The “why” that made me discover sociology

Doctoral researcher, Isabell Loeschner, explains what brought her to Sociology in the second of our series of blog posts on ‘Why Socoiology?’. Sociology does not always have a good reputation in society and we sociologists don’t always do a good job at improving this reputation, because we like to keep to ourselves. In fact, many people don’t even know what Sociology is. The word resembles the word social, so it must have to do something with social work, many think

Technical challenges for identification in mobile environments

This report describes technical challenges and requirements for identification of individuals in mobile (i.e. non-stationary) environments as e.g. required by the ¿European Mobile Identification Interoperability Group¿ (MOBIDIG). It is intended to support relevant stakeholders as law enforcement agencies or immigration offices, active in the area of identification of individuals in mobile environments. It offers some guidance for future technical work at the MOBIDIG to be respected in their work plan. Furthermore, it may be used as a first orientation for the general future work for identification in mobile environments using digital or electronically stored data. After the introduction and some background of MOBIDIG and its policy context, the document presents the intention, main objectives and some information about the scope of work of the group. The following proposals, suggestions and recommendations presented are explicitly focusing on technology. Organizational and procedural issues are out of focus of this document and need to be addressed separately in further documents.JRC.DG.G.6-Security technology assessmen

Symmetry in combinatorial optimization

Integer optimization is in the class of NP-hard problems, and it is very time and memory intensive to find optimal solutions. In this thesis an algorithm will be developed to improve the efficiency in solving a linear integer program if there are symmetries in the problem, that is, variables can be permuted without changing the integer program. Using the group of symmetries, the size of the feasible set can be restricted. For the smaller optimization problem, common solution methods will be able to find the optimal solutions faster than for the original problem. The set of all optimal solutions can be generated from the determined ones by applying the symmetry group

Understanding peripheral work connectivity – power and contested spaces in digital workplaces

We live in an increasingly digital world, fully equipped with smart mobile devices that allow us to connect to anyone, anytime. Such possibilities have wide reaching consequences particularly for the world of work. They challenge traditional boundaries between work and private life, fundamentally alter how we conduct work and have major implications on organizational power relations. And despite increasing scholarly interest in the phenomenon of connectivity, the study of connectivity particularly in relation to work, remains at a nascent state and the concept of connectivity under-conceptualized. In this thesis I set out to develop our understanding of connectivity further by theoretically advancing and empirically exploring exactly these issues in one large multinational organization – TechComp. To what extent does connectivity with work, work connectivity, and more precisely the connectivity with one’s work at the periphery of the workday, -week and – place, what I call peripheral work connectivity (PWC), exist at TechComp and what role does PWC play in relation to power negotiations? These are the questions I seek to answer, by means of a mixed methods case study, drawing on a large web-based survey (N=19,564), ethnographic work and in-depth interviews (N=87), all conducted between March 2014 and August 2015. These multiple sources of data have allowed me to gain a thorough understanding of the extent of PWC at TechComp, highlighting that PWC is much more wide-spread across a diverse mix of job roles than previous research that primarily focused on high status professionals has led us to believe. Moreover, I argue that peripheral work connectivity is more than a driver of changing norms of availability. Drawing on Foucault’s concept of disciplinary power, undergirded by a sociomaterial understanding of the world, I show that PWC is a platform where power relations become rendered visible and contested. Peripheral work connectivity thus becomes a space of possibility. At the same time though, I argue that PWC is also a disciplinary agent, a mechanism that leads TechComp employees to self-discipline in an attempt to meet others’ and their own expectations. Peripheral work connectivity is hence a platform and an agent, the reason for and an actor in power negotiations at TechComp

Cryptographic security mechanism of the next generation digital tachograph system

JRC is in the process of evaluating the impact of update of the cryptographic security mechanisms for the next generation Digital Tachograph. The purpose of this document is to give background information about the cryptographic security mechanisms and vulnerabilities regarding the security mechanisms of the current Digital Tachograph System along with suggestions for the next generation Digital Tachograph security mechanisms. This document can be referred as an important reference to update the technical appendixes of the Tachograph regulation.JRC.G.7-Digital Citizen Securit

Vertical distribution of inorganic nanoparticles in a Norwegian fjord

Due to the analytical challenges of detecting and quantifying nanoparticles in seawater, the data on distributions of NPs in the marine environment is limited to qualitative studies or by ensemble measurements subject to various analytical artifacts. Single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) allows determination of individual inorganic NPs at environmentally relevant concentrations, yet only few studies have been conducted on selected elements in surface sea water. Here, a sequential multi-element screening method was developed and implemented to provide a first survey of the horizontal and vertical distributions of inorganic nanoparticles and trace elements in a pristine Norwegian fjord prospect for submarine tailings deposition. Statistical control of false-positive detections while minimizing the size detection limit was ensured using a novel raw signal processing. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) gave confirmative and qualitative information regarding particle morphology and composition. Following SP-ICP-MS screening for particles of 16 elements, particulate Al, Fe, Mn, Pb, Si and Ti were found and determined to mass concentrations in ng/L of 1–399, 1–412, below limit of detection (<LOD) - 269, <LOD - 1, <LOD - 1981 and <LOD - 127 ng/L with particle number concentrations up to 108 particles per liter. Total metals concentrations were at least an order of magnitude higher, at concentrations in μg/L of 1–12 for Al, 2–13 for Fe, 0.3–11 Mn, 0.02–0.5 for Pb, 46 to 318 Si and 0.04–0.4 for Ti. A strong depth dependence was observed for both trace elements and particles with concentrations increasing with depth. Our results provide a baseline for the fjord and new data on environmental levels of both total metals and metal containing nanoparticles including the vertical and horizontal distribution of natural nanoparticlesVertical distribution of inorganic nanoparticles in a Norwegian fjordpublishedVersio

Distribution of silver in rats following 28 days of repeated oral exposure to silver nanoparticles or silver acetate

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The study investigated the distribution of silver after 28 days repeated oral administration of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and silver acetate (AgAc) to rats. Oral administration is a relevant route of exposure because of the use of silver nanoparticles in products related to food and food contact materials.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>AgNPs were synthesized with a size distribution of 14 ± 4 nm in diameter (90% of the nanoparticle volume) and stabilized in aqueous suspension by the polymer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The AgNPs remained stable throughout the duration of the 28-day oral toxicity study in rats. The organ distribution pattern of silver following administration of AgNPs and AgAc was similar. However the absolute silver concentrations in tissues were lower following oral exposure to AgNPs. This was in agreement with an indication of a higher fecal excretion following administration of AgNPs. Besides the intestinal system, the largest silver concentrations were detected in the liver and kidneys. Silver was also found in the lungs and brain. Autometallographic (AMG) staining revealed a similar cellular localization of silver in ileum, liver, and kidney tissue in rats exposed to AgNPs or AgAc.</p> <p>Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nanosized granules were detected in the ileum of animals exposed to AgNPs or AgAc and were mainly located in the basal lamina of the ileal epithelium and in lysosomes of macrophages within the lamina propria. Using energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy it was shown that the granules in lysosomes consisted of silver, selenium, and sulfur for both AgNP and AgAc exposed rats. The diameter of the deposited granules was in the same size range as that of the administered AgNPs. No silver granules were detected by TEM in the liver.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The results of the present study demonstrate that the organ distribution of silver was similar when AgNPs or AgAc were administered orally to rats. The presence of silver granules containing selenium and sulfur in the intestinal wall of rats exposed to either of the silver forms suggests a common mechanism of their formation. Additional studies however, are needed to gain further insight into the underlying mechanisms of the granule formation, and to clarify whether AgNPs dissolve in the gastrointestinal system and/or become absorbed and translocate as intact nanoparticles to organs and tissues.</p