?, 1995), and on the tradition of progressive librarianship, which seeks to promote intellectual freedom and positive images in children’s literature of all peoples. The study finds extensive use of certain narrative techniques, including patterns of assumptions, avoidance, event selection, and omission. Patterns in illustration and sentence structure (use of passive voice, etc.) as well as stereotyping and Eurocentrism also abound. Finally, mild historical revisionism is introduced in more “balanced” titles, though the definition of balance is problematic. This article finds that the Columbus myth persists with little change, and that few titles present child readers with alternative perspectives.     

Altmetrics as a means of assessing scholarly output

Career progression for scientists involves an assessment of their contribution to their field and a prediction of their future potential. Traditional measures, such as the impact factor of the journal that a researcher publishes in, may not be an appropriate or accurate means of assessing the overall output of an individual. The development of altmetrics offers the potential for fuller assessments of a researcher's output based on both their traditional and non‐traditional scholarly outputs. New tools should make it easier to include non‐traditional outputs such as data, software and contributions to peer review in the evaluation of early‐ and mid‐career researchers.     

Are mobile phone ownership and age of acquisition associated with child adjustment? A 5-year prospective study among low-income Latinx children

This prospective, longitudinal study examined associations between whether and when children first acquire a mobile phone and their adjustment measures, among low-income Latinx children. Children (N = 263; 55% female; baseline M_age = 9.5) and their parents were assessed annually for 5 years from 2012. Children first acquired a mobile phone at a mean (SD) age of 11.62 (1.41) years. Pre-registered multilevel models tested associations linking phone ownership, phone acquisition age, and the interaction between ownership and acquisition age to levels and changing trends of depressive symptoms, school grades, and reported and objectively assessed sleep. Results showed no statistically significant associations, controlling the False Discovery Rate. Findings suggest an absence of meaningful links from mobile phone ownership and acquisition age to child adjustment.