Mass Media and Environmental Risk: Seven Principles

Dr. Sandman suggests that, when spokespersons for risk sources are inept in conveying their messages, they and we pay heavily for their mistakes

Plugging the “Phishing” Hole: Legislation Versus Technology

This iBrief analyzes the Anti-Phishing Act of 2005, legislation aimed at curbing the problem of phishing. Phishing is the sending of fraudulent emails which appear to be from legitimate businesses and thereby fooling the recipients into divulging personal information such as credit card numbers. While this legislation may provide some assistance in the fight against phishing, it is limited by the global nature of the Internet and the ease with which phishers can hide and avoid judgments. This iBrief therefore concludes that although the Anti-Phishing Act can play a supporting role in the battle, technological solutions are the most effective means of reducing or eliminating phishing attacks

Bootstrapping the Coronal Magnetic Field with STEREO: I. Unipolar Potential Field Modeling

We investigate the recently quantified misalignment of $\alpha_{mis} \approx 20^\circ-40^\circ$ between the 3-D geometry of stereoscopically triangulated coronal loops observed with STEREO/EUVI (in four active regions) and theoretical (potential or nonlinear force-free) magnetic field models extrapolated from photospheric magnetograms. We develop an efficient method of bootstrapping the coronal magnetic field by forward-fitting a parameterized potential field model to the STEREO-observed loops. The potential field model consists of a number of unipolar magnetic charges that are parameterized by decomposing a photospheric magnetogram from MDI. The forward-fitting method yields a best-fit magnetic field model with a reduced misalignment of $\alpha_{PF} \approx 13^\circ-20^\circ$. We evaluate also stereoscopic measurement errors and find a contribution of $\alpha_{SE}\approx 7^\circ-12^\circ$, which constrains the residual misalignment to $\alpha_{NP}=\alpha_{PF}-\alpha_{SE}\approx 5^\circ -9^\circ$, which is likely due to the nonpotentiality of the active regions. The residual misalignment angle $\alpha_{NP}$ of the potential field due to nonpotentiality is found to correlate with the soft X-ray flux of the active region, which implies a relationship between electric currents and plasma heating.Comment: 12 figures, manuscript submitted to ApJ, 2010 Apr 2

Radiative and free-convective heat transfer from a finite horizontal plate inside an enclosure

An experimental and analytical investigation of heat transfer from a horizontal, thin, square plate inside of an enclosure was carried out. Experimental results were obtained from both the upward-facing and the downward-facing sides of the heated plate. Starting with the integrated momentum and energy equations, approximate solutions were obtained for heat transfer in the laminar and the turbulent regime that correlate well with experimental data. Radiative heat transfer correction was given special attention. Effects of the enclosure-related recirculation of the test fluid, as well as effects of simultaneous heat transfer on both sides of the plate, caused an early transition, and indicated a high level of internal turbulence

Testing the Role of Technical Information in Public Risk Perception

It is widely believed that more detail about health effects and likely exposure routes is apt to reduce citizens\u27 concerns about low-probability Risks. The authors\u27 study suggests that providing such detail may not be as useful as, e.g., addressing public concerns and keeping citizens current on officials\u27 actions

The eutrophication of some pelotrophic lakes; a palaeolimnological study

Paleolimnologinen tutkimus eräiden pelotrofisten järvien rehevöitymisest

The Graduation Pipeline: Investigating the Effects of Juvenile Justice System Contact on High School Graduation Rates

Contact with the juvenile justice system can seriously impact life chances for youth. System contact can lead to significant challenges by disrupting paths to traditional life attainments. Research overwhelmingly points to negative projections from juvenile system exposure. Labeling theory has been used to determine poor educational outcomes, but little work has been done to directly gauge why contact affects the graduating for system-involved students. Further, concepts of strain theory have yet to be sufficiently applied to the prospect of completing high school. Given the systematic similarities between school and the juvenile justice system, the likelihood of reaching academic expectations required to graduate can be shaped by strained encounters connected to experiences with the legal system. Expanding on previous studies that explore the harm of education disruption and academic inadequacies resulting from involvement, the current study conducts a quantitative analysis on Connecticut juvenile court and education records from 2006-2012 to explore whether and how high school graduation rates are affected by different features of contact with the juvenile justice system. This study aims explain the path to graduation for youth with criminal histories by examining the educational effects of detention and judicial handling. Findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge regarding the application of juvenile justice and the intersecting treatment of juveniles in both school and legal settings

Shouldn’t All Architecture Be Designed with Empathy? A case of affordable housing design in Zanzibar

Rapid urbanisation and, as a result fast growing informal areas, increase the need for affordable housing. This urgent need requires new forms of input from the architects active in the Global South. The profession must adapt and evolve. Based on previous research, I argue that to build sustainable communities, the residents must be heard and be part of the development process. To involve residents, architects can use new contextually suitable and effective design methods. The study comprised action research on an affordable housing design project in Zanzibar, Tanzania. This paper presents the early stages of a design process for a project still in progress. A close look at the Zanzibar case reveals four human-centred methods from the design discipline to the architectural design process: applied ethnography, empathic design, contextual design, co-design and participatory design. Through the analyses of these different methods, I explored the importance of empathy while designing in settings with contextual constraints. The study revealed the potential of developing empathic methods from the design discipline in the context of architectural design. Further, it suggests that empathic methods can be used by architects pursuing sustainable development.&nbsp