The perception of flooding and water nuisance

In this paper we aim to gain insight in the determinants that control the risk perception of flooding and water nuisance by developing and validating a questionnaire. We also investigate to what extent the risk characteristics of external safety risks apply to perceptions of flooding and water nuisance. We use elements from the psychometric paradigm: risk perception characteristics and their interrelationships have been quantified by developing statements about flooding (38) and water nuisance (12), which were rated by respondents. The state-trait anxiety inventory was applied to determine whether perceptions are related to anxiety characteristics. A focus group session was organized to further explain our findings. Factor analyzing 49 questionnaires resulted in the identification of eight flooding factors (explained variance: 74%) and three water nuisance factors (explained variance: 62%). The internal consistency of the scales measured by Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.54 to 0.82. Like in the perception of external safety risks, ‘dread’ seems to be the most important concept binding different characteristics. Although dread towards both flooding and water nuisance is rather low, it seems more present in the latter case. We hypothesize cautiously that the extent of dread for water nuisance is also determined by the anxiety one experiences at that particular moment. In both cases awareness of ‘increasing risks’ is clearly present, and we find the characteristics ‘(no) dread’, ‘(un)controllable situation’ and ‘does not affect me’ to be related. Also the characteristic ‘risk-benefit trade off’ seems also to be related to ‘no dread’.

Subpicosecond Dynamics in Nucleotides Measured by Spontaneous Raman Spectroscopy

The band widths in Raman spectra are sensitive to dynamics active on a time scale from 0.1 to 10 ps. The band widths of nucleotide vibrations and their dependence on temperature, concentration, and structure are reported. From the experimental band widths and second moments, it is derived that the adenine vibrations at 725, 1336, 1480, and 1575 cm-1, and the uracil vibration at 787 cm-1, are in the fast modulation limit. The correlation times of the perturbations are faster than 0.4 ps. Thermal melting of the helical structure in polynucleotides results in larger band widths, due to an increase in vibrational dephasing and energy relaxation as a consequence of the increased interaction of the base moieties with the solvent molecules. The band width of the 725 cm-1 adenine vibration is dependent on the type and structure of the backbone. It is found to be perturbed by movements of the sugar-phosphate moiety relative to the base. The band width of the 1575 cm-1 adenine vibration is found to be sensitive to the base-pairing interaction. From a comparison of the band widths in polynucleotides with a different base sequence (homopolymer vs alternating purine-pyrimidine sequence), it is concluded that resonant vibrational energy transfer between the base molecules is not important as a relaxation process for the vibrational band widths of nucleotides. Several theoretical models for the interpretation of band widths are discussed. The theory does not take into account the strong hydrogen-bonding nature water and hence fails to describe the observations in nucleotide-water systems. The bands of the carbonyl stretching vibrations are inhomogeneously broadened. The carbonyl groups have a strong dipolar interaction with the polar water molecules and are therefore strongly perturbed by coupling to the heatbath via hydrogen bonds

Temperature dependence of Raman vibrational bandwidths in poly(rA) and rAMP

Isotropic and anisotropic spontaneous Raman spectra were obtained from solutions of poly(ra) and rAMP in buffer. The temperature dependence of these spectra was measured to elucidate the influence of macromolecular dynamics and solvent dynamics on the bandwidths of base vibrations in the single stranded polynucleotide poly(rA). The temperature dependence of a bandwidth depends upon the particular vibration under study. The bands can for the larger part be described by Lorentz functions. When fitted by Voigt functions, maximally 10% of each bandprofile of the adenine base vibrations can be attributed to a Gaussian component. The second moment has been determined from the spectra for the 725 cm¿1 band. From the second moment and the bandwidth, we were able to deduce that the vibrational oscillator is in the fast modulation limit. The determined timescale (perturbation correlation time 0.13 ps) eliminate perturbations connected to long range diffusion like concentration fluctuations (timescale in the order of 10 ps). The spectra were analyzed by an extensive curve fitting procedure providing accurate bandparameters (position, width and integrated intensity). The 725 cm¿1 band of adenine has a bandwidth which is dependent upon the degree of polymerization. In RAMP it is 17.6 cm¿1, in stacked (i.e. low temperature 5°C) poly(rA) it is 11.5 cm¿1. The bandwidth of the adenine vibration at 1336 cm¿1 cm¿1 has a temperature dependence which is similar to the intensity changes of the Raman and the absorption hypochromic effect as a function of temperature. The melting transition can therefore be followed by the changes in bandwidth of suitable vibrations

Great Expectations? Assessing the creation of national police organisations in Scotland and the Netherlands

Against a background of recent structural reforms to police organisations in northern and western Europe, this paper examines the experiences of Scotland and the Netherlands where national police forces were established in 2013. Taking a comparative perspective, an analysis of the police reform proposals is followed by a review of the arguments for reform, the challenges of implementation and the findings emerging from the evaluations of the police reforms in each country. The paper concludes by drawing out the contrast between the ‘great expectations’ of the two police reforms articulated by the governments and the realities of bringing about rapid and large-scale organisational change, arguing that institutionalist perspectives on police reform have much to offer in making sense of the challenges of the police reform process

The Abstract Police:a conceptual exploration of unintended changes of police organizations

Contains fulltext : 208720.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)21 p

Veiligheidszorg en laatmoderniteit:veranderingen in veiligheidsbeleid en de zorg om veiligheid

In het veiligheidsbeleid en de veiligheidszorg hebben zich de afgelopen jaren ingrijpende veranderingen voorgedaan. Vijf hoofdontwikkelingen worden in dit artikel onderscheiden, namelijk in organisatorische en beheersmatige arrangementen (vooral rond de politie); in de verhouding tussen overheid en andere partijen; het toegenomen gebruik van buitenrechtelijke instrumenten en de gegroeide aandacht voor slachtoffers; de vertechnisering van preventie en toezicht en de verschuiving naar een harder en strikter optredende overheid. Deze veranderingen kunnen worden gezien als pogingen een antwoord te vinden op de problemen die de overgang naar een laatmoderne samenleving opwerpt voor politie en overheid. Tegelijk roept deze ontwikkeling ook nieuwe dilemma's en spanningen op