bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Retrobulbar Anesthesia Technique Through the Sub-Tenon’s Space Using a Sharp Needle in a Blunt Cannula
Authors: Sugimoto Mitsuo , Horiguchi Masayuki , Tanikawa Atsuhiro , Shimada Yoshiaki
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

The authors developed a new technique for retrobulbar anesthesia and compared it with the conventional transcutaneous method in 223 eyes undergoing vitrectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

In the new technique, a 24-mm-long 19-gauge curved cannula with a 27-gauge straight needle with an oval tip was inserted into the sub-Tenon’s space, and then the oval-tipped needle was replaced with a 50-mm-long 25-gauge curved needle. Anesthetic was then injected into the muscle cone from the syringe. The authors compared 118 eyes undergoing vitrectomy with the new technique and 105 eyes undergoing the procedure with conventional anesthesia.

RESULTS:

The pain scores were 0.1 ± 0.32 for the new technique and 1.57 ± 0.73 for the conventional technique (
P
< .001). Additional anesthetic required was 0.1 ± 0.33 mL using the new technique and 0.3 ± 0.68 mL using the conventional method (
P
= .03).

CONCLUSION:

This novel approach to retrobulbar anesthesia using a guarded cannula is safe and effective, causing less pain than the conventional technique.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2013;44:483–486.]
Spontaneous Anatomical and Visual Improvement in Myopic Macular Retinoschisis
Authors: Chang Jonathan S. , Packo Kirk H. , Flynn Harry W.
Published: August 2014

Myopic macular retinoschisis is a source of visual impairment in patients with high myopia. Many patients present with progressive visual loss or increasing distortion. Some eyes progress to macular hole or foveal retinal detachment, causing further vision loss. The mechanisms for development of myopic macular retinoschisis have been postulated to be from tractional forces exerted on the inner retina, either anteriorly from a shortened internal limiting membrane and the retinal vessels or posteriorly from staphylomatous changes. Surgical intervention is often indicated for patients with declining visual function. The authors report a case of myopic macular retinoschisis that spontaneously improved without surgical intervention.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2013;44:499–501.]
Ocular Blood Flow Before, During, and After Vitrectomy Determined by Laser Speckle Flowgraphy
Authors: Okamoto Masahiro , Matsuura Toyoaki , Ogata Nahoko
Published: August 2014

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Vitrectomy markedly alters the intraocular milieu, which can then affect the physiology of the retina and choroid. This study investigates whether vitrectomy also alters ocular blood flow as determined by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG).

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Twenty eyes of 20 patients that underwent vitrectomy for idiopathic macular hole or epiretinal membrane were studied. Standard 23-gauge microincision vitreous surgery was performed. Ocular blood flow of the optic nerve head, retinal vessels, and choroid was determined by LSGF before, during, and 2 weeks and 1 month after vitrectomy.

RESULTS:

Postoperative blood flow of the optic nerve head, retinal vessels, and choroid did not differ significantly from preoperative values. Intraoperative blood flow of the optic nerve head and retinal vessels decreased significantly from baseline with increasing infusion pressure from 20 mm Hg to 40 mm Hg (
P
< .01), and choroidal blood flow decreased significantly when the infusion pressure increased from 8 mm Hg to 20 mm Hg and from 20 mm Hg to 40 mm Hg (both
P
< .01).

CONCLUSION:

Blood flow did not differ significantly postoperatively versus preoperatively, but it was significantly reduced during vitrectomy with increasing infusion pressure. Careful attention should be paid to infusion pressure during vitrectomy.

[
Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina
. 2014;45:118–124.]
Satellite-Based Management Tool for Oak Savanna Ecosystem Restoration
Authors: Wolter Peter T. , Berkley Elizabeth A. , Peckham Scott D. , Singh Aditya
Published: August 2014

The structure and function of oak Quercus spp. savanna ecosystems in the North American Midwest were originally maintained by an active disturbance regime (often fire). Subsequent reductions in the frequency of disturbance after European settlement have facilitated rapid, regional conversion of these ecosystems to more closed-canopy forest. Hence, regional-scale management strategies are now needed to restore critical spatial gradients of light, temperature, soil moisture, and soil organic matter for recovery and sustenance of the unique mosaic of understory grass and forb species assemblages that define oak savannas. Tree species composition, distribution, mortality, basal area, and canopy cover are important forest structural parameters that are intrinsically linked to oak savanna restoration ecology. In this benchmark study, we seek to determine whether Landsat-based monitoring protocols can be developed as a tool to guide and monitor regional-scale restoration and management efforts. Using the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in central Minnesota as a test case, ground-based forest-structure data were collected and used with multitemporal Landsat sensor data and iterative exclusion partial least-squares regression to calibrate six predictive overstory structure models. Model calibrations produced moderate- to high-accuracy results with respective adjusted coefficient of determination and root mean-squared error values as follows: 0.859, 9.3% (canopy cover); 0.855, 2.95 m2 ha−1 (total basal area); 0.741, 11.6% (red oaks relative basal area); 0.781, 11.9% (bur oak relative basal area); 0.861, 3.20 m2 ha−1 (living oak basal area); and 0.833, 9.1% (dead oak relative basal area). We used the resulting structure models for the Sherburne test site to demonstrate how these data could be applied to help managers prioritize areas within management zones for restorative treatments. Although our Sherburne oak savanna test ecosystem is small (12,424 ha) compared with the size of a full Landsat scene (3.4 million ha), resulting structure models can be extended to the whole Landsat scene, which demonstrates how such modeling protocols can be used for repeated (e.g., annual to decadal), regional-scale analysis and assessment to improve management, planning, and implementation of oak savanna restoration efforts elsewhere.
Predicting Occupancy for Pygmy Rabbits in Wyoming: An Independent Evaluation of Two Species Distribution Models
Authors: Germaine Steve , Ignizio Drew , Keinath Doug , Copeland Holly
Published: August 2014

Species distribution models are an important component of natural-resource conservation planning efforts. Independent, external evaluation of their accuracy is important before they are used in management contexts. We evaluated the classification accuracy of two species distribution models designed to predict the distribution of pygmy rabbit Brachylagus idahoensis habitat in southwestern Wyoming, USA. The Nature Conservancy model was deductive and based on published information and expert opinion, whereas the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database model was statistically derived using historical observation data. We randomly selected 187 evaluation survey points throughout southwestern Wyoming in areas predicted to be habitat and areas predicted to be nonhabitat for each model. The Nature Conservancy model correctly classified 39 of 77 (50.6%) unoccupied evaluation plots and 65 of 88 (73.9%) occupied plots for an overall classification success of 63.3%. The Wyoming Natural Diversity Database model correctly classified 53 of 95 (55.8%) unoccupied plots and 59 of 88 (67.0%) occupied plots for an overall classification success of 61.2%. Based on 95% asymptotic confidence intervals, classification success of the two models did not differ. The models jointly classified 10.8% of the area as habitat and 47.4% of the area as nonhabitat, but were discordant in classifying the remaining 41.9% of the area. To evaluate how anthropogenic development affected model predictive success, we surveyed 120 additional plots among three density levels of gas-field road networks. Classification success declined sharply for both models as road-density level increased beyond 5 km of roads per km-squared area. Both models were more effective at predicting habitat than nonhabitat in relatively undeveloped areas, and neither was effective at accounting for the effects of gas-energy-development road networks. Resource managers who wish to know the amount of pygmy rabbit habitat present in an area or wanting to direct gas-drilling efforts away from pygmy rabbit habitat may want to consider both models in an ensemble manner, where more confidence is placed in mapped areas (i.e., pixels) for which both models agree than for areas where there is model disagreement.
Taxpayers' Attitudes towards Tax Evasion in Latin American Countries
Authors: Basılgan Müslüm , Christiansen Bryan
Published: August 2014

The weight of the state in economic and social life is very important even if it might differ from country to country. The state provides particular public services and needs to the various funding sources to provide these services. Taxes constitute the largest share of financial sources needed by the state to operate effectively. However, taxes are often not welcomed by taxpayers, creating the unwanted behavior of tax evasion. The purpose of this chapter is to reveal the tax structures of Latin American countries and to examine tax morale as an important determinant in shaping the attitudes of taxpayers in Latin America. This chapter shows the most important component of tax revenues in Latin American countries constitutes consumption taxes instead of income taxes, in contrast to developed regions such as those in OECD countries. It shows the tax structure in Latin American countries reflects the typical tax structure in developing countries. It is also observed that average tax morale is higher in South American countries, such as Venezuela, Paraguay, and Argentina, than in other areas, although it has a changing property over time. Moreover, the chapter shows tax morale is associated with financial indicators (satisfaction with income, the present economic situation, income distribution, and the functioning of the market economy), policy indicators (satisfaction with democracy, confidence with government), and demographic indicators (age, education).
Integration and Foreign Investment in Latin America
Authors: Ramirez Rafael Salvador Espinosa
Published: August 2014

The processes of economic integration in Latin American economies have logic that goes beyond the simple interest of trade creation. The governments focus on the benefit produced by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as one of the most important reasons to formalize trade agreements. FDI differs in the way in which this investment relates with the local producer sector and the strategy trade policy followed by local governments. In this sense Latin American economies may receive horizontal or vertical FDI, and this chapter aims to examine the impact of strategic trade policies on the inflows of FDI into two Latin American regions: North Region and South Region. These investment flows come from three economic zones: Asia, America, and European Union. To this end, the gravity equation to compare the weight of variables such as distance, infrastructure, trade openness, and cultural affinity as independent variables and FDI as the dependent variable is estimated. The results obtained show that the strategy trade policy followed in the North Region in the form of trade liberalization, and the strategy trade policy followed in the South Region in the form of a relative closeness with the custom union plus the proposed trade agreements with other regions encouraged inflows of FDI in both regions during the analyzed period. While the gravity hypothesis holds on the South Region, in the North Region it does not hold. In the North Region, vertical FDI is received, and in the South Region it is horizontal FDI.
Entrepreneurs' Responses to Illegitimate Institutional Pressures in Monterrey, Mexico
Authors: Ramirez Jacobo
Published: August 2014

The mass media can play an important role in capturing the dynamic between social groups and the institutional environment. To investigate entrepreneurs' responses to the impact of organized crime and violence on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Monterrey, Mexico, a deductive Content Discourse Analysis (CDA) was developed. The sample was constructed by integrating international newspapers available in the database FACTIVA and Mexican newspapers from 2006 to 2012. The results made it possible to observe the dynamic between informal and formal institutions in the emergence of adaptation of SMEs' business model. The adaptations observed tend to respond to the change in the behavior of social groups in Monterrey, Mexico, as a consequence of organized crime and violence. This chapter explores this CDA.
Understanding the Impact of Securities Markets Reform on the Economy of Brazil
Authors: Banerji Deboshree , Das Rituparna
Published: August 2014

The economic strength of a country depicts the international standing of a nation and also reflects the significance of the country in moulding the trends of the global economy equally. The Brazilian economy, like many developing economies, has many facets that have developed and matured with time. The Brazilian securities market has undergone much change over the past decade. The reforms that started with the implementation of the “Plano Real” have accelerated the Brazilian market and economy exponentially, thus making the economy one of the major investment destinations, with some calling it the “next superpower.” The fact that the Brazilian economy is a commodities-dominated economy has led the authors to probe into the various nuances related to the securities markets of Brazil, leading to this chapter through which we get a glimpse into the reforms in the securities market and the effect it has on the country as well as the world. The chapter meanders through the development of the Brazilian economy and provides insight into the heart of the Brazilian economy, thereby discussing the effect of the reforms on the economy of the country, how the same strikes the global economy, and the lessons that the country can learn from the other BRICS counterparts, through which it can consolidate its position.
The Ethics of Tax Evasion
Authors: McGee Robert W.
Published: August 2014

This chapter summarizes the theoretical and empirical literature on the ethics of tax evasion and then proceeds to examine the opinions of 1,483 Brazilians on the issue using the data from the most recent World Values Survey. The study finds that although Brazilians are strongly opposed to tax evasion in general their opposition is less than absolute in many cases. An examination of some demographic variables highlights some of these cases.
SARS-Coronavirus Open Reading Frame-9b Suppresses Innate Immunity by Targeting Mitochondria and the MAVS/TRAF3/TRAF6 Signalosome
Authors: Shi Chong-Shan , Qi Hai-Yan , Boularan Cedric , Huang Ning-Na , Abu-Asab Mones , Shelhamer James H. , Kehrl John H.
Published: August 2014

Coronaviruses (CoV) have recently emerged as potentially serious pathogens that can cause significant human morbidity and death. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV was identified as the etiologic agent of the 2002–2003 international SARS outbreak. Yet, how SARS evades innate immune responses to cause human disease remains poorly understood. In this study, we show that a protein encoded by SARS-CoV designated as open reading frame-9b (ORF-9b) localizes to mitochondria and causes mitochondrial elongation by triggering ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of dynamin-like protein 1, a host protein involved in mitochondrial fission. Also, acting on mitochondria, ORF-9b targets the mitochondrial-associated adaptor molecule MAVS signalosome by usurping PCBP2 and the HECT domain E3 ligase AIP4 to trigger the degradation of MAVS, TRAF3, and TRAF 6. This severely limits host cell IFN responses. Reducing either PCBP2 or AIP4 expression substantially reversed the ORF-9b–mediated reduction of MAVS and the suppression of antiviral transcriptional responses. Finally, transient ORF-9b expression led to a strong induction of autophagy in cells. The induction of autophagy depended upon ATG5, a critical autophagy regulator, but the inhibition of MAVS signaling did not. These results indicate that SARS-CoV ORF-9b manipulates host cell mitochondria and mitochondrial function to help evade host innate immunity. This study has uncovered an important clue to the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV infection and illustrates the havoc that a small ORF can cause in cells.
Single-Cell Analysis of Innate Cytokine Responses to Pattern Recognition Receptor Stimulation in Children across Four Continents
Authors: Smolen Kinga K. , Cai Bing , Gelinas Laura , Fortuno Edgardo S. , Larsen Martin , Speert David P. , Chamekh Mustapha , Cooper Philip J. , Esser Monika , Marchant Arnaud , Kollmann Tobias R.
Published: August 2014

Innate immunity instructs adaptive immunity, and suppression of innate immunity is associated with an increased risk for infection. We showed previously that whole-blood cellular components from a cohort of South African children secreted significantly lower levels of most cytokines following stimulation of pattern recognition receptors compared with whole blood from cohorts of Ecuadorian, Belgian, or Canadian children. To begin dissecting the responsible molecular mechanisms, we set out to identify the relevant cellular source of these differences. Across the four cohorts represented in our study, we identified significant variation in the cellular composition of whole blood; however, a significant reduction in the intracellular cytokine production on the single-cell level was only detected in South African children’s monocytes, conventional dendritic cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. We also uncovered a marked reduction in polyfunctionality for each of these cellular compartments in South African children compared with children from the other continents. Together, our data identify differences in cell composition, as well as profoundly lower functional responses of innate cells, in our cohort of South African children. A possible link between altered innate immunity and increased risk for infection or lower response to vaccines in South African infants needs to be explored.
Moet Abraham sy kind offer? ’n Etiese beoordeling
Authors: Stoker Henk
Published: August 2014

Abraham aanvaar die opdrag sonder om vir sy seun in te tree. Sy optrede – so anders as sy vorige optrede in belang van mense – kan net verstaan word teen die agtergrond van God se belofte van ’n groot en geseënde nageslag deur hierdie seun. Abraham moes besef het dat dit ’n toets vir sy vertroue in die belofte en almag van God was. Die feit dat Abraham se aanvaarding van die opdrag nie net as eties korrek beskryf kan word nie, maar volgens die Bybel ook as ’n geloofsdaad gesien moet word, word indringend bespreek. Die etiese beoordeling vind onder andere plaas na aanleiding van die normatiwiteit van lewe, die beginsels van liefde en gehoorsaamheid, ontsag vir God, en ’n deontologiese beoordeling volgens die motief, doel, middel en gevolg.Did Abraham have to sacrifice his child? An ethical assessment. In Genesis 22 the God of the Bible commanded Abraham to sacrifice his child. Abraham accepted the command without interceding for his son. His actions – so different from his previous actions on behalf of people – can only be understood against the backdrop of God’s promise of many and blessed descendants through this son. Abraham would have realised that it was a test for his faith in the promise and omnipotence of God. The fact that Abraham’s acceptance of the assignment can not only be described as ethically just, but also be seen in accordance to the Bible, as an act of faith, are discussed in depth. The ethical assessment takes place, amongst others, according to the normativity of life, the principles of love and obedience, reverence for God, and an assessment of motive, aim, means and effect.
The role of the state in stock farming in rural areas: A case study of Hertzog, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Jenjezwa Vimbai R. , Seethal Cecil E.P.
Published: August 2014

This study examined the role of the state in providing veterinary services to resource-poor stock farmers. Communal stock farmers in most rural areas have low incomes and generally poor access to commercial veterinary healthcare. The state veterinary services thus offer a means for stock farmers to maintain the health of their livestock and receive information on animal healthcare. Interviews and participant observation were used to collect data about animal healthcare practices in Hertzog, a village in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.The findings were that the state played an important role in animal healthcare and in the education of farmers. However, the lack of a skilled workforce was a constraint to effective service delivery, whilst veterinary educational institutions that disseminate information to the stock farmers were not utilised. It is thus important to fully utilise training centres to educate stock farmers and for more incentives to be given to state employees, so as to attract the necessary skilled personnel to improve service delivery.
Knowledge creation and transfer among postgraduate students
Authors: Naicker Kreeson , Govender Krishna K. , Naidoo Karunagaran
Published: August 2014

Background: The skill shortages, hyper-competitive economic environments and untapped economies have created a great deal of focus on knowledge. Thus, continuously creating and transferring knowledge is critical for every organisation.Objectives: This article reports on an exploratory study undertaken to ascertain how knowledge is created and transferred amongst post-graduate (PG) students, using the knowledge (socialisation, externalisation, combination, internalisation [SECI]) spiral model.Method: After reviewing relevant literature, a personally administered standardised questionnaire was used to collect data from a convenience sample of PG students in the School of Management, IT and Governance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The data was analysed to determine if it fit the model based on the four modes of knowledge conversion.Results: Although the School of Management, IT and Governance has mechanisms in place to facilitate knowledge creation and transfer, it nevertheless tends to focus on the four modes of knowledge conversion to varying degrees.Conclusion: The study confirmed that PG students utilise the ‘socialisation’ and ‘externalisation’ modes of knowledge conversion comprehensively; ‘internalisation’ plays a significant role in their knowledge creation and transfer activities and whilst ‘combination’ is utilised to a lesser extent, it still plays a role in PG students’ knowledge creation and transfer activities. PG students also have ‘space’ that allows them to bring hunches, thoughts, notions, intuition or tacit knowledge into reality. Trust and dedication are common amongst PG students. With socialisation and externalisation so high, PG students are aware of each other’s capabilities and competencies, and trust each other enough to share knowledge.
Low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (Evans tumour) of the arm
Authors: Indap Shalaka , Dasgupta Manjiri , Chakrabarti Nilay , Agarwal Abhishek
Published: August 2014

A low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumour that has a tendency to develop in the deep soft tissue of young adults with potential for local recurrence or distant metastasis. We describe a 40-year-old female patient with a low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma of the shoulder that had been excised twice in the past and then had recurred after a few months. A wide resection of this tumour with flap reconstruction was performed followed by radiation to the area. The patient had no evidence of local recurrence or distant metastasis at 2 years after surgery.
Nanorobot: A Revolutionary Tool in Dentistry for Next Generation
Authors: Singh Nisha , Jain Ankita , Gupta Devanand , Dalai Deepak Ranjan , Bhaskar DJ , Jain Avikal , Singh Harendra , Kadtane Safalya
Published: August 2014

Nanorobotics is the technology of creating machines or robots at or close to the microscopic scale of a nanometer (10–9meters). These nanorobots allow precision interactions with nanoscale objects or can manipulate with nanoscale resolution. Treatment opportunities in dentistry may include local anesthesia, dentition renaturalization, and permanent hypersensitivity cure, complete orthodontic realignments during single office visit, and continuous oral health maintenance using mechanical dentifrobots. Dental nanorobots could be constructed to destroy cariescausing bacteria or to repair tooth blemishes where decay has set in, by using a computer to direct these tiny workers in their tasks. Recent advances in the field of nanorobots prove that nanodentistry has strong potential to revolutionarize dentistry to diagnose and treat diseases. Although research into nanorobots is still in its primary stage, the promise of such technology for its use in future generation is endless!

How to cite this article

Dalai DR, Gupta D, Bhaskar DJ, Singh N, Jain A, Jain A, Singh H, Kadtane S. Nanorobot: A Revolutionary Tool in Dentistry for Next Generation. J Contemp Dent 2014;4(2):106-112.
The Materiality of Method: The Case of the Mass Observation Archive
Authors: Moor Liz , Uprichard Emma
Published: August 2014

The Mass Observation Archive presents numerous methodological issues for social researchers. The data are idiosyncratic, difficult to analyze, and the sample design is nonsystematic. Such issues seriously challenge conventional social research protocols. This article highlights a further characteristic of the archive: its unwieldy materiality. Focusing on the sensory experiences of the archive and its particular type of data, the article shows how the experience of getting ‘dirty with data’ plays a real and dynamic part of conducting Mass Observation research. Building on these observations, and drawing on two recent projects that have used the Archive, we reflect on the extent to which these issues are genuinely methodologically problematic, and how far the materiality of method and the sensuousness of data play a part in other research sites and methodological approaches too. In doing so, we emphasize the physical and logistical practicalities involved in engaging with all kinds of data, and highlight the opportunities as well as the constraints that these pose. We draw attention to the sensuous ‘cues’ and ‘hints’ offered by the Archive's materiality, and explore different ways of responding to these and their likely implications for the type and status of outputs produced. Finally, we consider the implications of our discussion for possible future attempts to digitize the contents of the Archive.
A Methodological Intervention in Cosmopolitanism Research: Cosmopolitan Dispositions Amongst Digital Natives
Authors: Lindell Johan
Published: August 2014

The concept cosmopolitanism has the potential of becoming one of the most interesting social scientific tools for understanding contemporary social life. Operationalising it however, has proved a difficult task. Here, researchers utilise different single indicators while making claims towards the same theoretical concept. This not only undermines the theoretical complexity immanent in the term cosmopolitanism, but also creates a false intersubjectivity in the field of cosmopolitanism studies. In order to ‘save’ cosmopolitanism from the risk of becoming an ‘empty signifier’ (Skrbis et al. 2004) or a ‘“free-floating” discursive geist’ ( Holton 2009 ), in an attempt to address the ‘muddy’ ( Calhoun 2008 ) nature of the concept, this paper presents a methodological blueprint that locates the process of definition in the intersection of the theoretical and the empirical. As such, the proposed methodological way of conduct starts on the conceptual level in order to define the central theoretical tenets included in the cosmopolitan disposition. It then operationalises these claims into indicators that are included in an exploratory analysis of the data set. In conducting a minor quantitative study on ‘digital natives’ in Sweden the method is illustrated as being able to discern manifestations of ‘actually existing cosmopolitanisms’ ( Malcomson 1998 ) and thus avoid the risk of reductionism involved with the use of one-dimensional indicators or pre-existing, less-than-adequate variables in secondary data.
Welfare Commonsense, Poverty Porn and Doxosophy
Authors: Jensen Tracey
Published: August 2014

This article critically examine how Benefits Street - and the broader genre of poverty porn television - functions to embed new forms of ‘commonsense’ about welfare and worklessness. It argues that such television content and commentary crowds out critical perspectives with what Pierre Bourdieu (1999) called ‘doxa’, making the social world appear self-evident and requiring no interpretation, and creating new forms of neoliberal commonsense around welfare and social security. The article consider how consent for this commonsense is animated through poverty porn television and the apparently ‘spontaneous’ (in fact highly editorialized) media debate it generates: particularly via ‘the skiver’, a figure of social disgust who has re-animated ideas of welfare dependency and deception.
Stigmatising the Poor without Negative Images: Images of Extreme Poverty and the Formation of Welfare Attitudes
Authors: Janky Béla , Janky Béla , Bakó Boglarka , Szilágyi Péter , Bognár Adrienn
Published: August 2014

In the past two decades, many studies have warned of the role the popular media might play in the stigmatisation of the poor. Media reports about poverty often include references to antisocial behaviour, which make the principle of deservingness particularly conspicuous and could also strengthen the effects of ethnic stereotypes. We argue, however, that it could be misleading to place all the blame for stigmatisation on direct references to ‘undeserving’ behaviour. Media images of extreme distress themselves could have a selective stigmatising effect. Thus, even benevolent portrayal of the poor could erode sympathy. This paper presents the results of a video-vignette experiment on a sample of Hungarian students. The subjects watched one of four versions of a video interview with a poor person (none of them contained any references to antisocial behaviour) and then expressed their attitudes towards welfare payments. We found that support for welfare was higher where a version highlighted signs of extreme distress. But this was only the case if there were no mention of ethnic minorities. If the video report emphasized that Roma (Gypsies), the largest disadvantaged minority group in Hungary, lived in the neighbourhood, signs of their extreme hardship lowered the support for welfare payments.
Representing Attitudes to Welfare Dependency: Relational Geographies of Welfare
Authors: Pykett Jessica
Published: August 2014

This article outlines the recent circulation of media images and discourse relating to characters pre-figured as ‘welfare dependents’ and reaction to Benefits Street. The article provides a brief overview of sociological analyses of such representations of apparently spiralling ‘cultures of dependency’ and proposes an alternative relational geography approach to understanding existing welfare dynamics. It describes a shift from putative welfare dependency, to dependency on geographically uneven employment opportunities, low-wage dependency and dependency on a new migrant division of labour. It then contrasts this relational geography approach with the increasingly behaviourist overtones of contemporary welfare reform, which began under New Labour and have accelerated under the Coalition government since 2010. Such policies are in part reliant on the aforementioned media images in securing public acceptance. The article concludes by speculating on the apparent importance of Benefits Street in marking the possible ‘end times’ for the welfare state as we knew it.
‘Mass Gambling’ from 1947 to 2011: Controversies and Pathologies
Authors: Casey Emma
Published: August 2014

This paper explores the relationship between Mass Observation and sociological method. It will demonstrate that often this relationship has been an uneasy one with the detailed, deeply qualitative and broadly ‘unstructured’ data elicited by Mass Observation frequently positioned as posing problems for sociologists particularly in terms of data analysis and interpretation. The paper will explore these debates by focusing on two case studies drawn from Mass Observation directives. The first will draw on the 1947 gambling study which was commissioned by the social reformer Seebohm Rowntree and his collaborator Commander G.R. Lavers and the second will draw on the 2011 ‘Gambling and Households’ directive. These case studies have been chosen because they help to illuminate the complexities of the concerns surrounding the sociological uses of Mass Observation. The paper will draw on correspondence between Rowntree, Lavers and co-founder of Mass Observation Tom Harrisson in 1947 which uncovers fascinating detail about Harrisson and Rowntree's shared commitment to revealing information about the everyday experiences and practices of working class life, but also some interesting disparities about what ‘sociological data’ might look like and what its purpose ought to be. The second case study draws on findings from the 2011 Gambling and Households directive. This directive offers an interesting historical comparison with the 1947 data. It flags up similarities particularly in terms of the moral framing of gambling, social attitudes to gambling pathologies and addictions and discourses about spending and winning money but also some notable differences particularly with regards to class identification and gambling. Each of these similarities and differences will be explored with the intention of demonstrating the particular uses of Mass Observation in uncovering the frequently overlooked and subjective patterns of intimacy.
Contribution of ship traffic to aerosol particle concentrations downwind of a major shipping lane
Authors: Kivekäs N. , Massling A. , Grythe H. , Lange R. , Rusnak V. , Carreno S. , Skov H. , Swietlicki E. , Nguyen Q. T. , Glasius M. , Kristensson A.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. Particles in the atmosphere are of concern due to their toxic properties and effects on climate. In coastal areas, ship emissions can be a significant anthropogenic source. In this study we investigated the contribution from ship emissions to the total particle number and mass concentrations at a remote location. We studied the particle number concentration (12 to 490 nm in diameter), the mass concentration (12 to 150 nm in diameter) and number and volume size distribution of aerosol particles in ship plumes for a period of 4.5 months at Høvsøre, a coastal site on the western coast of Jutland in Denmark. During episodes of western winds, the site is about 50 km downwind of a major shipping lane and the plumes are approximately 1 hour old when they arrive at the site. We have used a sliding percentile-based method for separating the plumes from the measured background values and to calculate the ship plume contribution to the total particle number and PM0.15 mass concentration (mass of particles below 150 nm in diameter, converted from volume assuming sphericity) at the site. The method is not limited to particle number or volume concentration, but can also be used for different chemical species in both particle and gas phase. The total number of analyzed ship plumes was 726, covering on average 19% of the time when air masses were arriving at the site over the shipping lane. During the periods when plumes were present, the particle concentration exceeded the background values on average by 790 cm−3 by number and 0.10 μg m−3 by mass. The corresponding daily average values were 170 cm−3 and 0.023 μg m−3, respectively. This means that the ship plumes contributed between 11 and 19% to the particle number concentration and between 9 and 18% to PM0.15 during days when air was arriving over the shipping lane. The estimated annual contribution from ship plumes, where all wind directions were included, was in the range of 5–8% in particle number concentration and 4–8% in PM0.15.
Field test of available methods to measure remotely SOx and NOx emissions from ships
Authors: Balzani Lööv J. M. , Alfoldy B. , Gast L. F. L. , Hjorth J. , Lagler F. , Mellqvist J. , Beecken J. , Berg N. , Duyzer J. , Westrate H. , Swart D. P. J. , Berkhout A. J. C. , Jalkanen J.-P. , Prata A. J. , van der Hoff G. R. , Borowiak A.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. Methods for the determination of ship fuel sulphur content and NOx emission factors based on remote measurements have been compared in the harbour of Rotterdam and compared to direct stack emission measurements on the ferry Stena Hollandica. The methods were selected based on a review of the available literature on ship emission measurements. They were either optical (LIDAR, Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS), UV camera), combined with model-based estimates of fuel consumption, or based on the so called "sniffer" principle, where SO2 or NOx emission factors are determined from simultaneous measurement of the increase of CO2 and SO2 or NOx concentrations in the plume of the ship compared to the background. The measurements were performed from stations at land, from a boat and from a helicopter. Mobile measurement platforms were found to have important advantages compared to the land-based ones because they allow optimizing the sampling conditions and sampling from ships on the open sea. Although optical methods can provide reliable results it was found that at the state of the art level, the "sniffer" approach is the most convenient technique for determining both SO2 and NOx emission factors remotely. The average random error on the determination of SO2 emission factors comparing two identical instrumental set-ups was 6%. However, it was found that apparently minor differences in the instrumental characteristics, such as response time, could cause significant differences between the emission factors determined. Direct stack measurements showed that about 14% of the fuel sulphur content was not emitted as SO2. This was supported by the remote measurements and is in agreement with the results of other field studies.
Assessment of cloud supersaturation by size-resolved aerosol particle and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) measurements
Authors: Krüger M. L. , Mertes S. , Klimach T. , Cheng Y. F. , Su H. , Schneider J. , Andreae M. O. , Pöschl U. , Rose D.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. In this study we show how size-resolved measurements of aerosol particles and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) can be used to characterize the supersaturation of water vapor in a cloud. The method was developed and applied during the ACRIDICON-Zugspitze campaign (17 September to 4 October 2012) at the high-Alpine research station Schneefernerhaus (German Alps, 2650 m a.s.l.). Number size distributions of total and interstitial aerosol particles were measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), and size-resolved CCN efficiency spectra were recorded with a CCN counter system operated at different supersaturation levels. During the evolution of a cloud, aerosol particles are exposed to different supersaturation levels. We outline and compare different estimates for the lower and upper bounds (Slow, Shigh) and the average value (Savg) of peak supersaturation encountered by the particles in the cloud. A major advantage of the derivation of Slow and Savg from size-resolved CCN efficiency spectra is that it does not require the specific knowledge or assumptions about aerosol hygroscopicity that are needed to derive estimates of Slow, Shigh, and Savg from aerosol size distribution data. For the investigated cloud event, we derived Slow ≈ 0.07–0.25%, Shigh ≈ 0.86–1.31% and Savg ≈ 0.42–0.68%.
A method for colocating satellite XCO2 data to ground-based data and its application to ACOS-GOSAT and TCCON
Authors: Nguyen H. , Osterman G. , Wunch D. , O'Dell C. , Mandrake L. , Wennberg P. , Fisher B. , Castano R.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. Satellite measurements are often compared with higher-precision ground-based measurements as part of validation efforts. The satellite soundings are rarely perfectly coincident in space and time with the ground-based measurements, so a colocation methodology is needed to aggregate "nearby" soundings into what the instrument would have seen at the location and time of interest. We are particularly interested in validation efforts for satellite-retrieved total column carbon dioxide (XCO2), where XCO2 data from Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite (GOSAT) retrievals (ACOS, NIES, RemoteC, PPDF, etc.) or SCanning Imaging Absorption SpectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) are often colocated and compared to ground-based column XCO2 measurement from Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). Current colocation methodologies for comparing satellite measurements of total column dry-air mole fractions of CO2 (XCO2) with ground-based measurements typically involve locating and averaging the satellite measurements within a latitudinal, longitudinal, and temporal window. We examine a geostatistical colocation methodology that takes a weighted average of satellite observations depending on the "distance" of each observation from a ground-based location of interest. The "distance" function that we use is a modified Euclidian distance with respect to latitude, longitude, time, and midtropospheric temperature at 700 hPa. We apply this methodology to XCO2 retrieved from GOSAT spectra by the ACOS team, cross-validate the results to TCCON XCO2 ground-based data, and present some comparisons between our methodology and standard existing colocation methods showing that, in general, geostatistical colocation produces smaller mean-squared error.
Stochastic relation between anomalous propagation in the line-of-sight VHF radio band and occurrences of earthquakes
Authors: Motojima K. , Haga N.
Published: August 2014

Abstract. This paper was intended to find out any relation between anomalous line-of-sight propagation on the very high frequency (VHF) band and occurrences of earthquakes near the VHF propagation paths. The television and FM radio broadcasting waves on the VHF band were monitored continuously over the long term. For that purpose, a multidirectional VHF band monitoring system was established and utilized. Anomalous line-of-sight propagation on the VHF band was distinguished from the monitored wave by using a statistical analysis. After the stochastic consideration, it was found out that earthquakes associated with anomalous propagation were characterized by magnitude of earthquakes M ≥ 4.5, and distances from epicenters L ≤ 75 km. The anomalous propagation was monitored on the VHF band a few days before the associated earthquakes occurred. Moreover, the anomaly appeared on multidirectional propagation paths simultaneously. The anomaly on the line-of-sight propagation indicates the possibility of narrowly focusing the area of the epicenter of earthquake.
COMBINED DIELECTRIC AND MECHANICAL INVESTIGATION OF FILLER NETWORK PERCOLATION BEHAVIOR, FILLER–FILLER CONTACT, AND FILLER–POLYMER INTERACTION ON CARBON BLACK–FILLED HYDROGENATED ACRYLONITRILE–BUTADIENE RUBBER
Authors: Sun Chong , Zhang Ping , Wrana Claus , Schuster Robert , Zhao Shugao
Published: August 2014

The filler network percolation behavior, filler–filler contact, and filler–polymer interaction of carbon black (CB)–filled hydrogenated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber were investigated with the combination of dielectric and mechanical properties, by means of changing CB concentration, CB-specific surface area, cycling deformation for vulcanizates, and rotation speed of rotors in the internal mixer during the mixing process. A dielectric relaxation spectrometer was used to determine the percolation threshold of the CB network, which was made up of filler–filler contact, combined with the percolation theory. Dynamic mechanical analysis and a universal testing machine were employed to observe the filler–filler contact and filler–polymer interaction. The filler–filler bonds were determined by analysis of the Arrhenius plot on the basis of temperature sweep. The filler–polymer interaction and filler–filler contact were determined by hysteresis loss dependence and analysis of the reinforcement factor on the basis of strain sweep and quasi-static stress–strain behavior. The model of variable network density proposed by Maier and Goritz was applied to explain the contribution of stable and unstable bonds, which constituted the filler–polymer interaction, to storage modulus. The results showed that the percolation threshold of the filler network increased with an increase in rotation speed and a decrease in CB-specific surface area, which indicated that the filler–filler contact was affected by increasing rotation speed to some degree. Cycling deformation did not obviously affect the percolation threshold. This means that the filler–filler contact was not obviously affected by cycling deformation. However, the filler–polymer interaction was weakened by this procedure, according to careful investigation for the variation of some mechanical properties. We found new interesting correlations between the macroscopic mechanical properties and CB concentration. The molecular nature of these findings was discussed, combined with the overlap model and traditional molecular slip theory.
VARIACIÓN DE LA DUREZA SUPERFICIAL DE LOS RODILLOS RADIALES DE TRANSPORTADORES YACOBI.
Authors: Leyva de la Cruz Benigno
Published: August 2014

Uno de los problemas medulares que ha afectado la productividad de las empresas en general, es el deterioro de las piezas de sus equipamientos tecnológicos por desgastes. En tal sentido, el estudio del comportamiento de la dureza superficial de dichos componentes durante su vida útil es de vital importancia, para poder recomendar una estructura eficiente, en cuanto al material y tratamiento a seleccionar. En este trabajo se realizó un estudio sobre la variación de la dureza superficial que experimentan los rodillos radiales de transportadores yacobi durante su período de explotación. Se determinó la influencia que tienen sobre la dureza el efecto combinado de la temperatura, la fuerza, el número de revoluciones, y el régimen de enfriamiento en el acero AISI 1045, laminado y templado. Se efectuó la determinación de la dureza superficial de 12 rodillos antes y después de la puesta en explotación con un durómetro portátil modelo 316 con rango de medición de 20 – 65 HRC y apreciación 1,5 puntos, asegurando la condición de normalidad para un nivel de confianza del 95 %. Los resultados obtenidos indicarón que la dureza de los rodillos son 47,5 HRC y 41,67 HRC antes y después de la explotación respectivamente. Además, el análisis de variancia efectuado refiere que existe diferencia significativa entre los valores de la dureza superficial antes y después de la puesta en explotación, lo que indicó la necesidad de realizar un análisis minucioso de las causas que están provocando dicha variación para mejorar la calidad del proceso.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v27i01.1439
LA FAMILIA DE FUNCIONES DISTRIBUCIONALES (Fórmula)
Authors: Aguirre Manuel A. , García Marta
Published: August 2014

No disponible (Ver archivo en pdf)DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v27i01.1441
SOLUCIONES ELEMENTALES DEL OPERADOR LAPLACIANO ITERADO m VECES (fórmula)
Authors: Aguirre Manuel A. , Aguirre Emilio A.
Published: August 2014

No disponibleDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/nexo.v27i01.1442