Theorizing surveillance in the UK crime control field

Drawing upon the work of Pierre Bourdieu and Loic Wacquant, this paper argues that the demise of the Keynesian Welfare State (KWS) and the rise of neo-liberal economic policies in the UK has placed new surveillance technologies at the centre of a reconfigured “crime control field” (Garland, 2001) designed to control the problem populations created by neo-liberal economic policies (Wacquant, 2009a). The paper also suggests that field theory could be usefully deployed in future research to explore how wider global trends or social forces, such as neo-liberalism or bio-power, are refracted through the crime control field in different national jurisdictions. We conclude by showing how this approach provides a bridge between society-wide analysis and micro-sociology by exploring how the operation of new surveillance technologies is mediated by the “habitus” of surveillance agents working in the crime control field and contested by surveillance subjects

The social impact of surveillance in three UK schools : 'angels', 'devils' and 'teen mums'

Drawing upon the preliminary findings of a broader ESRC-funded project on the 'surveilled', this paper examines the social impact of 'new surveillance' technologies on the lives of school children living in a Northern City. We conducted fifteen one-hour 'focus groups' with eighty-five 13 to 16 year-old children in three schools. The pupils were asked a range of questions designed to document their awareness, experience and response to 'surveillance' as 'school children', but also as 'regular citizens' going about their business 'outside' of the school. We show how children's experience and response to surveillance varies across 'social positionings' of class and gender, before going on to discuss the implications of our findings for the major theoretical debates on surveillance

A Family and Community Variable Prediction Model for NJ ASK Mathematics Sixth and Seventh Grade Assessments Results: The Impact on School Evaluation

This study examined the predictive accuracy of family and community demographic variables found in the U.S. Census data on the percentage of students at the school level who scored Proficient or above on the NJ ASK 6 and 7 Mathematics section when controlling for teacher mobility and level of teacher education. Analysis included simultaneous multiple linear regression and hierarchical linear regression. This study looked at 100% of the New Jersey school districts with complete sets of 2010 NJ ASK 6 and 7 data and 2010 census data and tested at least 25 students in each grade level. Only schools servicing Grades 6 and 7 students from their hometown were included to maintain clean demographic data. The results of this study revealed that 67% of school level 2010 NJ ASK 6 Math scores could be predicted within 10 points by looking solely at three out-of-school community variables. The results of this study also revealed that 72% of school level 2010 NJ ASK 7 Math scores could be predicted within 10 points by looking solely at three out-of-school community variables. This research study contributes to the limited but growing body of knowledge indicating inadequacy of the use of state standardized assessments as the sole measure of student achievement

Delineation of RAID1, the RACK1 interaction domain located within the unique N-terminal region of the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase, PDE4D5

Background The cyclic AMP specific phosphodiesterase, PDE4D5 interacts with the β-propeller protein RACK1 to form a signaling scaffold complex in cells. Two-hybrid analysis of truncation and mutant constructs of the unique N-terminal region of the cAMP-specific phosphodiesterase, PDE4D5 were used to define a domain conferring interaction with the signaling scaffold protein, RACK1. Results Truncation and mutagenesis approaches showed that the RACK1-interacting domain on PDE4D5 comprised a cluster of residues provided by Asn-22/Pro-23/Trp-24/Asn-26 together with a series of hydrophobic amino acids, namely Leu-29, Val-30, Leu-33, Leu-37 and Leu-38 in a 'Leu-Xaa-Xaa-Xaa-Leu' repeat. This was done by 2-hybrid analyses and then confirmed in biochemical pull down analyses using GST-RACK1 and mutant PDE4D5 forms expressed in COS cells. Mutation of Arg-34, to alanine, in PDE4D5 attenuated its interaction with RACK1 both in 2-hybrid screens and in pull down analyses. A 38-mer peptide, whose sequence reflected residues 12 through 49 of PDE4D5, bound to RACK1 with similar affinity to native PDE4D5 itself (Ka circa 6 nM). Conclusions The RACK1 Interaction Domain on PDE4D5, that we here call RAID1, is proposed to form an amphipathic helical structure that we suggest may interact with the C-terminal β-propeller blades of RACK1 in a manner akin to the interaction of the helical G-γ signal transducing protein with the β-propeller protein, G-β

“Frustrated” Lewis Pairs: Applications in olefin polymerization and small molecule activation

Recent work in the Stephan Group has identified the concept of frustrated Lewis pairs, in which traditional Lewis acid-base adducts of sterically demanding phosphines and the borane, B(C6F5)3 are not formed and alternative reactivity can occur. Compounds derived from frustrated Lewis pair chemistry have been investigated as novel co-catalysts for ethylene polymerization. The phosphonium borates of the form, [HPR3][B(C6F5)4], [R2PHC6F4BF(C6F5) 2] and [R2PHC4H8OB(C6F 5)3], have been shown to be effective protic activators for the generation of electrophilic cationic Ti metal centers of the form, [CpTiMe(NP tBu3)]. The derivatization of the perfluoroaryl-linked phosphonium borates to form the perfluoroaryl-link phosphino-boranes of the form, R2PC6F4B(C6F5) 2, provides a unique family of potential Lewis acidic co-catalysts. These compounds were found to be excellent co-catalysts, as the interaction of the Lewis basic phosphine with the cationic Ti center increases ion-pair separation, resulting in a more active catalytic system. Investigations of Lewis basic phosphine additives to the polymerization of ethylene using CpTiMe(NPtBu3)/B(C 6F5)3 systems resulted in the observation that the addition of sterically bulky phosphines, such as PtBu 3 and PCy3, increased the observed polymerization activity. It has been proposed that this phenomenon is a result of the greater ion-pair separation, due to interaction of the phosphine with the Ti metal center. This provides a novel way to view the active catalyst system and the methods involved with enhancement and activity optimization. The synthesis of the sterically bulky phosphine-functionalized monomers, tBu2P(CH2)3CHCH2, and the polymerization of these monomers was investigated. The phosphine functionalized monomer was co-polymerized with 1-hexene, albeit in low percent yield and low incorporation of the functionality. Investigations of the potential inhibition pathways indicated that the co-polymerizations and homo-polymerizations of the phosphine-functionalized monomers are inhibited by reactivity with the co-catalyst, intermolecular coordination of the phosphine functionality, and intramolecular coordination of the phosphine. Sterically frustrated Lewis pairs of bulky phosphines and the borane, B(C6F5)3 exhibit unprecedented reactivity with olefins, affording both intermolecular additions as well as intramolecular cyclizations. The expansion of the reactivity of the olefin activation is hindered by the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions. These studies demonstrate the application of the concept of frustrated Lewis Pairs to the polymerization and activation of olefins

Beyond the ‘all seeing eye’: Filipino migrant domestic workers’ contestation of care and control in Hong Kong

This paper draws on ethnographic data about Filipino migrant domestic workers’ perceptions of and responses to the use of surveillance cameras in the home to intervene in recent debates about surveillance, care and social control. On the one hand, our participants disclose what following Gary Marx (1981) we refer to as the gendered ironies of care and control. Digital surveillance practices in the home not only produce tactics for evading control but also reduce the capacity of migrant workers to deliver the best possible care that is ostensibly the basis for the deployment of new forms of watching. On the other hand, the responses we document here speak to critiques of the Foucauldian vision of surveillance derived from the panopticon that are ‘abstract, disembodied and distrustful’. In contrast to the Benthamite reading of God’s all seeing eye, Filipino migrant workers invoke a relational vision which speaks to connectedness, trust and the possibility of mutual concern. While the use of covert surveillance cameras especially was perceived as undermining the trust necessary for care relationships, some respondents used the devices to provoke face to face encounters deemed necessary to re-establish relations of trust

Validation of the foot profile score

Background: There are numerous static measures of foot posture but there is no published score of dynamic foot motion. Three-dimensional gait analysis can include a multi-segment foot model like the Oxford Foot Model (OFM) to comprehensively quantify foot kinematic deviations across the gait cycle but it lacks an overall score, like the Gait Profile score (GPS), used to summarize the quality of lower extremity motion. Research question: This paper introduces the Foot Profile Score (FPS), a single number, analogous to the GPS but based on kinematic data of the OFM. The aim of this study is to validate the FPS by studying its properties and design, and analyse it against a clinical assessment of foot deformity. Methods: Concurrent validity was established for the FPS analysing the relationship with Clinical Foot Deformity Score (CFDS) in 60 subjects with a condition affecting the lower limbs globally Content validity was established for the six Foot Variable Scores (FVS) that make up the FPS using a multiple regression of the CFDS on the 6 FVS in the 60 subjects. Predictive validity was established analysing the relationship of the FPS and GPS comparing 60 global involvement subjects with 60 subjects with isolated foot deformity. Results: Pearson correlation between the FPS and CFDS was significant at 0.62 (p &lt; 0.001). Each element of FVS contributes positively to predicting the CFDS with R2 = 0.456 (p &lt; 0.001). FPS contributed independently to the prediction of CFDS (t = 3.9, p &lt; 0.001). The correlation between the GPS and FPS in the global involvement group was significant at r = 0.64 (p &lt; 0.001), while there was no correlation found with r = 0.08 (p = 0.54) in the foot deformity group. Significance: The FPS is the first validated score of dynamic foot motion.</p

Investigating the public response to local government decisions to reduce or remove public library services

This paper presents new findings regarding the public response to public spending cuts as part of the UK Government fiscal consolidation programme, specifically to the perceived effects of reduced library opening hours on the public library user in a city in the North of England. An inductive approach was taken to the mixed methods study, using a self-completion, cross-sectional survey distributed to adults visiting one of three libraries in the city during a 6-day period. Qualitative and quantitative data analyses indicate a shared level of dissatisfaction with the service reductions across the respondents, and a shared perception of having been adversely affected. Statistical analyses revealed a strong level of agreement that the changes had a significantly negative impact on different aspects of respondents’ lives. The research evidences the direct effects of service reductions on library users, as well as the wider social and economic implications