Opportunities and challenges of the digital lifespan:views of service providers and citizens in the UK

<p>Information about UK citizens’ use of digital technologies is often expressed in statistics – x% lack Internet access; y% get online to engage in online banking, update social media sites, or participate in online auctions. There are many social implications to digital technology use, however – individuals may communicate online as a major way to stay in touch with friends and family, and as Internet access rises and government and public sector budgets shrink, online services become an increasingly attractive way for government and public sector service providers to communicate with citizens. This paper presents selected results of an exploratory study designed to investigate the digital personhood of UK citizens through interviews with participants at three life transitions: leaving secondary school, becoming a parent, and retiring from work. Digital personhood in this paper implies identity information online, and some interaction with others around that information. We then report on our presentation of a selection of these results to thirteen stakeholders who represented UK government departments, public sector organisations, and industry. We found that citizen and stakeholder concerns were quite different, especially at the new parent life transition, and that stakeholders tended to <i>underestimate</i> the willingness and ability of citizens to become involved online with the government and public sector, and <i>overestimate</i> citizens’ vulnerability online. Future research should investigate practical strategies for increasing communication between stakeholders and citizens, and also how to encourage stakeholders to work together to benefit their common clientele – the citizens.</p

Digital Photographic Practices as Expressions of Personhood and Identity:Variations Across School Leavers and Recent Retirees

Over the last two decades, digital photography has been adopted by young and old. Many young adults easily take photos, share them across multiple social networks using smartphones, and create digital identities for themselves consciously and unconsciously. Is the same true for older adults? As part of a larger mixed-methods study of online life in the UK, we considered digital photographic practices at two life transitions: leaving secondary school and retiring from work. In this paper, we report on a complex picture of different kinds of interactions with visual media online, and variation across age groups in the construction of digital identities. In doing so, we argue for a blurring of the distinctions between Chalfen’s ‘Kodak Culture’ and Miller and Edwards’ ‘Snaprs’. The camera lens often faces inwards for young adults: tagged ‘Selfies’ and images co-constructed with social network members commonly contribute to their digital identities. In contrast, retirees turn the camera’s lens outwards towards the world, not inwards to themselves. In concluding, we pay special attention to the digital social norms of co-creation of self and balancing convenience and privacy for people of varying ages, and what our findings mean for the future of photo-sharing as a form of self-expression, as today’s young adults grow old and retire

Effect of methylene blue on the genomic response to reperfusion injury induced by cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in porcine brain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury is a common secondary effect of cardiac arrest which is largely responsible for postresuscitative mortality. Therefore development of therapies which restore and protect the brain function after cardiac arrest is essential. Methylene blue (MB) has been experimentally proven neuroprotective in a porcine model of global ischemia-reperfusion in experimental cardiac arrest. However, no comprehensive analyses have been conducted at gene expression level.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Pigs underwent either untreated cardiac arrest (CA) or CA with subsequent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) accompanied with an infusion of saline or an infusion of saline with MB. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling using the Affymetrix porcine microarray was performed to 1) gain understanding of delayed neuronal death initiation in porcine brain during ischemia and after 30, 60 and 180 min following reperfusion, and 2) identify the mechanisms behind the neuroprotective effect of MB after ischemic injury (at 30, 60 and 180 min).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results show that restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) induces major transcriptional changes related to stress response, inflammation, apoptosis and even cytoprotection. In contrast, the untreated ischemic and anoxic insult affected only few genes mainly involved in intra-/extracellular ionic balance. Furthermore, our data show that the neuroprotective role of MB is diverse and fulfilled by regulation of the expression of soluble guanylate cyclase and biological processes accountable for inhibition of apoptosis, modulation of stress response, neurogenesis and neuroprotection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results support that MB could be a valuable intervention and should be investigated as a therapeutic agent against neural damage associated with I/R injury induced by cardiac arrest.</p

Effect of soil compaction and different tillage systems on vernal weed infestation of crops

W doświadczeniu polowym oceniano wpływ ugniatania gleby i 4 sposobów jej uprawy (tradycyjny, kombinowany, uproszczony U-1 i uproszczony U-2) na wiosenne zachwaszczenie rzepaku ozimego, pszenicy ozimej i jęczmienia jarego. W rzepaku ozimym po ruszeniu wegetacji wiosną na poletkach z ugniataniem gleby stwierdzono znacząco większe zachwaszczenie niż na obiektach bez ugniatania. Po uprawie kombinowanej i uproszczonej U-2 odnotowano istotnie więcej chwastów, w odniesieniu do uprawy tradycyjnej (obiekt kontrolny) i uproszczonej U-1. Na obu obiektach (bez ugniatania i z ugniataniem) uprawa tradycyjna oraz uproszczona U-1 znacznie ograniczyły liczbę chwastów na jednostce powierzchni, w stosunku do uprawy uproszczonej U-2, szczególnie uwidoczniło się to na poletkach z ugniataniem gleby. Na obu obiektach (bez ugniatania i z ugniataniem) dominowały Thlaspi arvense, Polygonum aviculare, Viola arvensis i Stellaria media. Stopień przedsiewnego ugniecenia gleby różnicował liczebność chwastów w fazie krzewienia pszenicy ozimej, istotnie większe zachwaszczenie stwierdzono na poletkach z ugniataniem gleby. Na obu obiektach (bez i z ugniataniem) zbiorowiska chwastów tworzyły zbliżoną liczbę gatunków, w łanie licznie występowały Thlaspi arvense, Lamium amplexicuale, Stellaria media i Viola arvensis. Stopień zagęszczenia gleby nie różnicował liczby chwastów w fazie krzewienia jęczmienia jarego, istotnie na zachwaszczenie plantacji wpłynął sposób uprawy gleby. Po uprawie uproszczonej U-2 (poletka bez ugniatania) odnotowano istotnie większe zachwaszczenie, w stosunku do uprawy tradycyjnej i kombinowanej. Na glebie ugniatanej uprawa uproszczona U-2 zwiększyła zachwaszczenie plantacji, w stosunku do pozostałych wariantów uprawowych, przy czym istotnie więcej taksonów stwierdzono w odniesieniu do uprawy tradycyjnej (obiekt kontrolny). Na poletkach bez ugniatania gleby w łanie dominowały: Thlaspi arvense, Capsella bursa pastoris, Stellaria media i Chenopodium album, a na obiekcie z ugniataniem licznie wystąpiły Thlaspi arvense, Polygonum aviculare i Viola arvensis.The effect of soil compaction and four soil tillage systems (conventional, combined, U-1 reduced and U-2 reduced tillage) on vernal weed infestation of winter oilseed rape, winter wheat and spring barley was assessed experimentally. When plants began to grow in the spring, winter oilseed rape was more significantly infested with weeds on plots where soil packing had been performed than on plots where no such treatment had been carried out. Significantly more weeds grew on plots after combined and U-2 reduced soil tillage than on a conventional plantation (control) or on a field subjected to U-1 reduced soil tillage. In both treatments (with and without soil compaction), conventional and U-1 reduced soil tillage significantly reduced the density of weeds per surface area unit compared to U-2 reduced tillage, an effect which was particularly evident on plots with soil packing. In both treatments (with and without soil packing), Thlaspi arvense, Polygonum aviculare, Viola arvensis and Stellaria media dominated. The degree of pre-sowing soil compaction significantly differentiated the number of weeds at the tillering phase of winter wheat. Significantly more weeds were found on plots with soil packing. In both treatments (with and without soil packing), weed communities were formed by approximately the same number of species, with the dominant Thlaspi arvense, Lamium amplexicuale, Stellaria media and Viola arvensis. The extent of soil packing did not differentiate significantly the abundance of weeds during the tillering phase of spring barley. However, the analysed trait was significantly modified by the soil tillage method. After U-2 reduced soil cultivation (plots without soil packing), the extent of weed infestation was significantly higher than after conventional or combined soil tillage technologies. On compacted soil, U-2 reduced soil tillage significantly increased weed infestation of a plantation compared to the other soil tillage variants, and significantly more taxa were found than in the conventional tillage variant (control). The following weeds prevailed on plots without soil compaction: Thlaspi arvense, Capsella bursa pastoris, Stellaria media and Chenopodium album. On plots with soil packing, the following weeds were numerous: Thlaspi arvense, Polygonum aviculare and Viola arvensis

Wpływ życicy wielokwiatowej (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) jako wsiewki międzyplonowej na różnorodność zbiorowisk chwastów w jęczmieniu jarym (Hordeum vulgare L.)

The paper presents results of 3 years of studies (2009– 2011) on the influence of Italian ryegrass on the development of weed communities in spring barley (without chemical weeds control) cultivated after potato, spring wheat and spring barley. The reaction of spring barley to the choice of the forecrop was compared with identical plots with pure stand of that cereal where herbicides were applied for weeds control. Evaluation of infestation with weeds was conducted during barley tillering and before harvest. That evaluation considered the number and composition of weed species. During harvest, the dry mass of weeds was also considered. The results were used for determination of Shannon-Wiener diversity index and species homogeneity coefficient, Simpson’s index of dominance as well as Srensen similarity index. Spring barley weeding was significantly higher in case of cultivating it in mixed stand with Italian ryegrass (without chemical control), than in pure stand (with control). In the plots with mixed crop, lower diversity and homogeneity of weeds’ communities were recorded than in pure stand. Barley in mixed crop sown after spring barley, during both times of evaluation (spring and before harvest), increased the value of the index of dominance according to the number of species the most. As concerns the composition of species, number and biomass, the communities of pure stand and mixed crop with Italian ryegrass on the plot after potato were the most similar.W pracy przedstawiono 3-letnie (2009–2011) wyniki badań nad wpływem życicy wielokwiatowej na kształtowanie się zbiorowisk chwastów w jęczmieniu jarym (nie odchwaszczanym chemicznie) uprawianym w następstwie po ziemniaku, pszenicy jarej i po sobie. Reakcją jęczmienia na dobór przedplonów porównywano na tle analogicznych stanowisk z siewem czystym tego zboża, w którego łanie do regulacji zachwaszczenia zastosowano herbicydy. Oceną zachwaszczenia przeprowadzono w fazie krzewienia jęczmienia i przed jego zbiorem. Uwzględniała ona liczebność i skład gatunkowy chwastów, a podczas zbioru również ich suchą masę. Wyniki te posłużyły do obliczeń wskaźników różnorodności i równomierności gatunkowej Shannona-Wienera, dominacji Simpsona i współczynnika podobieństwa Sorensena. Zachwaszczenie jęczmienia jarego było istotnie większe w warunkach jego uprawy z wsiewki życicy wielokwiatowej (bez ochrony chemicznej), niż w siewie czystym (z ochrony). Na obiektach z wsiewki odnotowano mniejszą różnorodność i równomierność zbiorowisk chwastów niż w siewie czystym. Jęczmień z wsiewki w obu terminach oceny (wiosną i przed zbiorem) w najwyższym stopniu podwyższył wartość wskażnika dominacji według liczebności gatunków w stanowisku po sobie. Pod względem składu gatunkowego, liczebności i biomasy najbardziej podobne do siebie były zbiorowiska siewu czystego i z wsiewki życicy wielokwiatowej na polu po ziemniaku

Effect of companion crops and crop rotation systems on some chemical properties of soil

The aim of the experiment, conducted in 2005-2011, was to make an assessment of the influence of spring spring barley sowing technology (pure and with companion crops) in crop rotation sequences with 25, 50 and 75% shares of spring spring barley on chemical changes in the 0-20 cm soil horizon. In 2011, spring spring barley (pure sowing) on a stand where spring barley preceded spring barley in a crop rotation system with a 50% spring barley share was found to cause a decline in soil pH and a rise in the soil content of organic carbon (C org.) in comparison with the treatments where companion crops were undersown. Spring barley with the companion crop of Italian ryegrass on a spring barley after spring barley stand raised the pool of C org. in soil relative to the period before the experiment, but the opposite effect was observed when spring barley was undersown with red clover on a stand after potato. In the pure stand, after seven years of the experiment, the highest increase in the soil phosphorus (P) content was noted under the spring barley field following spring wheat, whereas on the plots with the Italian ryegrass companion crop in a sequence of spring barley after spring barley repeated twice the soil was richer in P than prior to the experiment. Once the experiment was terminated in 2011, more potassium (K) was determined in soil under pure spring barley than under spring barley with companion crops. Spring barley with Italian ryegress as a companion crop raised the content of K in soil, but a reverse situation was observed on plots with red clover undersown on a stand of spring barley after potato in comparison with the crop rotation sequences of spring barley after spring wheat and after spring barley. In the case of the soli pH and phosphorus, a positive correlation was noted in the sequence of spring barley undersown with red clover on a stand after spring barley in the crop rotation system with a 75% of spring barley