Rural Masculinity and Antique Tractors: Reliving the Men in the Machines

As the economic contexts of farming change, occupational supports for the maintenance of traditional rural masculinities diminish. When these past identities remain salient, identity discontinuity can occur and alternative mechanisms of support may be sought. Nostalgic remembrances may serve to reduce such discontinuity. The current inquiry explores antique tractor collecting as a means of restoring traditional rural masculinities. Data were collected through observations at antique tractor shows, interviews with collectors, and examination of the contents of collecting-related periodicals and other publications. Data reveal three unique ways in which tractor collecting allows for more full re-enactment of past masculinities. Symbolically anthropomorphizing these tractors with unique identities, in turn, allows for the symbolic reliving of work experiences by restoring and utilizing the tractors. Finally, shows recreate a supportive community for these masculinities. Implications for antique tractor collecting as a mechanism of support for traditional rural masculinities are discussed

Rural Masculinity and Antique Tractors: Reliving the Men in the Machines

As the economic contexts of farming change, occupational supports for the maintenance of traditional rural masculinities diminish. When these past identities remain salient, identity discontinuity can occur and alternative mechanisms of support may be sought. Nostalgic remembrances may serve to reduce such discontinuity. The current inquiry explores antique tractor collecting as a means of restoring traditional rural masculinities. Data were collected through observations at antique tractor shows, interviews with collectors, and examination of the contents of collecting-related periodicals and other publications. Data reveal three unique ways in which tractor collecting allows for more full re-enactment of past masculinities. Symbolically anthropomorphizing these tractors with unique identities, in turn, allows for the symbolic reliving of work experiences by restoring and utilizing the tractors. Finally, shows recreate a supportive community for these masculinities. Implications for antique tractor collecting as a mechanism of support for traditional rural masculinities are discussed

Alternative redox systems for the dye-sensitized solar cell

Due to their high efficiencies and their potentially low production costs, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) have attracted much attention during the last few years. The technology is based on a layer made of mesoscopic TiO2 film which significantly increases the optical path for light harvesting by the surface-anchored sensitizer molecules, whilst keeping an efficient contact with the electrolytic solution. These sensitizer molecules are often based on ruthenium polypyridyl complexes because of their high absorption coefficients in the visible, but any dye could be used to sensitize the semiconducting TiO2. The standard DSSC usually contain organic electrolytes with dissolved triiodide/iodide as the redox couple. Cells based on alternative electrolytes have been developed and were used in early DSSC designs, but showed somehow deceiving photovoltaic performances. Until now, endeavors to increase the photovoltage of dye-sensitized nanocrystalline cells by replacing iodide by a one-electron, outer-sphere redox couple with a more positive oxidation potential have not succeeded. This has been largely due to limitations imposed by the dark current and the slow diffusion of the alternate mediator. The work presented here focused on finding efficient alternative redox couples for the DSSC, able to rival the classical triiodide/iodide couple. The tested compounds were triarylamines, platinum complexes and cobalt complexes. Triarylamines and platinum complexes proved considerably less effective than the classical couple in term of photoelectrochemical efficiencies. Cobalt complexes however displayed far more interesting behavior. The experiments carried out demonstrated that the [Co(bip)2]3+/2+ complexes were the most suitable candidates to be used as redox mediators as their photoelectrochemical and kinetic behavior rivaled those of the triiodide/iodide redox couple. The system however had to be optimized to reach high efficiencies. Heteroleptic dyes incorporating long alkyl chains were found to be the most appropriate category of dye, boosting further the DSSC efficiency by reducing the dark current within the cells. Co-grafting the sensitizer and co-adsorbent led to an improved photovoltaic efficiency through the increased photocurrent. Silver addition in the dye solution also leads to a global improvement of the photovoltaic parameters. To avoid diffusion problems with the large molecules in the electrolyte, very thin nanocrystalline TiO2 layers had to be employed. A 3 μm thick nanoporous layer with a 3 μm scattering layer was found to be optimal. As cobalt complexes may undergo electrochemical processes on the SnO2 layer of the photoelectrode, a blocking layer of compact TiO2 was used to reduce the dark current. The electrochemical regeneration of the cobalt complexes with the SnO2 is not fast enough to support cell function and the counter electrode must be covered either with platinum or gold layer to ensure a good fill factor. The optimization of the electrolyte itself mainly concerned the choice of the solvent, the redox mediator concentration, the best degree of oxidation, the additives that can be used to improve the photovoltaic parameters and finally how to increase the redox couple solubility. The best efficiencies were achieved with an acetonitrile/ethylene carbonate (2:3) solvent mixture, with a total redox mediator concentration between 0.10 to 0.15 M. If 10% of this total concentration is oxidized, the current density reaches its maximum whilst having a negligible effect on the photovoltage. 4-tert-butylpyridine (TBP) and lithium perchlorate were tried as additives in the electrolyte, as TBP increases the photovoltage and Li+ the photocurrent. The optimal concentrations of these two additives was found to be around 0.05 M TBP and 0.1 M LiClO4 for an electrolyte having a total cobalt complex concentration of 0.1 M. Mass-transport within the cell is the limiting factor for high currents when using cobalt complexes as redox mediators. Attempts to reduce the solvent viscosity by using alternative solvents to the acetonitrile/ethylene carbonate mixture were not successful. One way to solve the diffusion problem was to irradiate the cell from the counter electrode side. This method works well at high irradiation intensities. Finally, reduction of the distance between the electrodes also enhances diffusion. The use of [Co(bip)2]3+/2+ complexes, with appropriate dyes and taking into account the optimizations already described above, allowed efficiencies of 8% under an irradiance of 95 W · m-2, as well as IPCEs over 80% at 540 nm to be obtained. At full sun, efficiencies of over 4% were reached, with short circuit current densities of 9.5 mA · cm-2 and open circuit voltages of the order of 860 mV

Investigating Tropical Cyclone-Climate Feedbacks Using the TRMM Microwave Imager and the Quick Scatterometer

Sea surface temperature (SST) and near-surface winds from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) and the Quick Scatterometer (QuikScat) are used to calculate globally integrated tropical cyclone-induced SST anomalies and power dissipation (PD). We estimate tropical cyclone-induced upper ocean cooling to be ∼35% higher than our previous estimates based on reanalyzed ERA40 and NCEP surface data. Annually averaged, global PD estimates from TMI are ∼5 × 1019 J for the years 1998 to 2006 (roughly 30% greater than ERA40 PD for overlapping years). QuikScat PD is estimated to be ∼1.7 × 1020 J for the years 2000 to 2006. On the basis of these results, we conclude that the cyclone-induced cooling signal appears to be underrepresented in ERA40 and NCEP reanalysis, as postulated in recent observational and modeling studies. Furthermore, we observe a strong positive relationship between PD and ocean surface cooling, providing further evidence for the likelihood of cyclone-induced climatic feedbacks. These results support the hypothesis that tropical cyclones play an active role in the tropical surface ocean heat budget by cooling the tropical upper oceans through enhanced vertical mixing, which likely represents a net warming beneath the oceanic mixed layer. Thus, to the degree that vertical mixing is important for regulating the ocean\u27s meridional overturning circulation and poleward heat transport, tropical cyclones may be an important contributor to Earth\u27s climate system. This further confirms the results of Emanuel (2001, 2002) and Sriver and Huber (2007b) that possible future changes in integrated cyclone intensity associated with warmer SST may provide possible climatic feedbacks through enhanced vertical mixing and increased ocean heat transport, thus buffering the tropics to increased temperatures while amplifying the warming at higher latitudes

Influence of Sea-Ice Anomalies on Antarctic Precipitation Using Source Attribution in the Community Earth System Model

We conduct sensitivity experiments using a general circulation model that has an explicit water source tagging capability forced by prescribed composites of pre-industrial sea-ice concentrations (SICs) and corresponding sea surface temperatures (SSTs) to understand the impact of sea-ice anomalies on regional evaporation, moisture transport and sourcereceptor relationships for Antarctic precipitation in the absence of anthropogenic forcing. Surface sensible heat fluxes, evaporation and column-integrated water vapor are larger over Southern Ocean (SO) areas with lower SICs. Changes in Antarctic precipitation and its source attribution with SICs have a strong spatial variability. Among the tagged source regions, the Southern Ocean (south of 50 S) contributes the most (40 %) to the Antarctic total precipitation, followed by more northerly ocean basins, most notably the South Pacific Ocean (27%), southern Indian Ocean (16 %) and South Atlantic Ocean (11 %). Comparing two experiments prescribed with high and low pre-industrial SICs, respectively, the annual mean Antarctic precipitation is about 150 Gt yr1 (or 6 %) more in the lower SIC case than in the higher SIC case. This difference is larger than the model-simulated interannual variability in Antarctic precipitation (99 Gt yr1). The contrast in contribution from the Southern Ocean, 102 Gt yr1, is even more significant compared to the interannual variability of 35 Gt yr1 in Antarctic precipitation that originates from the Southern Ocean. The horizontal transport pathways from individual vapor source regions to Antarctica are largely determined by large-scale atmospheric circulation patterns. Vapor from lower-latitude source regions takes elevated pathways to Antarctica. In contrast, vapor from the Southern Ocean moves southward within the lower troposphere to the Antarctic continent along moist isentropes that are largely shaped by local ambient conditions and coastal topography. This study also highlights the importance of atmospheric dynamics in affecting the thermodynamic impact of sea-ice anomalies associated with natural variability on Antarctic precipitation. Our analyses of the seasonal contrast in changes of basin-scale evaporation, moisture flux and precipitation suggest that the impact of SIC anomalies on regional Antarctic precipitation depends on dynamic changes that arise from SICSST perturbations along with internal variability. The latter appears to have a more significant effect on the moisture transport in austral winter than in summer

Sectoral Issues and the Multilateral Framework for Trade in Services: An Overview

summary Increased opportunity for developing countries to expand trade in services is one objective of attempts to liberalise trade in services. However, efforts in this direction are continually impeded by the specificity required in trying to effect a workable multilateral framework, The heterogeneity of the services sector does not lend itself to an easily negotiable framework. This article addresses two major issues on this topic: (i) the market structure of trade in services and the basis of comparative advantage of developed countries; (ii) the desirability of a multilateral negotiating framework which takes into account the strategic importance of particular service sectors to growth and development and the present state of international trade and draft segments of the set. Résumé Vue d'ensemble sur les problèmes de secteurs et le cadre multilatéral pour les industries de services L'augmentation des possibilités pour les pays en voie de développement d'élargir le commerce des industries de services constitute l'objectif des tentatives de libéralisation du commerce des industries de services. Cependant, les efforts allant dans cette direction sont continuellement entravés par le besoin d'indications précises que demande la réalisation d'une structure multilatérale. L'hétérogénéité du secteur des services ne se prête pas à la formation d'une structure aisément négotiable. Cet article aborde deux problèmes principaux liés à ce thàme: 1) La structure du marché des industries de services et les conditions des avantages reliatifs des pavs developpés 2) L'avantage d'une structure multilatérale de négotiations, qui tient compte de l'importance stratégique de certains secteurs des services pour le développement, et de l'état actuel du commerce international et des segments sommaires de l'ensemble. Resumen Una revisión de los problemas sectoriales y el marco multilateral para el comercio de servicios Uno de los objetivos de los intentos de los países en desarrollo de liberalizar el comercio de los servicios es mejorar sus oportunidades en este rubro. No obstante, la especificidad requerida para establecer un marco multilateral viable conspira constantemente en contra de los esfuerzos que se despliegan en este sentido. La heterogeneidad del sector servicios, por si misma, no se presta fácilmente para un marco negociable. Este artículo enfoca dos problemas básicos en este tópico: i) la estructura de mercado del comercio de servicios y la base de las ventajas comparativas de los países en desarrollo. ii) la conveniencia de un marco multilateral negociable que considere la importancia estratégica de determinados sectores de servicios y, segmentos de éste en el crecimiento y desarrollo y el estado actual del comercio internacional