1,026 research outputs found
Britain, Bulgaria and benefits:the political rhetoric of European (dis)integration
This chapter considers the political controversy in Britain over the lifting of restrictions of freedom of movement on European Union (EU) citizens from Bulgaria and Romania in January 2014. The response of the then Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government centred on altering the rules on the payment of welfare benefits to potential new EU immigrants such that they would not be entitled to claim these benefits for 3 months after entry to the United Kingdom. This policy led to a split in the coalition, with the Liberal Democrat leadership claiming that it was a panicked move by the majority Conservative coalition partner, and moreover that it was a blatant attempt to appeal the electorate in an effort to be seen to be doing something to stop the welfare benefit system from being abused by ‘foreigners’. The backdrop to this political fracas centred on the economic contribution of East European immigrants to Britain and the claim and counterclaim over the issues jobs, welfare benefits and services such as English language support in schools. These contentious issues are examined in terms of an analysis of online comments to posted in reaction to a political interview with Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat business secretary, who claimed that the Conservatives were attempting to placate public disquiet over immigration as a response to the rising popularity of the United Kingdom Independence Party
Personal health technologies, micropolitics and resistance: A new materialist analysis
Personal health technologies (PHTs) are near-body devices or applications designed for use
by a single individual, principally outside healthcare facilities. They enable users to monitor
physiological processes or body activity, are frequently communication-enabled, and
sometimes also intervene therapeutically. This paper explores a range of PHTs, from blood
pressure or blood glucose monitors purchased in pharmacies, fitness monitors such as FitBit
and Nike+ Fuelband, through to drug pumps and implantable medical devices. It applies a
new materialist analysis, first reverse engineering a range of PHTs to explore their
micropolitics, and then forward-engineering PHTs to meet, variously, public health,
corporate, patient and resisting-citizen agendas. The paper concludes with a critical
discussion of PHTs, and the possibilities of designing devices and apps that might foster a
subversive micropolitics and encourage collective and resisting ‘citizen-health’
Integrated use of local and technical soil quality indicators and participatory techniques to select them. A review of bib-liography and analysis of research strategies and outcomes
Climate change has strong impacts on soil conservation and agricultural productivity, with severe consequences on smallholders in developing countries, but virtually no research has been carried out so far on this issue. Therefore, it is necessary to foster the implementation of participatory projects to help communities deal with new difficulties. Sustainable soil management can reduce and even reverse land degradation, helping farmers to adapt to climate change effects. Pro-gress toward sustainability cannot be implemented in small rural communities regardless of local knowledge, which can be addressed using participatory techniques. To this purpose the choice and use of indicators is essential to carry out correct assessments of soil vulnerability integrating local and technical knowledge. The purpose of this review was to study how the problem of building a set of integrated indicators to assess soil quality has been addressed so far and which participatory techniques have been more successfully employed, analyzing studies carried out in rural communities of developing countries. We found out that there is a lack of participated studies dealing with environmental issues. Those that do so address them only indirectly, being centered on present agricultural problems. The studies rarely feature a collaboration with social science experts, consequently the use of participatory techniques lacks protocols and a standardized nomenclature to help in the transfer and generalization of experiences. Women are rarely involved and nearly exclusively in African countries: this could be related to social and cultural conditions, but needs more atten-tion. Different aspects need to be improved to help the implementation of a successful approach in future projects. This review provides a tool to facilitate future interdisciplinary research on integration of local and scientific knowledge and will help to devise more successful strategies to tackle the challenges posed by climate change to smallholders in developing countries
The sexuality-assemblages of young men: a new materialist analysis
This article presents a new materialist exploration of young men and sexuality that shifts the focus away from bodies and individuals, toward the affective flow within assemblages of bodies, things, ideas and social institutions, and the sexual capacities this flow produces. Using data from two empirical studies, we explore the sexuality assemblages of teen boys and young men, and the micropolitics of these assemblages. We find that the sexuality produced in the bodies of young men is highly territorialised and aggregated by various materialities. However, we also reveal how young men resist these conventional sexualities
Penrose Superradiance in Nonlinear Optics
Particles or waves scattered from a rotating black hole can be amplified
through the process of Penrose superradiance, though this cannot currently be
observed in an astrophysical setting. However, analogue gravity studies can
create generic rotating geometries exhibiting an ergoregion, and this led to
the first observation of Penrose superradiance as the over-reflection of water
waves from a rotating fluid vortex. Here we theoretically demonstrate that
Penrose superradiance arises naturally in the field of nonlinear optics. In
particular, we elucidate the mechanism by which a signal beam can experience
gain or amplification as it glances off a strong vortex pump beam in a
nonlinear defocusing medium. This involves the trapping of negative norm modes
in the core of the pump vortex, as predicted by Penrose, which in turn provides
a gain mechanism for the signal beam. Our results elucidate a new regime of
nonlinear optics involving the notion of an ergoregion, and provide further
insight into the processes involved in Penrose superradiance.Comment: 1 figure, 7 page
Epistemic roles of materiality within a collaborative invention project at a secondary school
In this study, we examined maker‐centred learning from an epistemic perspective, highlighting the agentic role of material engagement and artefacts in learning and creativity. The use of physical materials plays a crucial role in maker activities where the socio‐epistemic aspects of knowledge creation entangle with the designing and making of physical artefacts. By taking a case study perspective, we analysed video data from nine design sessions involving a team of students (aged 13 to 14) developing an invention. First, we analysed knowledge that was built during the process. Our analysis revealed how design ideas evolved from preliminary to final stages and, together with the expressed design problems and conversations preceding the ideas, formed an epistemic object pursued by the team. Next, we included non‐human agencies into the analysis to understand the role of materials in the process. Features of materials and human design intentions both constrained and enabled idea improvement and knowledge creation, intermixing meanings and materials. Material making invited the students to not only rely on human rationalisation, but also to think together with the materials.In this study, we examined maker-centred learning from an epistemic perspective, highlighting the agentic role of material engagement and artefacts in learning and creativity. The use of physical materials plays a crucial role in maker activities where the socio-epistemic aspects of knowledge creation entangle with the designing and making of physical artefacts. By taking a case study perspective, we analysed video data from nine design sessions involving a team of students (aged 13 to 14) developing an invention. First, we analysed knowledge that was built during the process. Our analysis revealed how design ideas evolved from preliminary to final stages and, together with the expressed design problems and conversations preceding the ideas, formed an epistemic object pursued by the team. Next, we included non-human agencies into the analysis to understand the role of materials in the process. Features of materials and human design intentions both constrained and enabled idea improvement and knowledge creation, intermixing meanings and materials. Material making invited the students to not only rely on human rationalisation, but also to think together with the materials.Peer reviewe
Amplification of electromagnetic waves by a rotating body
In 1971, Zel'dovich predicted the amplification of electromagnetic (EM) waves
scattered by a rotating metallic cylinder, gaining mechanical rotational energy
from the body. Since then, this phenomenon has been believed to be unobservable
with electromagnetic fields due to technological difficulties in meeting the
condition of amplification, that is, the cylinder must rotate faster than the
frequency of the incoming radiation. Here, we show that this key piece of
fundamental physics has been hiding in plain sight for the past 60 years in the
physics of induction generators. We measure the amplification of an
electromagnetic field, generated by a toroid LC-circuit, scattered by an
aluminium cylinder spinning in the toroid gap. We show that when the Zel'dovich
condition is met, the resistance induced by the cylinder becomes negative
implying amplification of the incoming EM waves. These results reveal the
connection between the concept of induction generators and the physics of this
fundamental effect that was believed to be unobservable, and hence open new
prospects towards testing the Zel'dovich mechanism in the quantum regime, as
well as related quantum friction effects.Comment: 5 pages and 3 figure plus supplementary fil
Nonlinear Gamow vectors in nonlocal optical propagation
Shock waves dominate in a wide variety of fields in physics dealing with nonlinear phenomena, nevertheless the description of their evolution is not resolved for the entire dynamics. Here we propose an analytical method based on Gamow vectors, which belong to irreversible quantum mechanics. We theoretically and experimentally show the appearance of these decaying states during shock evolution
allowing to describe the whole wave propagation. These results open new ways to the control of extreme nonlinear regimes such as supercontinuum generation or in the analogies of fundamental physical theories
Unusual clear cell variant of epithelioid mesothelioma
Clear cell mesothelioma is an extremely rare neoplasm of the pleura, which can easily be mistaken for a metastasis of clear cell carcinoma to the pleura. We report here the histochemical, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural aspects of a new case of clear cell pleural mesothelioma in a 52-year-old man with no known asbestos exposure. He was admitted to the hospital for recurrent pleural effusion, which was negative for neoplastic cells at the cytologic examination. A partial decortication of the right pleura was performed. The morphologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural features reported for this case are consistent with the diagnosis of clear cell mesothelioma. The differential diagnosis and immunohistochemical features in comparison with other clear cell neoplasms are discussed
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