The virtual simulation of child sexual abuse: Online gameworld users’ views, understanding and responses to sexual ageplay.

This paper explores cultural understandings of virtual sexual ageplay in the online world of Second Life. Online sexual ageplay is the virtual simulation of child abuse by consensual adults operating in-world with child computer characters (avatars). Second Life is primarily governed by Community Standards which rely on residents (the users of Second Life) to recognise sexual ageplay and report it, which requires an appreciation of how residents view, understand and construct sexual ageplay. The research presented drew on 12 months of resident blog posts referring to sexual ageplay: 263 total, with 91 residents. The analysis of this talk explores the cultural understandings of this banned behaviour and beliefs about the nature of Second Life which underpin residents’ likelihood to report sexual ageplay and so comply with the Community Standards. In considering these issues the paper is able to highlight issues regarding the unique cultural position of abuse against children and key concerns which underpin the reporting behaviour of residents. Key considerations relate to defining online sexual activity, child avatars; the moral status of ‘reporters’, and sexual ageplay as a form of edgeplay; belief in the harmfulness of sexual ageplay and its relationship to real world behaviours

Densitometric evaluation of four radiographic processing solutions

WOS: 000072364300008PubMed ID: 9656875Objective: To determine the performance of different processing solutions using an automatic processor for dental radiography. Study design: One brand of dental X-ray film (Minimax, Chicago, IL, USA) was developed in an automatic processor using four different brands of processing solution: Megasan (MGS, Megasan, Ankara, Turkey), (HAC, Ankara, Turkey), Fuji (Fuji Medical, Hacettepe Cedex, France) and RP X-Omat (Eastman Kodak, Rochester, NY, USA) at a range of temperatures. Performance was evaluated with respect to base plug fog density, relative speed and contrast. Results: All solutions produced acceptable base plus fog values. MGS produced significantly greater densities (P<0.05) than the other three solutions. Contrast obtained with Kodak and Fuji solutions was less than with MGS and HAC. Developing temperature recommended by the manufacturer of the processor were found to be higher than that needed to achieve a clinically acceptable film. Conclusions: Depending on the processor and processing solutions used, exposure time and processing temperature can be modified while maintaining image quality. The cheapest processing solution (MGS) gave the same results as the more expensive

Degradation of storage phosphor images due to scanning delay

WOS: 000236237800002PubMed ID: 16549432Objective: To evaluate the degradation of storage phosphor images relative to scanning delay. Methods: A series of exposures of an aluminium step-wedge with five 2 mm incremental steps were made using blue Digora (R) storage phosphor plates (SPPs). After the first exposure the plates were immediately scanned. After the second the plates were scanned after a half hour delay, after the third after a 1 h delay and so on until a final delay of 8 h. Mean grey values (MGVs) of each step of the wedge and its background were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Difference between group means was assessed using Bonferroni/Dunn multiple comparison test (P 0.05). Longer delays gave rise to significant differences in MGVs (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Diclorao (R) SPPs show statistically significant degradation of grey level values and contrast in plates scanned half an hour or longer after exposure

Effect of delayed scanning of storage phosphor plates

WOS: 000228655300017PubMed ID: 15829885Objective. To test longevity of image quality in storage phosphor plates (SPPs) at various exposure settings, storage conditions, and delays in scanning. Study design. Fifteen Digora plates were exposed from 0.08 to 0.20 seconds and scanned immediately, 10, 30, and 60 minutes, and 24 hours after exposure. Plates were stored both in daylight and in a light-tight box. Mean gray values (MGVs) were compared using 2 x 5 x 5 factorial ANOVA. Interaction between variables was tested using Bonferroni/Dunn multiple comparisons test. Results. MGVs decreased with increase in exposure but increased with the scan delay. Only MGVs of plates scanned within 10 minutes after exposure were not significantly different from the ones scanned immediately (P > .05). MGVs increased with scan delay for all exposure times no matter how the plates were stored (P < .05). Conclusion. Based on the time delays examined, it is recommended to scan the Digora SPP no later than 10 minutes after exposure. Longer periods may cause loss of quality