236 research outputs found
Contested Suburbs: Space and its Representation in Moral Panics
Over the last thirty years there has been modest investigation into the phenomenon of moral panic. Several high profile moral panics have been investigated by social scientists but with relatively little new theoretical developments. This research hypothesizes that there are two different forms of moral panic that have not been discerned by other researchers. I call these: metapanics and localized panics. In addition, in the last two decades a handful of well-respected theorists have drawn attention to the fact that social research is dominated by an historical perspective. Edward Soja. and Henri Lefebvre have been at the fore, but even Michel Foucault and David Harvey have entered opinions on the spatial dimension of social reality as at least overlooked, and at the worst intentionally obfuscated.
In this research, three communities where moral panics have taken place are compared with each other from the perspective of their human geography at the time of the panic, as reflected in the census data for the period. In addition, the histories of the cases are examined and compared through rhetorical analysis. The spatial dimension is examined in its representation in the common themes, phrases, and concepts of the public discourse on each individual panic. Qualitative data in the form of accounts from newspapers, television transcripts, and other media-related data are used to demonstrate the importance of the media and their setting of the tone for investigations, allegations, and any moral panic that ensues. With this research I hope to inspire others to examine spatiality in their work on moral panic. In addition to the more concrete questions of place, there is another area of place that has been ignored, the representation of place in moral panic. This research concludes that the best indicators of whether or not a panic will become a metapanic are to be found in the real and represented socio-economic status of the community where the panic takes place
Life in the lee: Local distributions and orientations of honeycomb worms along the California coast
In the rocky intertidal, invertebrates living in dense, intraspecific groups may be particularly important community members because they provide structural habitat for other species. Despite the prevalence of conspecific aggregates, there is scant knowledge of the proximate and ultimate causes of their distributions. Phragmatopoma californica is a gregarious, suspension-feeding tubeworm that forms extensive reefs ( honeycombs ) along the California coast. Local distributions and sizes of worm aggregations, tube orientations and worm mass were quantified to identify patterns and generate hypotheses regarding potential structuring processes. Field surveys were conducted at five intertidal boulder fields in northern and southern California, spanning much of this species\u27 range. Observational data were obtained at four ecologically meaningful spatial scales. The most striking patterns occurred at the smallest (\u3c1 m, individual rock), pervading throughout the largest (50â500 km, among beaches), scales. Aggregations were significantly more abundant and larger on back (shoreward) than front (seaward) faces of boulders. Worm tube orientations also showed a significant directional bias that differed between opposing rock surfaces. In contrast, worm mass was not significantly different between the two faces, perhaps due to relatively uniform growth conditions on the scale of a rock or because worms had reached a terminal size. We hypothesize that within-rock aggregation distributions are associated with the local boulder-induced flow regime. The recirculation zone that forms in the lee of a flow obstacle (rock) would preferentially retain larvae, and thus, enhance the flux of settlers to the back surface. Potentially a region of relatively low wave disturbance and high fertilization rate, life in the lee may be yet another adaptation for survival in the hostile rocky intertidal
Critical evaluation of the neoclassical model for the equilibrium electrostatic field in a tokamak
The neoclassical prescription to use an equation of motion to determine the
electrostatic field within a tokamak plasma is fraught with difficulties.
Herein we examine two popular expressions for the equilibrium electrostatic
field so determined and show that one fails to withstand a formal scrutiny
thereof while the other fails to respect the vector nature of the diamagnetic
current. Reconsideration of the justification for the presence of the
equilibrium electrostatic field indicates that no field is needed for a neutral
plasma when considering the net bound current defined as the curl of the
magnetization. With any shift in the toroidal magnetic flux distribution, a
dynamic electric field is generated with both radial and poloidal components,
providing an alternate explanation for any measurements thereof.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figures, moderate revision, final version, edited for
length, to appear in MR
Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli biofilms: effects of growth conditions and surface properties on structure and curli gene expression
Biofilm formation is a harmful phenomenon in many areas, such as in industry and clinically, but offers advantages in the field of biocatalysis for the generation of robust biocatalytic platforms. In this work, we optimised growth conditions for the production of Escherichia coli biofilms by three strains (PHL644, a K-12 derivative with enhanced expression of the adhesin curli; the commercially-used strain BL21; and the probiotic Nissle 1917) on a variety of surfaces (plastics, stainless steel and PTFE). E. coli PHL644 and PTFE were chosen as optimal strain and substratum, respectively, and conditions (including medium, temperature, and glucose concentration) for biofilm growth were determined. Finally, the impact of these growth conditions on expression of the curli genes was determined using flow cytometry for planktonic and sedimented cells. We reveal new insights into the formation of biofilms and expression of curli in E. coli K-12 in response to environmental conditions
Rabies Management Implications Based on Raccoon Population Density Indexes
An estimate or index of target species density is important in determining oral rabies vaccination (ORV) bait densities to control and eliminate specific rabies variants. From 1997â2011, we indexed raccoon (Procyon lotor) densities 253 times based on cumulative captures on 163 sites from Maine to Alabama, USA, near ORV zones created to prevent raccoon rabies from spreading to new areas. We conducted indexing under a common cage trapping protocol near the time of annual ORV to aid in bait density decisions. Unique raccoons (n = 8,415) accounted for 68.0% of captures (n = 12,367). We recaptured raccoons 2,669 times. We applied Schnabel and Huggins markârecapture models on sites with â„3 years of capture data and â„25% recaptures as context for raccoon density indexes (RDIs). Simple linear relationships between RDIs and markârecapture estimates supported application of our 2 index. Raccoon density indexes ranged from 0.0â56.9 raccoons/km . For bait density decisions, we evaluated RDIs in the following 4 raccoon density groups, which were statistically different: (0.0â5.0 [n = 70], 5.1â15.0 [n = 129], 15.1â25.0 [n = 31], and \u3e25.0 raccoons/km2 [n = 23]). Mean RDI was positively associated with a higher percentage of developed land cover and a lower percentage of evergreen forest. Nonâtarget species composition (excluding recaptured raccoons) accounted for 32.0% of captures. Potential bait competitors accounted for 76.5% of nonâtargets. The opossum (Didelphis virginiana) was the primary potential bait competitor from 27°N to 44°N latitude, north of which it was numerically replaced by the striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis). We selected the RDI approach over mark-recapture methods because of costs, geographic scope, staff availability, and the need for supplemental serologic samples. The 4 density groups provided adequate sensitivity to support bait density decisions for the current 2 bait density options. Future improvements to the method include providing random trapping locations to field personnel to prevent trap clustering and marking nonâtargets to better characterize bait competitors
A Candidate Dual QSO at Cosmic Noon
We report the discovery of a candidate dual QSO at z=1.889, a redshift that
is in the era known as "cosmic noon" where most of the Universe's black hole
and stellar mass growth occurred. The source was identified in Hubble Space
Telescope WFC3/IR images of a dust-reddened QSO that showed two
closely-separated point sources at a projected distance of 0.26", or 2.2 kpc.
This red QSO was targeted for imaging to explore whether red QSOs are hosted by
merging galaxies. We subsequently obtained a spatially-resolved STIS spectrum
of the system, covering the visible spectral range, and verifying the presence
of two distinct QSO components. We also obtained high-resolution radio
continuum observations with the VLBA at 1.4 GHz (21-cm L band) and found two
sources coincident with the optical positions. The sources have similar black
hole masses, bolometric luminosities, and radio loudness parameters. However,
their colors and reddenings differ significantly. The redder QSO has a higher
Eddington ratio, consistent with previous findings. We consider the possibility
of gravitational lensing and and find that it would require extreme and
unlikely conditions. If confirmed as a bona-fide dual QSO, this system would
link dust-reddening to galaxy and supermassive black hole mergers, opening up a
new population in which to search for samples of dual AGN.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Author Correction: Rapidly-migrating and internally-generated knickpoints can control submarine channel evolution (Nature Communications, (2020), 11, 1, (3129), 10.1038/s41467-020-16861-x)
© 2020, The Author(s). The original version of this Article contained an error in the labelling of the cross-section in Fig. 2g and the vertical axis in Fig. 2b. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article
Physical Properties of Iron in the Inner Core
The Earth's inner core plays a vital role in the dynamics of our planet and
is itself strongly exposed to dynamic processes as evidenced by a complex
pattern of elastic structure. To gain deeper insight into the nature of these
processes we rely on a characterization of the physical properties of the inner
core which are governed by the material physics of its main constituent, iron.
Here we review recent research on structure and dynamics of the inner core,
focusing on advances in mineral physics. We will discuss results on core
composition, crystalline structure, temperature,and various aspects of
elasticity. Based on recent computational results, we will show that aggregate
seismic properties of the inner core can be explained by temperature and
compression effects on the elasticity of pure iron, and use single crystal
anisotropy to develop a speculative textural model of the inner core that can
explain major aspects of inner core anisotropy.Comment: 23 pages, 16 figures. To appear in AGU Geodynamics Series book on
"Core structure, dynamics, and rotation", V. Dehant et al. (eds.
A historical analysis of herpes simplex virus promoter activation in vivo reveals distinct populations of latently infected neurones
Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has the capacity to establish a life-long latent infection in sensory neurones and also to periodically reactivate from these cells. Since mutant viruses defective for immediate-early (IE) expression retain the capacity for latency establishment it is widely assumed that latency is the consequence of a block in IE gene expression. However, it is not clear whether viral gene expression can precede latency establishment following wild-type virus infection. In order to address this question we have utilized a reporter mouse model system to facilitate a historical analysis of viral promoter activation in vivo. This system utilizes recombinant viruses expressing Cre recombinase under the control of different viral promoters and the Cre reporter mouse strain ROSA26R. In this model, viral promoter-driven Cre recombinase mediates a permanent genetic change, resulting in reporter gene activation and permanent marking of latently infected cells. The analyses of HSV-1 recombinants containing human cytomegalovirus major immediate-early, ICP0, gC or latency-associated transcript promoters linked to Cre recombinase in this system have revealed the existence of a population of neurones that have experienced IE promoter activation prior to the establishment of latency
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