The politics of unemployment in Europe

In outlining the priorities for the EU at the Florence Summit in June 1996 the President of the Commission Jacques Santer echoed the view of the late Froncois Mitterand and suggested that reducing unemployment had to become the major policy objective for the Union. Mitterand believed that enthusiasm for the principles of the EU was in decline and had to be regained. Reducing unemployment was therefore essential if the EU was to be of direct relevance to the people of the EU. However, there are major disagreements between the EU strategy for reducing unemployment and that being preferred by nation states. Even at the conference in Florence for example the President of the Commission failed to get agreement to use the projected underspend from agriculture for infrastructure projects, instead nation states preferred to use the funds to reduce their own national public sector deficits. The UK Prime Minister John Major, speaking to The Turning Back Group Conservatives on 3 February 1995 echoed the objectives the Governor of the Bank England. The latter ahd suggested that the EMU criteria which tended to concentrate on monetary policy had also to include unemployment as a condition for economic convergence. Whilst the levels of unemployment do represent a major policy challenge to Europe the central concern of this chapter is whether unemployment as an issue is likely to become a major political priority for Europe in the 1990s. It the unemployed are not to become a major social excluded category from European citizenship the objective of reducing unemployment must become a major policy objective for Europe.peer-reviewe

Aboriginal resistance: a study of its social roots and organisations

An attempt is made here to suggest how and why Aboriginal resistance is, socially defined, constructed, and organised. It is argued that from both a historical and current perspective, resistance has evolved out of a social need to preserve (traditional) or rediscover (urban-based) Aboriginal values and institutions. With a stress on inter-connectedness, the main concepts and institutions that are discussed include "My Country", "Community", and "Dreamtime". It Is shown that Aboriginal resistance has been directed against colonial authority which, from the initial stages of contact to the present day, has attempted to destroy and undermine Aboriginal social life

Metabolomic investigations into human apocrine sweat secretions

Human axillary odour is formed by the action of Corynebacteria or Stephyloccui bacteria on odourless axilla sections. Several groups have identified axillary odorants, including 3-methyl-2-hexanoic acid (3M2H) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-hexenoic acid (HMHA), and how they are pre-formed and bound to amino acid conjugates. However, there is currently a lack of LC-MS methodologies and no reported NMR methods, that are required to further identify the non-volatile constituents, which would provide further information to allow understanding of the underlying physiological biochemistry of malodour. This work has incorporated a three-pronged approach. Firstly, a global strategy, through the use of NMR and LC-MS, provided a complementary unbiased overview of the metabolite composition. Metabolites were identified based on acquired standards, accurate mass and through the use of in-house or online databases. Furthermore, spectra of biological samples are inherently complex, thus, requiring a multivariate data analysis (MVDA) approach to extract the latent chemical information in the data. Secondly, semi-targeted LC-MS/MS methodologies has been used to identify metabolites with a common structural core (i.e. odour precursors) and provide structural information for the reliable identification of known and unknown metabolites. Finally, a targeted LC-MSIMS method provided an increase in specificity and sensitivity to accurately quantify known metabolites of interest (odour precursors). Initially, all methodologies were developed through the use of either an artificial sweat matrix (global strategy) or through the use of synthetic standards (semi-targeted or targeted strategy). The sample complexity was then increased by applying the methodologies to an ASG5 apocrine cell line, in order to provide further knowledge into apocrine cell metabolism and to identify whether there could be any potential male or female differences due to differences in circulating hormones. Changes in the cell metabolism were identified, and both the NMR and LC-MS data could differentiate between control, tamoxifen- and β-estradiol-treated. However, it is difficult to attribute these changes to specific pathways, as these hormones or the vehicle used (ethanol) are likely to produce a ripple effect across the cell's metabolism. Nonetheless, NMR spectroscopy quantified 25 metabolites with lactate being the most abundant at 19.1 mM, while HILIC-MS could detect a range of lipids, nucleotides, amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins. The methodologies were then applied to human apocrine sweat collected from six volunteers across five days. NMR spectroscopy was able to identify 25 and quantify 19 metabolites, with lactate being the most abundant at 13.2 mM. LC-MS/MS readily identified 12 amino acid conjugates with HMHA being the most abundant. Furthermore, a possible 20 unidentified conjugates were detected (LC-MSIMS semi-targeted methodologies) as well as putatively identifying 473 metabolites (LC-MS global methodologies). MVDA techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated that intra-individual variation was greater than inter-individual variation, as well as secretions from both the left and right arm being consistent with one another. Moreover, MVDA illustrated the complementary nature of both NMR and MS, as the data acquired with the two types of instrumentation showed the same trends, even though these trends were based on different subsets of metabolites. The work presented herein, has successfully used a number of analytical technologies to investigate metabolite content of human apocrine sweat. It has been shown that a number of complementary techniques and multivariate analysis can provide a valuable insight into the underlying physiology of malodour. This work was funded by BBSRC and Unilever (Port Sunlight, UK)

Treadle Driven Lathe

The main objective of this senior design project was to design and build a treadle-driven, metal-cutting lathe that has the ability to cut 3/4 diameter material and produce small parts up to 3 long. The main challenge in this project was to successfully generate enough power through the treadle driven system to successfully cut metal at the proper specifications, while simultaneously meeting all of the user-needs. The entire system needed to be operated and pedaled by a single person, which put constraints on the location of the treadle relative to the lathe itself so the user could comfortably operate both at the same time. Furthermore, in order to generate adequate power and RPM to cut metal, implementing an energy-storage element to the treadle system was crucial. A heavy flywheel (salvaged from an old exercise bike) was the main source of energy storage in the system. The flywheel, coupled with a drive-wheel and a proper gear ratio proved to generate enough power to drive the system. To further aid the user, especially when initially pedaling the treadle to get started, springs were added at the pivot point of the pedal to help the treadle make full revolutions while getting up to speed. Wood and metal supports were placed in critical locations in order to reduce vibrations and increase the structural rigidity of the system in order to withstand the continual input forces from the user. Once the treadle-driven lathe was in working condition, the last step was to ensure that the lathe could operate at multiple speeds, which was achieved. We were successfully able to meet all of our key design metrics and user needs

Status, security and change: An ethnographic study of caste, class and religion in rural Rajasthan.

Based on 17 months ethnographic research carried out in a medium sized village in North West Rajasthan, this thesis explores the relationship between status, security and social change in a context of extreme economic uncertainty. Through changes in tenancy laws, the redistribution of land after the abolition of Zamindars in the 1950s, the withdrawal of high castes from the village, success through affirmative action policies, and caste mobilisation via Sanskritisation an extended family of the untouchable leatherworking caste Meghval in the village of Mudharamsar have risen to be the new village elites. Their unusual position as wealthy landowners and political agents has caused conflicts, alternative commensalities, and 're-traditionalised' practices amongst other villagers. This was further exacerbated by the temporary closure of mines in the area that provided the bulk of employment for other villagers causing many of the lower castes to search for alternative means of income and status-making. Some returned to their traditional caste occupations, others organised as a 'labour class' and Meghvals drew on kinship obligations in search of solidarity and security. I argue that social mobility and change amongst the rural poor involves both confluence and variance of what Betielle (1974) termed the 'ideas of caste' and the 'interests of class' underpinning agrarian relations. In doing so, I extend Beteille's analysis to situate my informants' ideas of caste, class and religion within their broader interests in constructing, claiming and using identity and status as mechanisms for coping with economic uncertainty, social change and inequality. I highlight the contradictions between normative ideals concerning caste, kinship and religion on the one hand, and changing class and power relations on the other. I am concerned to look at the spaces between these oppositions wherein alternative discourses and identities are generated, which at times bring unlikely actors together and at others reaffirm pre-existing relations

Metabolomic investigations into human apocrine sweat secretions

Human axillary odour is formed by the action of Corynebacteria or Stephyloccui bacteria on odourless axilla sections. Several groups have identified axillary odorants, including 3-methyl-2-hexanoic acid (3M2H) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-hexenoic acid (HMHA), and how they are pre-formed and bound to amino acid conjugates. However, there is currently a lack of LC-MS methodologies and no reported NMR methods, that are required to further identify the non-volatile constituents, which would provide further information to allow understanding of the underlying physiological biochemistry of malodour. This work has incorporated a three-pronged approach. Firstly, a global strategy, through the use of NMR and LC-MS, provided a complementary unbiased overview of the metabolite composition. Metabolites were identified based on acquired standards, accurate mass and through the use of in-house or online databases. Furthermore, spectra of biological samples are inherently complex, thus, requiring a multivariate data analysis (MVDA) approach to extract the latent chemical information in the data. Secondly, semi-targeted LC-MS/MS methodologies has been used to identify metabolites with a common structural core (i.e. odour precursors) and provide structural information for the reliable identification of known and unknown metabolites. Finally, a targeted LC-MSIMS method provided an increase in specificity and sensitivity to accurately quantify known metabolites of interest (odour precursors). Initially, all methodologies were developed through the use of either an artificial sweat matrix (global strategy) or through the use of synthetic standards (semi-targeted or targeted strategy). The sample complexity was then increased by applying the methodologies to an ASG5 apocrine cell line, in order to provide further knowledge into apocrine cell metabolism and to identify whether there could be any potential male or female differences due to differences in circulating hormones. Changes in the cell metabolism were identified, and both the NMR and LC-MS data could differentiate between control, tamoxifen- and β-estradiol-treated. However, it is difficult to attribute these changes to specific pathways, as these hormones or the vehicle used (ethanol) are likely to produce a ripple effect across the cell's metabolism. Nonetheless, NMR spectroscopy quantified 25 metabolites with lactate being the most abundant at 19.1 mM, while HILIC-MS could detect a range of lipids, nucleotides, amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins. The methodologies were then applied to human apocrine sweat collected from six volunteers across five days. NMR spectroscopy was able to identify 25 and quantify 19 metabolites, with lactate being the most abundant at 13.2 mM. LC-MS/MS readily identified 12 amino acid conjugates with HMHA being the most abundant. Furthermore, a possible 20 unidentified conjugates were detected (LC-MSIMS semi-targeted methodologies) as well as putatively identifying 473 metabolites (LC-MS global methodologies). MVDA techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) illustrated that intra-individual variation was greater than inter-individual variation, as well as secretions from both the left and right arm being consistent with one another. Moreover, MVDA illustrated the complementary nature of both NMR and MS, as the data acquired with the two types of instrumentation showed the same trends, even though these trends were based on different subsets of metabolites. The work presented herein, has successfully used a number of analytical technologies to investigate metabolite content of human apocrine sweat. It has been shown that a number of complementary techniques and multivariate analysis can provide a valuable insight into the underlying physiology of malodour. This work was funded by BBSRC and Unilever (Port Sunlight, UK)