Victorian entertainments : "we are amused" : an exhibit illustrating Victorian entertainment.

Midwest Victorian Studies Association. Meeting (2007)published or submitted for publicationnot peer reviewe

Digital technologies for the future of the water sector? Examining the discourse on digital water

Global climate change increases the uncertainty about water, its availability and quality. Thus, the water sector is being transformed to react to the rising water demand as well as climate change and water quality issues and is transitioning into its so-called „fourth revolution“: aiming towards a more sustainable and resilient management of water, whilst simultaneously encountering the mega-trend of digitalisation. Through adopting digital technologies, the sector has the opportunity to address the 21st-century water risks early on as the new technologies will increase the knowledge of water supply, water demand and other water data which can be used to inform public policy or new investments. In this paper, I critically examine the discourse on digital water and how it is expressed, through the lens of Political Ecology. This is enriched through insights of Science and Technology Studies (STS). The discourse on digital water is characterised by two distinct argumentative pathways: On the one hand, technological solutionism presents digital technologies as the only solution to the challenges within the water sector, and on the other hand, socio-technical imaginaries of the future which constitute digital water as a new pathway within the water sector. This portrays a positive and optimistic future for the development of the water sector which is achieved through the implementation of digital technologies

The Circular Velocity Curve of the Milky Way from 55 to 2525 kpc

We measure the circular velocity curve $v_{\rm c}(R)$ of the Milky Way with the highest precision to date across Galactocentric distances of $5\leq R \leq 25$ kpc. Our analysis draws on the $6$-dimensional phase-space coordinates of $\gtrsim 23,000$ luminous red-giant stars, for which we previously determined precise parallaxes using a data-driven model that combines spectral data from APOGEE with photometric information from WISE, 2MASS, and Gaia. We derive the circular velocity curve with the Jeans equation assuming an axisymmetric gravitational potential. At the location of the Sun we determine the circular velocity with its formal uncertainty to be $v_{\rm c}(R_{\odot}) = (229.0\pm0.2)\rm\,km\,s^{-1}$ with systematic uncertainties at the $\sim 2-5\%$ level. We find that the velocity curve is gently but significantly declining at $(-1.7\pm0.1)\rm\,km\,s^{-1}\,kpc^{-1}$, with a systematic uncertainty of $0.46\rm\,km\,s^{-1}\,kpc^{-1}$, beyond the inner $5$ kpc. We exclude the inner $5$ kpc from our analysis due to the presence of the Galactic bar, which strongly influences the kinematic structure and requires modeling in a non-axisymmetric potential. Combining our results with external measurements of the mass distribution for the baryonic components of the Milky Way from other studies, we estimate the Galaxy's dark halo mass within the virial radius to be $M_{\rm vir} = (7.25\pm0.26)\cdot 10^{11}M_{\odot}$ and a local dark matter density of $\rho_{\rm dm}(R_{\odot}) = 0.30\pm0.03\,\rm GeV\,cm^{-3}$.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. All data can be downloaded here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.146805

The Purdue Pegboard test : normative data for older adults with low vision

Purpose The usability of assistive technologies depends, in part, on the user’s ability to manipulate the device. In the context of aging and visual impairment, the visibility of any device and its components becomes crucial, and often users rely on tactile information in order to overcome visibility barriers. The purpose of this study was to establish performance norms for older adults with low vision on a common measure of manual dexterity: the Purdue Pegboard Test. Method The Purdue Pegboard was completed visually with the dominant, non-dominant and both hands by 134 older adults (age 60–97) with various levels of low vision, ranging from 20/30 to 20/604 in the better eye. Results Scores decreased significantly as age increased. In addition, performance using the dominant hand was generally best. Compared to previously published values, scores were lower than the norms for healthy older adults as well as those for younger visually impaired individuals. Conclusions The present values for older adults with low vision add to the already existing standards and allow for comparison among future studies with this population. Systematic examination of manual dexterity in low vision clients will enable rehabilitation specialists to make more informed recommendations in terms of usable low-vision devices

Digital Taxation Lessons From Wayfair and the U.S. States’ Responses

This article provides a detailed and structured synthesis of the discussion that took place in the context of the fireside chat event held by the WU Global Tax Policy Center at the Institute of Austrian and International Tax Law on December 17, 2018, at which Hellerstein was the guest speaker. The event was one of the initiatives of the Digital Economy Tax Network, a multi-stakeholder forum, which organized a workshop on the VAT/goods and services tax and the digital economy December 17-18, 2018, in Vienna. In this article, the authors examine the lessons that the U.S. Supreme Court\u27s Wayfair decision might offer for the global debate over how to tax the digital economy

Complex interaction of sensory and motor signs and symptoms in chronic CRPS.

Spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia as well as sensory abnormalities, autonomic, trophic, and motor disturbances are key features of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This study was conceived to comprehensively characterize the interaction of these symptoms in 118 patients with chronic upper limb CRPS (duration of disease: 43±23 months). Disease-related stress, depression, and the degree of accompanying motor disability were likewise assessed. Stress and depression were measured by Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Score and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Test. Motor disability of the affected hand was determined by Sequential Occupational Dexterity Assessment and Michigan Hand Questionnaire. Sensory changes were assessed by Quantitative Sensory Testing according to the standards of the German Research Network on Neuropathic Pain. Almost two-thirds of all patients exhibited spontaneous pain at rest. Hand force as well as hand motor function were found to be substantially impaired. Results of Quantitative Sensory Testing revealed a distinct pattern of generalized bilateral sensory loss and hyperalgesia, most prominently to blunt pressure. Patients reported substantial motor complaints confirmed by the objective motor disability testings. Interestingly, patients displayed clinically relevant levels of stress and depression. We conclude that chronic CRPS is characterized by a combination of ongoing pain, pain-related disability, stress and depression, potentially triggered by peripheral nerve/tissue damage and ensuing sensory loss. In order to consolidate the different dimensions of disturbances in chronic CRPS, we developed a model based on interaction analysis suggesting a complex hierarchical interaction of peripheral (injury/sensory loss) and central factors (pain/disability/stress/depression) predicting motor dysfunction and hyperalgesia

How to achieve the climate targets? Spatial planning in the context of the German energy transition

Background: The transition of the energy system to renewable energy depends on how successfully the national objectives can be implemented at the lower planning levels. Germany pursues an incentive-oriented policy that is not spatially targeted and lets regional and local stakeholders determine where and how renewable energies are used. A core question is how to achieve the national goals, in a federal system that allows freedom of planning for the local communities. The aim of this paper is to show the discrepancies between the current expansion of wind energy and the necessary expansion that is derived from a scientific analysis. Methods: The study examined the policy objectives for the expansion of wind energy, based on a literature analysis. In a second step, the regulatory competences and spatial planning at the various levels and their influence on the expansion were explored. In a third step, the current procedure was compared with scientific scenarios of the energy system in 2050 and concretized using the example of the Hannover Region. Results: The theoretical and empirical analysis shows that people at regional level underestimate their responsibility for contributing to energy transition. The expansion targets for wind energy in the Hannover Region projected in the scientific scenario are above the minimum demand that the local authorities have assumed. The same applies to the state of Lower Saxony, which underestimates its own wind energy potential and thus its necessary contribution to achieving the national targets. Conclusions: We propose a nationwide coordinated strategy for the successful implementation of the energy transition. With the methodology described, regional targets can be determined and the responsibility of the region and the local actors can be clarified. With the help of spatial planning and public participation, the energy transition can be achieved with this approach