A Cultural Criminology of ‘New’ Jihad: Insights from Propaganda Magazines

The backgrounds and modus operandi of more recent jihadi terrorists tend to share factors and characteristics more typically associated with non-political violence such as mass- killings and gang violence. Their attacks, moreover, seem to have been precipitated not by the direct instructions of a formal hierarchy but by the encouragement of propaganda produced and disseminated by networked, media-savvy terrorist groups. It is necessary to explain how these ‘recruitment’ efforts work. Cultural criminology with its understanding of the relationship between mediated meaning and individual experience, can provide such an analysis. The paper presents a qualitative document analysis of 32 propaganda magazines produced by the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. It demonstrates that they contain significantly more than religious rhetoric and military strategy. Rather, they are part of a process that crystalizes a jihadi subculture that appeals to disaffected and/or marginalized, excitement- seeking youths. The magazines cultivate violence by constructing a militarized style that celebrates outlaw status, where violence is eroticized and aestheticized. They idealize the notion of a jihadi terrorist that is tough and willing to commit brutal violence. The lifestyle portrayed offers the possibility of heroism, excitement, belonging and imminent fame, themes often espoused by conventional, Western consumer culture. The magazines occasionally draw on street jargon, urban music, fashion, films and video games. The subcultural model of jihadi propaganda we explicate provides a novel way of understanding terrorist recruiting tactics and motivations that are not necessarily in opposition to contemporary conventional criminal and ‘mainstream’ cultures, but in resonance with them

Crossing conditions in coupled cluster theory

We derive the crossing conditions at conical intersections between electronic states in coupled cluster theory, and show that if the coupled cluster Jacobian matrix is nondefective, two (three) independent conditions are correctly placed on the nuclear degrees of freedom for an inherently real (complex) Hamiltonian. Calculations using coupled cluster theory on an $2 {^{1}}A' / 3 {^{1}}A'$ conical intersection in hypofluorous acid illustrate the nonphysical artifacts associated with defects at accidental same-symmetry intersections. In particular, the observed intersection seam is folded about a space of the correct dimensionality, indicating that minor modifications to the theory are required for it to provide a correct description of conical intersections in general. We find that an accidental symmetry allowed $1 {^{1}}A" / 2 {^{1}}A"$ intersection in hydrogen sulfide is properly described, showing no artifacts as well as linearity of the energy gap to first order in the branching plane.Comment: 9 pages and 4 figure

Combined observational and modeling based study of the aerosol indirect effect

International audienceThe indirect effect of aerosols via liquid clouds is investigated by comparing aerosol and cloud characteristics from the Global Climate Model CAM-Oslo to those observed by the MODIS instrument onboard the TERRA and AQUA satellites http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov). The comparison is carried out for 15 selected regions ranging from remote and clean to densely populated and polluted. For each region, the regression coefficient and correlation coefficient for the following parameters are calculated: Aerosol Optical Depth vs. Liquid Cloud Optical Thickness, Aerosol Optical Depth vs. Liquid Cloud Droplet Effective Radius and Aerosol Optical Depth vs. Cloud Liquid Water Path. Modeled and observed correlation coefficients and regression coefficients are then compared for a 3-year period starting in January 2001. Additionally, global maps for a number of aerosol and cloud parameters crucial for the understanding of the aerosol indirect effect are compared for the same period of time. Significant differences are found between MODIS and CAM-Oslo both in the regional and global comparison. However, both the model and the observations show a positive correlation between Aerosol Optical Depth and Cloud Optical Depth in practically all regions and for all seasons, in agreement with the current understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions. The correlation between Aerosol Optical Depth and Liquid Cloud Droplet Effective Radius is variable both in the model and the observations. However, the model reports the expected negative correlation more often than the MODIS data. Aerosol Optical Depth is overall positively correlated to Cloud Liquid Water Path both in the model and the observations, with a few regional exceptions

Effects of Non-Verbal Communication Cues on Decisions and Confidence of Drivers at an Uncontrolled Intersection

Drivers read other drivers’ intentions using various non-verbal communication cues in situations where traffic regulations play only a limited role. Although such communication is important to reach safe joint actions with other driver(s), effects of communication have not been fully understood. The objective of this study was to understand effects of communication cues on driver’s decisions and confidence. Straight-cross-path and left-turn scenarios around an uncontrolled intersection were studied in an interview-based experiment using 65 subjects. The subject’s car approached the intersection while another car was approaching the same intersection and sent communication cues consisting of various combinations of vehicle behaviors (constant speed, speeding up, and slowing down) and hand gestures (meaning “Go ahead” and “Stop”). Computer animations of the scenarios were presented to the subjects and terminated before the two cars reached the intersection. The subjects rated yielding frequency and confidence level for each cue combination in each scenario. The results showed that the vehicle behaviors and the hand gestures affected subjects’ yielding frequencies and confidence levels. The cues also interacted with the priority rule in the left turn scenarios. The hand gestures were especially effective to consolidate subjects’ decisions to yield or go with confidence when the priority rule was ineffective (i.e. in the straight-cross-path scenarios). The hand gestures were also effective to change the yielding frequencies to accept the cues conflicting with the effective priority rule (i.e. in the left-turn scenarios). Some requirements and recommendations for autonomous vehicle were discussed

At the Start of the Sarcomere: A Previously Unrecognized Role for Myosin Chaperones and Associated Proteins during Early Myofibrillogenesis

The development of striated muscle in vertebrates requires the assembly of contractile myofibrils, consisting of highly ordered bundles of protein filaments. Myofibril formation occurs by the stepwise addition of complex proteins, a process that is mediated by a variety of molecular chaperones and quality control factors. Most notably, myosin of the thick filament requires specialized chaperone activity during late myofibrillogenesis, including that of Hsp90 and its cofactor, Unc45b. Unc45b has been proposed to act exclusively as an adaptor molecule, stabilizing interactions between Hsp90 and myosin; however, recent discoveries in zebrafish and C. elegans suggest the possibility of an earlier role for Unc45b during myofibrillogenesis. This role may involve functional control of nonmuscle myosins during the earliest stages of myogenesis, when premyofibril scaffolds are first formed from dynamic cytoskeletal actin. This paper will outline several lines of evidence that converge to build a model for Unc45b activity during early myofibrillogenesis

Optical properties in the UV and visible spectral region of organic acids relevant to tropospheric aerosols

International audienceRefractive and absorption indices in the UV and visible region of selected aqueous organic acids relevant to tropospheric aerosols are reported. The acids investigated are the aliphatic dicarboxylic acids oxalic, malonic, tartronic, succinic and glutaric acid. In addition we report data for pyruvic, pinonic, benzoic and phthalic acid. To cover a wide range of conditions we have investigated the aqueous organic acids at different concentrations spanning from highly diluted samples to concentrations close to saturation. The density of the investigated samples is reported and a parameterisation of the absorption and refractive index that allows the calculation of the optical constants of mixed aqueous organic acids at different concentrations is presented. The single scattering albedo is calculated for two size distributions using measured and a synthetic set of optical constants. The results show that tropospheric aerosols consisting of only these organic acids and water have a pure scattering effect

Effects of 9-hour time zone changes on fatigue and circadian rhythms of sleep/wake and core temperature

Physiological and psychological disruptions caused by transmeridian flights may affect the ability of flight crews to meet operational demands. To study these effects, 9 Royal Norwegian Airforces P3-Orion crewmembers flew from Norway to California (-9 hr), and back (+9 hr). Rectal temperature, heart rate and wrist activity were recorded every 2 min, fatigue and mood were rated every 2 hr during the waking day, and logs were kept of sleep times and ratings. Subjects also completed 4 personality inventories. The time-zone shifts produced negative changes in mood which persisted longer after westward flights. Sleep quality (subjective and objective) and duration were slightly disrupted (more after eastward flights). The circadian rhythms of sleep/wake and temperature both completed the 9-hr delay by day 5 in California, although temperature adjusted more slowly. The size of the delay shift was significantly correlated with scores on extraversion and achievement need personality scales. Response to the 9-hr advance were more variable. One subject exhibited a 15-hr delay in his temperature rhythm, and an atypical sleep/nap pattern. On average, the sleep/wake cycle (but not the temperature rhythm), completed the 9-hr advance by the end of the study. Both rhythms adapted more slowly after the eastward flight