Cultures within a culture: the role of nationality and religion for environmentally significant behaviour in students living in university accommodation

Reducing global warming cannot be achieved through technological interventions alone; it requires a change in human behaviour. Households are a major contributor to carbon emissions, and thus play an integral part in strategies aiming at a more sustainable living. Behaviour changes in the household can make a significant contribution towards reducing CO2 emissions. However, people vary strongly in their household practices; differences in behaviour account for a substantial amount of variance in heat, electricity, and water consumption (Gill et al., 2010). What causes these differences? In addition to age and education, nationality and religion play a role: They impact on physical aspects of well-being and on environmental attitudes (e.g., Isaacs et al., 2010; Guth et al., 1995). The physical aspect such as perception of warmth is of importance insofar as that comfort practices could influence on environmentally significant behaviour. The Eurobarometer 295 (2008), a study on the attitudes of European citizens towards the environment, also revealed differences in attitudes and behaviour of Europeans towards the environment. Therefore, steps to promote more sustainable living have to be adapted to different cultures. Rising globalization brings about more heterogeneous populations, meaning that there will be increasingly "cultures within a culture." An important question is what happens to cultural differences in environmentally significant behaviour in such a setting. It could be that differences are diluted by a largely shared environment, or that they continue to persist, thanks to being deeply rooted in one’s origin and to the non-shared part of the environment. Our study: The aim of this study was to examine the variation in pro-environmental attitudes, behaviour, and values in members of a community now living in a very similar setting but coming from diverse backgrounds. If personal background accounts for differences in the variables at stake, then this has important implications, e.g. for all national interventions launched to change behaviour. Data was collected through a web-based survey. The survey was sent out to first-year students living in university accommodation at the University of Greenwich. Religion, strength of religion, nationality, years living in the UK, program studied, gender and age were recorded and the impact of these variables on a variety of measures such as pro- environmental attitudes, values, and actual behaviour was assessed. Results are currently being analysed but preliminary data suggest that sub-culture does play a role and thus needs to be considered when developing carbon reduction interventions. The implications of these findings for the University and national policies are discussed

The Mechanism of Sex Trafficking and What You Can Do About it

Awareness for sex trafficking is on a steady incline. Many organizations and events help to raise awareness for sex trafficking and often collect money to combat the issue. However, the unfortunate reality is that the public has gained a non-functional awareness of the issue. The public knows about the problem, they know that the number affected is astronomical, and they know that it is ugly, but they know of no tangible way to work toward the solution. Nothing is wrong with donating to an organization that is working to resolve the issue, but people need to be made aware of the simple ways that they can combat sex trafficking in their everyday life. They can do this by understanding how sex trafficking works. They can become familiar with the signs of sex trafficking and how to report suspicious activity. Lastly, the public must be made aware of personal behaviors that contribute to the problem. For example, many Americans consume pornography without knowing that this industry drives the demand for sex slavery

Waist Circumference and the Relation to Aerobic Exercise and Perception of Illness in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between waist circumference (WC), amount of aerobic exercise performed weekly and overall Health Belief Model (HBM) score in adults with diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Members from a local Midwest adult fitness program (n = 5) who had been diagnosed T2DM participated in this study. Participants ranged in age from 70 to 80 years with an average age of 74 years. Four of the participants were female and one participant was male. The questions included in this study were 1 .) in those with diagnosed T2DM, was a low overall HBM score correlated with a high WC? and 2.) was there a relationship between the overall HBM score and whether individuals with diagnosed T2DM met American College of Sports Medicine\u27s (ACSM\u27s) guidelines for aerobic exercise? WC measurements were taken by the primary researcher and the type and amount of aerobic exercise participants completed was documented as part of the demographic survey. Participants\u27 perception of illness was analyzed using a version of the Health Belief Model, adapted from Gutierrez and Long (201 1 ). Analysis of the data was done by first calculating Cronbach\u27s alpha to assess internal reliability of the HBM used. Both a Pearson\u27s Correlation Coefficient r and a p-value were then calculated to test the first hypothesis, yielding values ofr = 0.09 and p = 0.89, respectively. These results both showed a non-significant relationship between WC measurement and the overall HBM score in this sample of adults with diagnosed T2DM. Similarly, the second hypothesis was assessed by both a Pearson\u27s Correlation Coefficient r and a p-value, yielding values of r = 0.36 and p = 0.55, respectively. These results showed a non-significant relationship between the overa l l HBM score and whether participants met ACSM\u27s guidelines for aerobic exercise. Overall, the results of this study did not support either hypothesis, indicating no observed relationship between WC measurements and overall HBM score or between overall HBM score and whether individuals met ACSM\u27s guidelines for aerobic exercise. It is recommended that future studies use a larger population in order to obtain a larger sample size, hopefully yielding more significant results. Additionally, it is recommended that future studies sample from multiple facilities and more diverse populations in order to increase the variation in age range and duration of diagnosis among participants

Virus Infections--What of the Future?

The rate of progress in virus research today is so rapid that for many the present is the future. Consequently, in order to discuss the future in comprehensible fashion, I must talk about the present state of affairs--to discuss current knowledge which furnishes the basis for contemporary enormous interest in viruses. It is precisely those considerations which will furnish the springboard for future progress in understanding and controlling the effects of virus infections

Waist Circumference and the Relation to Aerobic Exercise and Perception of Illness in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between waist circumference (WC), amount of aerobic exercise performed weekly and overall Health Belief Model (HBM) score in adults with diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Members from a local Midwest adult fitness program (n = 5) who had been diagnosed T2DM participated in this study. Participants ranged in age from 70 to 80 years with an average age of 74 years. Four of the participants were female and one participant was male. The questions included in this study were 1 .) in those with diagnosed T2DM, was a low overall HBM score correlated with a high WC? and 2.) was there a relationship between the overall HBM score and whether individuals with diagnosed T2DM met American College of Sports Medicine\u27s (ACSM\u27s) guidelines for aerobic exercise? WC measurements were taken by the primary researcher and the type and amount of aerobic exercise participants completed was documented as part of the demographic survey. Participants\u27 perception of illness was analyzed using a version of the Health Belief Model, adapted from Gutierrez and Long (201 1 ). Analysis of the data was done by first calculating Cronbach\u27s alpha to assess internal reliability of the HBM used. Both a Pearson\u27s Correlation Coefficient r and a p-value were then calculated to test the first hypothesis, yielding values ofr = 0.09 and p = 0.89, respectively. These results both showed a non-significant relationship between WC measurement and the overall HBM score in this sample of adults with diagnosed T2DM. Similarly, the second hypothesis was assessed by both a Pearson\u27s Correlation Coefficient r and a p-value, yielding values of r = 0.36 and p = 0.55, respectively. These results showed a non-significant relationship between the overa l l HBM score and whether participants met ACSM\u27s guidelines for aerobic exercise. Overall, the results of this study did not support either hypothesis, indicating no observed relationship between WC measurements and overall HBM score or between overall HBM score and whether individuals met ACSM\u27s guidelines for aerobic exercise. It is recommended that future studies use a larger population in order to obtain a larger sample size, hopefully yielding more significant results. Additionally, it is recommended that future studies sample from multiple facilities and more diverse populations in order to increase the variation in age range and duration of diagnosis among participants

Assessment of a flow-through balance for hypersonic wind tunnel models with scramjet exhaust flow simulation

The purpose of this investigation were twofold: first, to determine whether accurate force and moment data could be obtained during hypersonic wind tunnel tests of a model with a scramjet exhaust flow simulation that uses a representative nonwatercooled, flow-through balance; second, to analyze temperature time histories on various parts of the balance to address thermal effects on force and moment data. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center 20-Inch Mach 6 Wind Tunnel at free-stream Reynolds numbers ranging from 0.5 to 7.4 x 10(exp 6)/ft and nominal angles of attack of -3.5 deg, 0 deg, and 5 deg. The simulant exhaust gases were cold air, hot air, and a mixture of 50 percent Argon and 50 percent Freon by volume, which reached stagnation temperatures within the balance of 111, 214, and 283 F, respectively. All force and moment values were unaffected by the balance thermal response from exhaust gas simulation and external aerodynamic heating except for axial-force measurements, which were significantly affected by balance heating. This investigation showed that for this model at the conditions tested, a nonwatercooled, flow-through balance is not suitable for axial-force measurements during scramjet exhaust flow simulation tests at hypersonic speeds. In general, heated exhaust gas may produce unacceptable force and moment uncertainties when used with thermally sensitive balances

Germany - mind the gap: understanding public opinion and elite interpretations of EU concerns in Germany

Germany has long been viewed as a country of Europhiles, but recently the country has been displaying signs of growing Euroscepticism. When asked to think about Europe, a sizeable minority of Germans expresses concern over a loss of social security or jobs, a loss of national identity and culture, or Germany's financial contributions to the European Union (EU). German political elites across the left–right spectrum have left these concerns largely unaddressed and continue to advocate for the European project. This raises questions about there being a potential gap between public and elite conceptions of EU fears. Our comparison of survey data on German public opinion with insights from elite interviews with political leaders reveals that there is indeed a gap between public opinion and elite interpretations of the EU. Political decision-makers across the left–right spectrum perceive fears in Germany to be largely generalised, non-concrete and unrelated to evaluations of the EU. However, this is the case for a minority of Germans only. The majority show a pattern of concrete, distinguishable concerns, suggesting that we cannot speak about EU fears in the aggregate. Citizens' levels of anxiety are directly related to their evaluations of Germany’s future strategy in the EU: those who are more worried overall are more likely to want Germany to leave the EU or work towards reducing the EU's powers. While we find citizens' concerns to be dependent on both pragmatic economic evaluations and more emotive variables such as the degree of national and European identification, politicians focus on pragmatic economic evaluations. They underestimate the impact of emotional affiliations as expressed through identity on German public opinion. Given German political elites' limited understanding of the public’s concerns, it is not surprising to find that 3 Germany politicians have difficulties addressing them. Although politicians recognise the importance of representation for citizens' evaluations of the legitimacy of the EU, the measures they suggest remain largely one-dimensional, centred on explaining the EU’s procedures and increasing identification with the EU. Politicians, it seems, struggle to think of measures to improve the EU's problem-solving capacity. In order to close the gap between public and elite conceptions about the EU in Germany, it is crucial to support politicians in their task of understanding and addressing citizens' worries. This requires research and debate on EUrelated concerns, strategies for the transfer of knowledge about their underlying drivers and instruments to facilitate public–elite interaction about the EU as well as a broader range of policy options to address EU concerns across several levels of governance

Surface Switching Characteristics of Variable Permittivity Dielectrics

Flashover voltage, lifetimes, and switch performance of insulators utilizing square thin and thick film electrodes were examined to determine the viability of using thin electrodes for reliable surface discharge switching. Gold, silver, and platinum were sputtered (0.25 µm) and screen printed (15 µm) onto Al2O3, TiO2, and modified BaTiO3 (MBT), then tested in air at 105 Pa, under vacuum (10-3/ torr), and while immersed in an insulating fluid, SF-2 (manufactured by 3M). For the measured range of 0.5 to 3 mm in air, the flashover voltage for all three insulators was found to have a linear dependence on the electrode separation distance with 15 µm thick screen printed electrodes and a square root dependence with 0.25 µm thick sputtered electrodes. Delay times of approximately 20 ns with a corresponding jitter of 6 ns were observed across all three insulators under triggered flashover. Insulators in air with sputtered electrodes had lifetimes of approximately 5 flashovers for dc flashover and 40 for triggered flashover. Screen printed TiO2 and MBT had dc lifetimes of approximately 10 flashovers in air, and 3 flashovers in vacuum and SF-2. Screen printed TiO2 and MBT had triggered lifetimes of greater than 200 flashovers in air, and \u3c3 flashovers in vacuum and SF-2. Screen printed Al2O3 had dc and triggered lifetimes of greater than 200 flashovers in air, vacuum and SF-2. Insulator failure during dc flashover was determined to be due to the formation of a conductive channel between the anode and cathode. Formation of the channel was attributed to insulator thermal and dielectric properties and the presence of vaporized electrode species in the gap region during flashover