Using mixed methods for analysing culture : The Cultural Capital and Social Exclusion project

This paper discusses the use of material generated in a mixed method investigation into cultural tastes and practices, conducted in Britain from 2003 to 2006, which employed a survey, focus groups and household interviews. The study analysed the patterning of cultural life across a number of fields, enhancing the empirical and methodological template provided by Bourdieu’s Distinction. Here we discuss criticisms of Bourdieu emerging from subsequent studies of class, culture and taste, outline the arguments related to the use of mixed methods and present illustrative results from the analysis of these different types of data. We discuss how the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods informed our analysis of cultural life in contemporary Britain. No single method was able to shed light on all aspects of our inquiry, lending support to the view that mixing methods is the most productive strategy for the investigation of complex social phenomena

Displaying desire and distinction in housing

The article discusses the significance of cultural capital for the understanding of the field of housing in contemporary Britain. It explores the relationship between housing and the position of individuals in social space mapped out by means of a multiple correspondence analysis. It considers the material aspects of housing and the changing contexts that are linked to the creation and display of desire for social position and distinction expressed in talk about home decoration as personal expression and individuals' ideas of a `dream house'. It is based on an empirical investigation of taste and lifestyle using nationally representative survey data and qualitative interviews. The article shows both that personal resources and the imagination of home are linked to levels of cultural capital, and that rich methods of investigation are required to grasp the significance of these normally invisible assets to broaden the academic understanding of the field of housing in contemporary culture

Weed seed dormancy as a survival mechanism: brief review

Um dos principais mecanismos de sobrevivência das plantas daninhas em ambientes constantemente perturbados é a alta produção de sementes. Essas possuem geralmente algum mecanismo de dormência, o qual contribui para a perpetuação de espécies interferentes nos cultivos agrícolas. A dormência pode ser caracterizada pela ausência temporária da germinação, mesmo quando em condições adequadas de sua ocorrência. Isso permite que inúmeras espécies vegetais sobrevivam às adversidades, sobretudo aquelas que dificultam ou impeçam o seu crescimento vegetativo e reprodutivo. As causas da dormência são provenientes de dois mecanismos básicos, sendo o primeiro relacionado a eventos internos das sementes (embrião) e o segundo, às características externas (tegumento, endosperma ou as barreiras impostas pelo fruto). Conceitualmente, a dormência pode ser distinguida em dois tipos: dormência primária (quando os mecanismos de dormência ocorrem ainda na planta-mãe) e secundária (quando os mecanismos de estabelecimento da dormência ocorrem após a dispersão das sementes). A ocorrência desses dois tipos de dormência é comum em plantas daninhas. A sua alternância ou ciclagem garante o fluxo de germinação destas espécies, o qual depende das características iniciais durante a formação das sementes (dormência primária) e, posteriormente, das condições ambientais (dormência secundária). Todavia, muitos são os mecanismos que coordenam a dormência, sendo a distinção destes ainda controversos. Nesse sentido, este estudo tem por objetivo abordar alguns dos principais conceitos e mecanismos de dormência em plantas daninhas, com intuito de contribuir e estimular as pesquisas, ainda escassas, nessa área.The high production of seeds in constantly disturbed environments is one of the main mechanisms of weeds survival. These seeds have usually some dormancy mechanism which constitutes weed species perpetuation in the crops. Seed dormancy can be characterized by temporally absence of the germination capacity, even though the seeds have satisfactorily conditions to germinate, thus allowing species survival under adversities, mainly those that make it difficult or hinder vegetative and reproductive growth. The causes of dormancy stem from two basic mechanisms: the first is related to inner seed events (embryo) and the second to outer characteristics in the seeds (tegument, endosperm or fruit barriers). Conceptually, dormancy can be classified as primary dormancy (when the mechanisms occur in plants-mother) and secondary dormancy (when the mechanisms causing dormancy occur after seed dispersion). These types of dormancy occur normally in weeds. Their alternation or cycling ensures germination flow these species, which depends on the characteristics occurring at the initial stages of seed formation (primary dormancy), and later, on the environmental conditions (secondary dormancy). However, many mechanisms coordinate dormancy, with the differences among them being still controversial. Thus, this study aimed to approach some of the main concepts and mechanisms in weed dormancy, in order to contribute and stimulate research which is still scarce in this area

Topological Quantum Codes On Compact Surfaces With Genus G≥2

In this paper we propose a construction procedure of a class of topological quantum error-correcting codes on surfaces with genus g2. This generalizes the toric codes construction. We also tabulate all possible surface codes with genus 2-5. In particular, this construction reproduces the class of codes obtained when considering the embedding of complete graphs Ks, for s1 mod 4, on surfaces with appropriate genus. We also show a table comparing the rate of different codes when fixing the distance to 3-5. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.502Shor, P.W., , p. 124. , Proceedings of the 35th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (unpublished),Shor, P.W., (1995) Phys. Rev. A, 52, p. 2493. , 1050-2947 10.1103/PhysRevA.52.R2493Calderbank, A.R., Shor, P.W., (1996) Phys. Rev. A, 54, p. 1098. , 1050-2947 10.1103/PhysRevA.54.1098Steane, A.M., (1996) Phys. Rev. Lett., 77, p. 793. , 0031-9007 10.1103/PhysRevLett.77.793Gottesman, D., (1996) Phys. Rev. A, 54, p. 1862. , 1050-2947 10.1103/PhysRevA.54.1862Kitaev, A.Yu., (2003) Ann. Phys., 303, p. 2. , 0003-3804 10.1016/S0003-4916(02)00018-0Freedman, M.H., Meyer, D.A., (1998), www.arXiv.org/quant-ph/9810055Dennis, E., Kitaev, A., Landahl, A., Preskill, J., (2002) J. Math. Phys., 43, p. 4452. , 0022-2488 10.1063/1.1499754Bombin, H., Martin-Delgado, M.A., (2007) J. Math. Phys., 48, p. 052105. , 0022-2488 10.1063/1.2731356Cavalcante, R.G., Lazari, H., Lima, J.D., Palazzo Jr., R., (2005) Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science, 68, pp. 145-177. , in, DIMACS Series, edited by A. Ashikhimin and A. Barg (American Mathematical Society, Providence), VolSilva, E.B., Firer, M., Costa, S.R., Palazzo Jr., R., (2006) J. Franklin Inst., 343, p. 69. , 0016-0032 10.1016/j.jfranklin.2005.09.001De Albuquerque, C.D., Palazzo Jr., R., Da Silva, E.B., (2008), pp. 391-395. , Proceedings of the Information Theory Workshop, Porto, Portugal, May (unpublished)Gottesman, D., (1997), www.arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/9705052Nilsen, M.A., Chuang, I.L., (2000) Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, , (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge)Katok, S., (1992) Fuchsian Groups, , (The University of Chicago Press, Chicago)Beardon, A., (1983) The Geometry of Discrete Groups, , (Springer-Verlag, New York)Stillwell, J., (2000) Geometry of Surfaces, , (Springer-Verlag, New York)Firby, P.A., Gardiner, C.F., (1991) Surface Topology, , Ellis Horwood Series in Mathematics and Its Applications (Halsted Press, New York)Edmonds, A.L., Ewing, J.H., Kulkarni, R.S., (1982) Ann. Math., 116, p. 113. , 0003-486X 10.2307/2007049Artin, E., Braun, H., (1969) Introduction to Algebraic Topology, , (Charles E. Merrill, Columbus, Ohio

Kairomonal response of the parasitoid Anagyrus spec. nov. near pseudococci to the sex pheromone of the vine mealybug

The occurrence of a kairomonal response of the parasitoid Anagyrus spec. nov. near pseudococci (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) to (+)-(1 R, 3 R )- cis -2,2-dimethyl-3-isopropenyl-cyclobutanemethanol acetate (PcA, namely, planococcyl acetate) and ( S )-(+)-lavandulyl senecioate (LS), the respective female sex pheromones of its hosts, the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) and the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) was investigated. Attraction to the pheromones was tested by employing pheromone traps in field trials and by static air olfactometer bioassays in the laboratory. Female wasps showed a significant response to LS, in both field and olfactometer experiments. No significant response was registered to the sex pheromone of P. citri. Despite the similarity between the structures of LS and its analogue ( S ) - (+)-lavandulyl isovalerate (LI), no significant response to the latter compound was observed. It seems that differences between the structures of the carboxylate moiety of the respective molecules (LS and LI) markedly affect the kairomonal attractiveness to the parasitoid. The kairomonal response of Anagyrus spec. nov. near pseudococci was neither influenced by the host habitat nor by the host species on which it developed. This suggested innate behaviour of Anagyrus spec. nov. near pseudococci , possibly derived from evolutionary relationships between the parasitoid and P. ficus . The practical implications of the results are discussed

Attraction of Planococcus ficus males to racemic and chiral pheromone baits: flight activity and bait longevity

The vine mealybug (VM), Planococcus ficus (Signoret), is a worldwide pest and affects mainly grapevine and figs. In Israel, (S)-lavandulyl senecioate [(S)-LS] and (S)-lavandulyl isovalerate [(S)-LI] were identified from VM reared for several generations on potato sprouts, when compared with the identification of only (S)-LS from feral females. Racemic lavandulyl senecioate (LS) can be used for fieldwork because the unnatural enantiomer is benign and does not affect the activity of the pheromone. Lures loaded with 200 lg of LS remained active for 24 weeks but it is recommended to replace lures after 12 weeks to preserve constant and high attractiveness. Delta sticky traps, baited with 50 or 200 lg of LS were used to determine the daily flight pattern and the seasonal flight activity including vine plant infestation. A positive correlation between peak mealybug density and male capture was observed strengthening the usefulness of the pheromone traps for monitoring the pest. Addition of racemic or the two enantiomers of lavandulyl isovalerate (LI) to LS decreased the capture of VM males. The level of inhibition varied during 2003–2004. Both enantiomers of LI displayed the same antagonistic activity. Addition of (S)-lavandulol to the pheromone resulted in shutdown of the traps. Inhibition by the antipode, (R)-lavandulol, was moderate indicating a certain degree of chiral discriminatio

Milk production in saanen goats treated with repeated low doses of intermediate-release insulin during early lactation

The effect of insulin administration on the productive responses of Saanen goats during early lactation was investigated. Ten of 20 adult females were subjected to subcutaneous administration of intermediate-acting insulin (0.14UI/kg body weight) at 2, 9, and 14 days postpartum. Milk yield was measured twice daily for 13 weeks and milk samples were collected to measure protein and fat contents. Plasma levels of progesterone, insulin, non-esterifies fatty acids, glucose and other metabolites were measured. Results showed a significantly increased effect of insulin treatment on the content of milk fat and protein; moreover, milk production in the first and second postpartum weeks were higher than control group. The peak of lactation in the insulin group was achieved one week earlier in comparison to the control group. In addition, the milk production rate showed lower persistency (milk yield 13 week/milk yield at peak) in the same group. During the first four weeks of postpartum, treated animals showed greater weight loss and higher non-esterified fatty acid concentration, whereas no effect was observed on the concentration of progesterone and other metabolites. The above results indicated that repeated administration of insulin in dairy goats during early lactation increase yield and qualitative components of milk, but has substantial consequences on animal productive rate and metabolic response

The effect of pH on the simultaneous determination of Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim by Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry and Multivariate Calibration

Analytical techniques based on Ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry are widely used in pharmaceutical analysis, because they are simple and inexpensive. The choice of pH is critical in the development of univariate methods for pharmaceutical quantitation by UV spectrophotometry since changes may modify the absorption spectrum profile. Similar to univariate methods by UV spectrophotometry changes in pH may influence the predictive ability of multivariate models, affecting the resultant analytical performance. We report herein on the influence of pH on the simultaneous determination of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) in tablets using UV spectrophotometry and multivariate calibration. Data were recorded using a UV spectrophotometer in the wavelength range of 200 to 350 nm. The experimental matrix was constructed using 36 synthetic samples of SMZ-TMP mixtures. The concentration ranges used for the investigation were 14.0 to 26.0 mg L-1 for SMZ and 2.8 to 5.2 mg L-1 for TMP. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression models were generated with full-spectrum and multiple pH levels. At pH 4.3, lower values of relative standard error of prediction (RSEP %) for SMZ (1.83) and TMP (1.13) were obtained. The PLS model at pH 4.3 was used for the quantification of real samples (tablets obtained from 13 different manufacturers) and the results were compared with conventional procedures using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Low rank perturbations and the spectral statistics of pseudointegrable billiards

We present an efficient method to solve Schr\"odinger's equation for perturbations of low rank. In particular, the method allows to calculate the level counting function with very little numerical effort. To illustrate the power of the method, we calculate the number variance for two pseudointegrable quantum billiards: the barrier billiard and the right triangle billiard (smallest angle $\pi/5$). In this way, we obtain precise estimates for the level compressibility in the semiclassical (high energy) limit. In both cases, our results confirm recent theoretical predictions, based on periodic orbit summation.Comment: 4 page

Determination of Force Corresponding to Maximal Lactate Steady State in Tethered Swimming

The main aim of the present investigation was to verify if the aerobic capacity (AC) measured in tethered swimming corresponds to the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and its correlation with 30 min and 400m free style swimming. Twenty-five swimmers were submitted to an incremental tethered swimming test (ITS) with an initial load of 20N and increments of 10N each 3min. After each stage of 3min, the athletes had 30s of interval to blood sample collections that were used to measure blood lactate concentrations ([La-]). The ACBI was determined by the abrupt increase in [La-] versus force (F). The points obtained between [La-] versus force (N) were adjusted by an exponential curve model to determine AC corresponding to 3.5mmol.l-1 (AC3.5) and 4.0mmol.l-1 (AC4.0). After these procedures, the swimmers performed maximal efforts of 30min and 400m in free style swimming. We used the distance performed in 30min and the time performed in 400m to calculate the median velocities (i.e. V30 and V400) of these protocols. After one week, in order to measure the MLSS, nine athletes performed three 30-min tethered swimming efforts with intensities of 90, 100, and 110% of ACBI. The ANOVA one-way was used to compare the ACBI, AC3.5 and AC4.0. Correlations between ACs, and between ACs and V30 and V400 (p\u3c0.05) were determined using the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The intensity corresponding to 100% of ACBI was similar to the MLSS. It was observed significant correlations of the aerobic capacities (i.e. ACBI, AC3.5 and AC4.0) with V30 (r\u3e0.91) and V400 (r\u3e0.63). According to our results, it is possible to conclude that the ACBI corresponds to the MLSS, and both the AC - individually determined - and the AC - determined using fixed blood lactate concentrations of 3.5 and 4.0mmol.l-1 - can be used to predict the mean velocity of 30min and 400m in free style swimming. In addition to that, the tethered swimming system can be used for aerobic development in places where official sized swimming pools are not available, such as rehabilitation clinics and health clubs