Fighting Crime in Coastal Settlements in Nigeria: The Interplay of Location, Spirit Medium and Local Social Control Mechanisms

This paper attempts to develop theoretical and empirical understanding of a range of environmental, spiritual, religious and social control factors often utilized to address the challenges of social crime in two coastal settlements in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria: Ibeno and Eastern Obolo. Specific focus was on ‘armed robbery’ incidence. The study, which adopted the situational crime prevention theory by Ronald Clarke, depended on in-depth interviews, discussions, local informants and secondary literature. In the result, a broad consensus was established bordering on the relevance of the role of the local cosmology, linked with a belief in the mutual communication of territorial and marine spirits, in social crime control. Beyond the territorial and marine powers discussed, ‘communitarian spirit’ which was noted as anchored by neighborhood watch, social capital, community vigilantism, adherence to the values of individual and family integrity and other social norms and values were identified as important resources in community security. The paper argues that discourses on crime of any form in developing countries should be framed around some contextually determined factors to enhance the development of better and context-based mechanisms for practical control. Keywords: crime control, environment, spiritual and social controls, coastal settlements, Nigeria

High order quantum decoherence via multi-particle amplitude for boson system

In this paper we depict the high order quantum coherence of a boson system by using the multi-particle wave amplitude, whose norm square is just the high order correlation function. This multi-time amplitude can be shown to be a superposition of several "multi-particle paths". When the environment or a apparatus entangles with them to form a generalized "which-way" measurement for many particle system, the quantum decoherence happens in the high order case dynamically. An explicit illustration is also given with an intracavity system of two modes interacting with a moving mirror.Comment: 7 pages, revtex, 4 eps figure

Synergistic hemolysis-inhibition titers associated with caseous lymphadenitis in a slaughterhouse survey of goats and sheep in Northeastern Brazil.

Abstract: A survey of caseous lymphadenitis was conducted at a goat and sheep slaughterhouse in Northeastern Brazil One hundred and fifty-eight goats and 43 sheep were examined for the presence of abscesses, with bacterial culturing of purulent material to define the etiological agent. Blood was collected simultaneously for determination of serological titer via the synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test which measures antibodies to an exotoxin of Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Thirteen and nine-tenths percent of the goats had abscesses, with a high proportion having mediastinal or pulmonary lesions (9.5%). Two sheep had abscesses, both with internal organ involvement. Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis was the most frequently isolated organism. Of 22 goats with abscesses, 20 were positive via the synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test. Both of the sheep with abscesses had positive synergistic hemolysis-inhibition titers. The proportion of serological reactors was greater than the proportion of animals with abscesses. The synergistic hemolysis-inhibition test may be detecting subclinically infected animals

Apparatus for dimensional characterization of fused silica fibers for the suspensions of advanced gravitational wave detectors

Detection of gravitational waves from astrophysical sources remains one of the most challenging problems faced by experimental physicists. A significant limit to the sensitivity of future long-baseline interferometric gravitational wave detectors is thermal displacement noise of the test mass mirrors and their suspensions. Suspension thermal noise results from mechanical dissipation in the fused silica suspension fibers suspending the test mass mirrors and is therefore an important noise source at operating frequencies between ∼10 and 30 Hz. This dissipation occurs due to a combination of thermoelastic damping, surface and bulk losses. Its effects can be reduced by optimizing the thermoelastic and surface loss, and these parameters are a function of the cross sectional dimensions of the fiber along its length. This paper presents a new apparatus capable of high resolution measurements of the cross sectional dimensions of suspension fibers of both rectangular and circular cross section, suitable for use in advanced detector mirror suspensions

The unstable coastline: navigating dispossession and belonging in Colombo

This article explores how residents of a small coastal fishing enclave in Colombo live with cumulative waves of dispossession brought on by exclusionary projects of urban development. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, I introduce the analytic of navigation to describe how people move, plan and live with both present and future threats of dispossession. Navigation offers a unique perspective on questions of agency and resistance in oppressive conditions. Rather than framing subjects as “resisting” projects of world-class city-making, this analysis shows that urban residents instead engage in complex and occasionally contradictory modes of living with uncertainty. I complicate existing understandings of the term “navigation” by describing how questions of nation and belonging are crucial to comprehending how people navigate. Ultimately, I suggest that expressions of belonging and obligation to an imagined community might not only be strategic, but instead reflect some of the broader social forces which structure possibilities for action

Effect of TiO2 addition on structure, solubility and crystallisation of phosphate invert glasses for biomedical applications

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS, [VOL 356, ISSUE 44-49, (2001)] DOI: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2010.03.02

Communicating Climate Change Oceanically: Sea Level Rise Information Increases Mitigation, Inundation, and Global Warming Acceptance

Cognitive impediments and global warming's gradual pace, among other factors, have inhibited some people from detecting climate change's everyday effects. This results in global warming often being perceived as a non-urgent, non-personal, threat that inhibits larger-scale collective action combatting climate change and public will regarding such action. Extreme weather events that global warming causes or exacerbates (e.g., hurricanes, flooding, heat, and droughts), however, are memorable due to their high emotional, social, and economic costs. Sea level rise is an especially salient American issue, given recent heightened storm surges, and the large population-segment who live in or near coastal areas with dangerous flooding risks. In this experiment, we show that providing American participants with U.S.-specific information about the economic and/or geographic/cartological effects and risks of sea level rise results in (a) an increased acceptance of oceanic rise as a phenomenon that is concerning and caused by global warming, and (b) an increased acceptance, in general, of global warming's anthropogenic nature. Communicating sea level rise information also led to (c) a general decrease in nationalism and (d) changes in the perceived effectiveness of mitigation strategies for sea level rise–specifically (d1) a decrease in the perceived effectiveness of constructing sea walls /dikes and (d2) an increase in the perceived effectiveness of phasing out fossil fuel usage. Overall, we find that communicating striking information about this oceanic by-product of global warming is an effective way to motivate acceptance and engagement with the issue of climate change in a reasonably broad manner. The experimental findings replicate, extend, and dovetail with prior experiments by our laboratory, bringing up to six the number of brief interventions (i.e., of roughly 5 or fewer minutes) that have been proven to increase people's science-normative beliefs about global warming. Our laboratory's website, HowGlobalWarmingWorks.org, offers samples of these materials, which additionally include surprising statistics, textual and video explanations of global warming's mechanism, and a contrast of Earth's temperature rise since the 1880's vs. the U.S. stock market rise since then

Coated Steel Rebar for Enhanced Concrete-Steel Bond Strength and Corrosion Resistance

This report summarizes the findings and recommendations on the use of enamel coating in reinforced concrete structures both for bond strength and corrosion resistance of steel rebar. Extensive laboratory tests were conducted to characterize the properties of one- and two-layer enamel coatings. Pseudostatic tests were performed with pullout, beam and column specimens to characterize mechanical properties and develop design equations for the development length of steel rebar in lap splice and anchorage areas. The splice length equation was validated with the testing of large-scale columns under cyclic loading. For corrosion properties, ponding, salt spray, accelerated corrosion, potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were conducted to evaluate the corrosion resistance and performance of enamel-coated steel and rebar. Experimental procedures and observations from various laboratory tests are documented in detail. The corrosion performances of enamel and epoxy coatings were compared. It is concluded that a one-layer enamel coating doped with 50% calcium silicate has improved bond strengths with steel and concrete but its corrosion resistance is low due to porosity in the coating, allowing chloride ions to pass through. Based on limited laboratory tests, a two-layer enamel coating with an inner layer of pure enamel and an outer layer of enamel and calcium silicate mixture has been shown to be practical and effective for both corrosion resistance and bond strength. A coating factor of 0.85 is recommended to use with the current development length equations as specified in ACI318-08. The large-scale column tests indicated that the column-footing lap splice with enamel-coated dowel bars had higher load and energy dissipation capacities compared to uncoated dowel bars. When damaged unintentionally, chemically reactive enamel coatings limit corrosion to a very small area whereas epoxy coatings allow corrosion expansion in a wide area underneath the coating

Complex lithium ion dynamics in simulated LiPO3 glass studied by means of multi-time correlation functions

Molecular dynamics simulations are performed to study the lithium jumps in LiPO3 glass. In particular, we calculate higher-order correlation functions that probe the positions of single lithium ions at several times. Three-time correlation functions show that the non-exponential relaxation of the lithium ions results from both correlated back-and-forth jumps and the existence of dynamical heterogeneities, i.e., the presence of a broad distribution of jump rates. A quantitative analysis yields that the contribution of the dynamical heterogeneities to the non-exponential depopulation of the lithium sites increases upon cooling. Further, correlated back-and-forth jumps between neighboring sites are observed for the fast ions of the distribution, but not for the slow ions and, hence, the back-jump probability depends on the dynamical state. Four-time correlation functions indicate that an exchange between fast and slow ions takes place on the timescale of the jumps themselves, i.e., the dynamical heterogeneities are short-lived. Hence, sites featuring fast and slow lithium dynamics, respectively, are intimately mixed. In addition, a backward correlation beyond the first neighbor shell for highly mobile ions and the presence of long-range dynamical heterogeneities suggest that fast ion migration occurs along preferential pathways in the glassy matrix. In the melt, we find no evidence for correlated back-and-forth motions and dynamical heterogeneities on the length scale of the next-neighbor distance.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figure

Preparation, structural characterisation and antibacterial properties of Ga-doped sol-gel phosphate-based glass

A sol-gel preparation of Ga-doped phosphate-based glass with potential application in antimicrobial devices has been developed. Samples of composition (CaO)(0.30)(Na2O)(0.20-x) (Ga2O3) (x) (P2O5)(0.50) where x = 0 and 0.03 were prepared, and the structure and properties of the gallium-doped sample compared with those of the sample containing no gallium. Analysis of the P-31 MAS NMR data demonstrated that addition of gallium to the sol-gel reaction increases the connectivity of the phosphate network at the expense of hydroxyl groups. This premise is supported by the results of the elemental analysis, which showed that the gallium-free sample contains significantly more hydrogen and by FTIR spectroscopy, which revealed a higher concentration of -OH groups in that sample. Ga K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure and X-ray absorption near-edge structure data revealed that the gallium ions are coordinated by six oxygen atoms. In agreement with the X-ray absorption data, the high-energy XRD results also suggest that the Ga3+ ions are octahedrally coordinated with respect to oxygen. Antimicrobial studies demonstrated that the sample containing Ga3+ ions had significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus compared to the control