Reproductions, cultural capital and museums: aspects of the culture of copies

The concept of cultural capital is well known in museum studies from pioneering visitor research conducted and reported by Pierre Bourdieu in the 1960s. This paper examines the concept in the light of the criticism that, whilst it illuminates the dynamics of cultural consumption and inequality in advanced capitalist societies, its socio-genesis is less well understood. It is argued that the historical sociology of fine art reproduction provides an opportunity to (i) enlarge our understanding of its formation and (ii) to explore the cultural character of the copy and the sociology of the body. The paper draws on Marx’s concept of primitive accumulation, on Connerton’s distinction between incorporated and inscribing practices and on Bourdieu’s distinction between three states of cultural capital

Established-Outsider Relations and the Socio-Genesis of the Museum

It is surprising that little research has been conducted by Eliasians on museums and that, with some exceptions, academics working on museums do not cite The Civilizing Process. All the more so given that: (i) museum research supports Elias’s claim that elements of modernity originated in court societies, (ii) the nineteenth-century museum was a leading edge of the West’s belief in itself as a singularly civilized place and (iii) there is a contradiction between the museum’s universalism and its latent capacity to stigmatize some visitors as uncivilized outsiders. Indeed, Elias’s theory of established-outsider relations offers profound insights into the museum dimension of social stigma and the socio-genesis of the museum. First, an Eliasian perspective illuminates the relationship between museums and the peculiar structures of feeling that flowed from the interdependencies of modernization. Secondly, in studying European upper classes, he stressed the co-existence of different propertied strata within nineteenth-century states. This explains the apparent inchoateness of European national museums as they emerged at the interface of ruling dynastic elites and upwardly mobile bourgeois outsiders. Thirdly, documentary evidence reveals the museum to be a place where middle class people incorporated and transformed a courtly habitus whilst simultaneously stigmatizing both aristocratic and working class ways of living the body. Finally, Elias elaborated dynamic models of established-outsider relations, emphasizing their ‘complex polyphony’ as the key to explaining the power to stigmatize. The museum performed that polyphony at the interface of established-outsider relations; it could be said that they were the very causes of museums

A Station-Based Southern Annular Mode Index from 1884 to 2005

Atmospheric pressure observations from the Southern Hemisphere are used to estimate monthly and annually averaged indexes of the southern annular mode (SAM) back to 1884. This analysis groups all relevant observations in the following four regions: one for Antarctica and three in the subtropical zone. Continuous surface pressure observations are available at a number of locations in the subtropical regions since the end of the nineteenth century. However, year-round observations in the subpolar region near the Antarctic continent began only during the 1940-60 period. The shorter Antarctic records seriously compromise the length of a traditionally estimated SAM index. To improve the situation "proxy'' estimates of Antarctic sea level pressure anomalies are provided based on the concept of atmospheric mass conservation poleward of 208S. This allows deriving a longer SAM index back to 1884. Several aspects of the new record, its statistical properties, seasonal trends, and the regional pressure anomaly correlations, are presented

Aerosol climate feedback due to decadal increases in Southern Hemisphere wind speeds

Observations indicate that the westerly jet in the Southern Hemisphere troposphere is accelerating. Using a global aerosol model we estimate that the increase in wind speed of 0.45 + /- 0.2 m s(-1) decade(-1) at 50-65 degrees S since the early 1980s caused a higher sea spray flux, resulting in an increase of cloud condensation nucleus concentrations of more than 85% in some regions, and of 22% on average between 50 and 65 degrees S. These fractional increases are similar in magnitude to the decreases over many northern hemisphere land areas due to changes in air pollution over the same period. The change in cloud drop concentrations causes an increase in cloud reflectivity and a summertime radiative forcing between at 50 and 65 degrees S comparable in magnitude but acting against that from greenhouse gas forcing over the same time period, and thus represents a substantial negative climate feedback. However, recovery of Antarctic ozone depletion in the next two decades will likely cause a fall in wind speeds, a decrease in cloud drop concentration and a correspondingly weaker cloud feedback

Comparison of the Effects of High versus Low-Polyphenol Dark Chocolate on Body Weight and Biochemical Markers: A Randomized Trial

Background: Dark chocolate (DC) has amongst the highest content of polyphenols in foods, but the chocolate processing methods may greatly reduce this amount. Few studies addressed the possible detrimental effects of low polyphenol DC on body weight, glucose metabolism and lipid levels, and the potential role of cocoa flavanols in body weight control. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effect of DC rich and DC low in polyphenols on BMI, fasting blood glucose, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and lipid levels in adults. Methods: Sixty-one participants took part in a randomized parallel trial. Volunteers randomly received 20g daily of either PRDC (polyphenol-rich DC) or of low polyphenol DC (LPDC) for four weeks. Anthropometric measures and blood samples were collected at baseline and after 4 weeks. Results: A significant net increase in BMI (0.17 ± 0.32 kg/m2, p = 0.007), fasting blood glucose (0.44 ± 1.08 mmol/l, p = 0.041) and triglycerides levels (0.13 ± 0.23 mmol/l, p = 0.008) was observed in the low polyphenol DC group following the 4 weeks intervention, while the levels of these parameters did not significantly change in the polyphenol-rich DC group. There was no significant change in hs-CRP levels in both groups. Conclusions: Results show that the intake of PRDC seems to be more metabolically healthy than LPDC intake, and this highlights the potential role of polyphenols in counteracting the negative effects of fat and energy intake in chocolate. The outcomes raise concerns about the polyphenol content and quality of DC products in the market. Further studies are needed to fully investigate the health benefits of dark chocolate intake, compare the effects of different types of chocolate and establish the necessary guidelines of the type and content of polyphenols in the chocolate preparations to ensure their favourable effect on health

Deep and abyssal ocean warming from 35 years of repeat hydrography

Global and regional ocean warming deeper than 2000 m is investigated using 35 years of sustained repeat hydrographic survey data starting in 1981. The global long-term temperature trend below 2000 m, representing the time period 1991–2010, is equivalent to a mean heat flux of 0.065 ± 0.040 W m?2 applied over the Earth's surface area. The strongest warming rates are found in the abyssal layer (4000–6000 m), which contributes to one third of the total heat uptake with the largest contribution from the Southern and Pacific Oceans. A similar regional pattern is found in the deep layer (2000–4000 m), which explains the remaining two thirds of the total heat uptake yet with larger uncertainties. The global average warming rate did not change within uncertainties pre-2000 versus post-2000, whereas ocean average warming rates decreased in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and increased in the Atlantic and Southern Oceans

Agulhas Leakage Predominantly Responds to the Southern Hemisphere Westerlies

The Agulhas Current plays a crucial role in the thermohaline circulation through its leakage into the South Atlantic. Under both past and present climates, the trade winds and westerlies could have the ability to modulate the amount of Indian-Atlantic inflow. Compelling arguments have been put forward suggesting that trade winds alone have little impact on the magnitude of Agulhas leakage. Here, employing three ocean models for robust analysis – a global coarse resolution, a regional eddy-permitting and a nested high-resolution eddy-resolving configuration – and systematically altering the position and intensity of the westerly wind belt in a series of sensitivity experiments, it is shown that the westerlies, in particular their intensity, control the leakage. Leakage responds proportionally to the westerlies intensity up to a certain point. Beyond this, through the adjustment of the large-scale circulation, energetic interactions occur between the Agulhas Return Current and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current that result in a state where leakage no longer increases. This adjustment takes place within 1 to 2 decades. Contrary to previous assertions, our results further show that an equatorward (poleward) shift in westerlies increases (decreases) leakage. This occurs due to the redistribution of momentum input by the winds. It is concluded that the reported present-day leakage increase could therefore reflect an unadjusted oceanic response mainly to the strengthening westerlies over the last few decades

Biomechanical evaluation of fixation of comminuted olecranon fractures: one-third tubular versus locking compression plating

New concepts in plate fixation have led to an evolution in plate design for olecranon fractures. The purpose of this study was to compare the stiffness and strength of locking compression plate (LCP) fixation to one-third tubular plate fixation in a cadaveric comminuted olecranon fracture model with a standardised osteotomy. Five matched pairs of cadaveric elbows were randomly assigned for fixation by either a contoured LCP combined with an intramedullary screw and unicortical locking screws or a one-third tubular plate combined with bicortical screws. Construct stiffness was measured by subjecting the specimens to cyclic loading while measuring gapping at the osteotomy site. Construct strength was measured by subjecting specimens to ramp load until failure. There was no significant difference in fixation stiffness and strength between the two fixation methods. All failures consisted of failure of the bone and not of the hardware. Contoured LCP and intramedullary screw fixation can be used as an alternative treatment method for comminuted olecranon fractures as its stiffness and strength were not significantly different from a conventional plating techniqu