Mrs. Lincoln Goes Shopping

Analysis of the Old Clothes Scandal of 1867, and Mrs. Lincoln's "shopping mania."

Paul Karl Feyerabend Las proyecciones de la proliferación teórica en la relación ciencia-metafísica

La doctrina de la Proliferación teórica de Paul Karl Feyerabend ha sido interpretada por sus especialistas como un intento de salvaguardar el ideal del progreso científico. Aunque tales estudios hacen justicia, en parte, a la intencionalidad de nuestro filósofo no explicitan la crítica fundamental que implica para Feyerabend el pluralismo teórico. La proliferación teórica constituye en sí misma una reductio ad absurdum de los distintos intentos del positivismo lógico y del racionalismo crítico por definir la ciencia a expensas de lo metafísico. Este artículo presenta la proliferación teórica como una reivindicación del papel positivo que ocupa la metafísica en el quehacer científico. Se consigna la defensa que hace Feyerabend de la metafísica en cuanto que ésta constituye la posibilidad de superar el conservadurismo conceptual, aumentar de contenido empírico de la ciencia y recuperar el valor descriptivo de las teorías científicas.

Marketing secondhand goods in late medieval England

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the main practitioners, goods, customers and locations of secondhand marketing activities in late medieval England. It questions how important was the economic role played by such markets and what was the interaction with more formal market structures?

Design/methodology/approach – A broad range of evidence was examined, covering the period from 1200 to 1500: regulations, court rolls, wills, manorial accounts, literature, and even archaeology. Such material often provided mere scraps of information about marginal marketing activity and it was important to recognise the severe limitations of the evidence. Nevertheless, a wide survey of the available sources can give us an insight into medieval attitudes towards such trade, as well as reminding us that much marketing activity occurred beyond the reach of the surviving documentation.

Findings – Late medieval England had numerous outlets for secondhand items, from sellers of used clothes and furs who wandered the marketplaces to craftsmen who recycled and mended old materials. Secondhand marketing was an important part of the medieval makeshift economy, serving not only the needs of the lower sectors of society but also those aspiring to a higher status. However, it is unlikely that such trade generated much profit and the traders were often viewed as marginal, suspicious and even fraudulent.

Originality/value – There is a distinct lack of research into the extent of and significance of medieval secondhand marketing, which existed in the shadowy margins of formal markets and is thus poorly represented in the primary sources. A broad-based approach to the evidence can highlight a variety of important issues, which impact upon the understanding of the medieval English economy.

Quantitative genetics of preference and performance on chickpeas in the noctuid moth, Helicoverpa armigera

If a novel, resistant host-plant genotype arises in the environment, insect populations utilising that host must be able to overcome that resistance in order that they can maintain their ability to feed on that host. The ability to evolve resistance to host-plant defences depends upon additive genetic variation in larval performance and adult host-choice preference. To investigate the potential of a generalist herbivore to respond to a novel resistant host, we estimated the heritability of larval performance in the noctuid moth, Helicoverpa armigera, on a resistant and a susceptible variety of the chickpea, Cicer arietinum, at two different life stages. Heritability estimates were higher for neonates than for third-instar larvae, suggesting that their ability to establish on plants could be key to the evolution of resistance in this species; however, further information regarding the nature of selection in the field would be required to confirm this prediction. There was no genetic correlation between larval performance and oviposition preference, indicating that female moths do not choose the most suitable plant for their offspring. We also found significant genotype by environment interactions for neonates (but not third-instar larvae), suggesting that the larval response to different plant genotypes is stage-specific in this species.

Clothing and Colonialism: The Dungiven costume and the fashioning of early modern identities

The entanglement of identity and personal attire in colonial settings is explored through consideration of a tattered set of clothes from late sixteenth-early seventeenth-century Ireland incorporating elements of Irish, English, and Scots fashion. Reconsideration of the clothing, recovered from a bog, provides a rare opportunity to explore the physical manifestations of processes of hybridity and mimesis, as well as the pragmatic accommodations of impoverishment and displacement in colonial settings. In addition to considering the role of material culture in colonial identity formation and negotiation, examination of what has become known as the Dungiven costume also speaks to the ongoing legacy of early modern colonial encounters, as the cultural associations of the garments, and by extension their past wearer(s), continue to be subjected to the politically charged nature of identity politics in contemporary Northern Ireland.

Modeling Klebsiella pneumoniae pathogenesis by infection of the wax moth Galleria mellonella

The implementation of infection models that approximate human disease is essential for understanding pathogenesis at the molecular level and for testing new therapies before they are entered into clinical stages. Insects are increasingly being used as surrogate hosts because they share, with mammals, essential aspects of the innate immune response to infections. We examined whether the larva of the wax moth Galleria mellonella could be used as a host model to conceptually approximate Klebsiella pneumoniae-triggered pneumonia. We report that the G. mellonella model is capable of distinguishing between pathogenic and nonpathogenic Klebsiella strains. Moreover, K. pneumoniae infection of G. mellonella models some of the known features of Klebsiella-induced pneumonia, i.e., cell death associated with bacterial replication, avoidance of phagocytosis by phagocytes, and the attenuation of host defense responses, chiefly the production of antimicrobial factors. Similar to the case for the mouse pneumonia model, activation of innate responses improved G. mellonella survival against subsequent Klebsiella challenge. Virulence factors necessary in the mouse pneumonia model were also implicated in the Galleria model. We found that mutants lacking capsule polysaccharide, lipid A decorations, or the outer membrane proteins OmpA and OmpK36 were attenuated in Galleria. All mutants activated G. mellonella defensive responses. The Galleria model also allowed us to monitor Klebsiella gene expression. The expression levels of cps and the loci implicated in lipid A remodeling peaked during the first hours postinfection, in a PhoPQ- and PmrAB-governed process. Taken together, these results support the utility of G. mellonella as a surrogate host for assessing infections with K. pneumoniae.

Objects of Transcendence: Scots Protestantism and an Anthropology of Things

This anthropological essay takes as its ethnographic point of departure two apparently contrasting deployments of the Bible within contemporary Scotland, one as observed among Brethren and Presbyterian fisher-families in Gamrie, coastal Aberdeenshire, and the other as observed among the Orange Order, a Protestant marching fraternity, in Airdrie and Glasgow. By examining how and with what effects the Bible and other objects (plastic crowns, ‘Sunday clothes’, Orange regalia) enter into and extend beyond the everyday practices of fishermen and Orangemen, my aim is to sketch different aspects of the material life of Scottish Protestantism. By offering a critique of Bruno Latour’s early writing on ‘quasi-objects’ via Alfred Gell’s notion of ‘distributed personhood’, I seek to undermine the sociological assumption that modernity and enchantment are mutually exclusive.

Argonauta Video Database: General simulated scenes. Scene 1 (Right camera)

General simulated scenes These scenes followed a pre-defined script (see the Thesis for details), with common movements corresponding to general experiments. People go to or stand still in front of "J9", and/or go to the side of Argonauta reactor and come back again. The first type of movement is common during Irradiation experiments, where a material sample is put within the "J9" channel; and also during neutrongraphy or gammagraphy experiments, where a sample is placed in front of "J9". Here, the detailed movements of putting samples on these places were not reproduced in details, but only the whole bodies' movements were simulated (as crouching or being still in front of "J9"). The second type of movement may occur when operators go to the side of Argonauta to verify some operational condition. - Scene 1 (Obs.: Scene 1 of the "General simulated scenes" class): Comprises one of the scenes with two persons. Both of them use clothes of light colors. Both persons remain still in front of "J9"; one goes to the computer and then come back, and both go out. Video file labels: "20140326145315_IPCAM": recorded by the right camera,

Argonauta Video Database: General Simulated. Scene 1 (Left Camera)

General simulated scenes These scenes followed a pre-defined script (see the Thesis for details), with common movements corresponding to general experiments. People go to or stand still in front of "J9", and/or go to the side of Argonauta reactor and come back again. The first type of movement is common during Irradiation experiments, where a material sample is put within the "J9" channel; and also during neutrongraphy or gammagraphy experiments, where a sample is placed in front of "J9". Here, the detailed movements of putting samples on these places were not reproduced in details, but only the whole bodies' movements were simulated (as crouching or being still in front of "J9"). The second type of movement may occur when operators go to the side of Argonauta to verify some operational condition. - Scene 1 (Obs.: Scene 1 of the "General simulated scenes" class): Comprises one of the scenes with two persons. Both of them use clothes of light colors. Both persons remain still in front of "J9"; one goes to the computer and then come back, and both go out. Video file labels: "20140326145316_IPCAM": recorded by the left camera.

Argonauta Video Database: General simulated. Scene 2 (Right camera)

General simulated scenes These scenes followed a pre-defined script (see the Thesis for details), with common movements corresponding to general experiments. People go to or stand still in front of "J9", and/or go to the side of Argonauta reactor and come back again. The first type of movement is common during Irradiation experiments, where a material sample is put within the "J9" channel; and also during neutrongraphy or gammagraphy experiments, where a sample is placed in front of "J9". Here, the detailed movements of putting samples on these places were not reproduced in details, but only the whole bodies' movements were simulated (as crouching or being still in front of "J9"). The second type of movement may occur when operators go to the side of Argonauta to verify some operational condition. - Scene 2: Comprises one of the scenes with two persons. Both of them use clothes of dark colors. Both persons go to the side of Argonauta reactor and then come back and go out. Video file labels: "20140326154754_IPCAM": recorded by the right camera.

Argonauta Video Database: General simulated. Scene 2 (Left camera)

General simulated scenes These scenes followed a pre-defined script (see the Thesis for details), with common movements corresponding to general experiments. People go to or stand still in front of "J9", and/or go to the side of Argonauta reactor and come back again. The first type of movement is common during Irradiation experiments, where a material sample is put within the "J9" channel; and also during neutrongraphy or gammagraphy experiments, where a sample is placed in front of "J9". Here, the detailed movements of putting samples on these places were not reproduced in details, but only the whole bodies' movements were simulated (as crouching or being still in front of "J9"). The second type of movement may occur when operators go to the side of Argonauta to verify some operational condition. - Scene 2: Comprises one of the scenes with two persons. Both of them use clothes of dark colors. Both persons go to the side of Argonauta reactor and then come back and go out. Video file labels: "20140326154755_IPCAM": recorded by the left camera.

Design and evaluation of multi-band RF energy harvesting circuits and antennas for WSNs

Radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting is an emerging technology that will enable to drive the next generation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) without the need of using batteries. In this paper, we present RF energy harvesting circuits specifically developed for GSM bands (900/1800) and a wearable dual-band antenna suitable for possible implementation within clothes for body worn applications. Besides, we address the development and experimental characterization of three different prototypes of a five-stage Dickson voltage multiplier (with match impedance circuit) responsible for harvesting the RF energy. Different printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication techniques to produce the prototypes result in different values of conversion efficiency. Therefore, we conclude that if the PCB fabrication is achieved by means of a rigorous control in the photo-positive method and chemical bath procedure applied to the PCB it allows for attaining better values for the conversion efficiency. All three prototypes (1, 2 and 3) can power supply the IRIS sensor node for RF received powers of -4 dBm, -6 dBm and -5 dBm, and conversion efficiencies of 20, 32 and 26%, respectively. © 2014 IEEE.

Comportamentos das famílias portuguesas em épocas de calor e durante a onda de calor de Agosto de 2003

RESUMO - Este estudo teve como principal objectivo a caracterização das atitudes e da adopção de medidas de protecção em períodos de calor e em particular conhecer aquelas que efectivamente foram adoptadas durante a onda de calor de Agosto de 2003 (29 de Julho a 15 de Agosto). Foi realizado um inquérito por via postal, aplicando um questionário aos indivíduos de 18 e mais anos das unidades de alojamento (UA), que constituem a amostra ECOS (Em Casa Observamos Saúde) do Observatório Nacional de Saúde. Estudaram-se 769 indivíduos, o que correspondeu a 25,6% da totalidade dos indivíduos elegíveis nas UA. Uma vez que a amostra ECOS não é autoponderada, foram ponderados os resultados das unidades de alojamento pela variável do Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE) «número de famílias clássicas» por região e pela «população residente segundo o nível de instrução» obtidas pelos censos de 2001. Os comportamentos referidos como adoptados em épocas de calor que apresentaram maiores percentagens foram «tomar duches ou banhos» (84,6%), «ingestão de líquidos» (79,6%), «uso de roupa leve, larga e clara» (73,2%) e «tomar refeições leves» (53,7%). Durante a onda de calor de 2003, a maior parte da população (92,5%) leu, ouviu ou viu informação sobre os cuidados a ter durante a onda de calor, tendo sido a televisão (95,2%), a rádio (56,3%) e os jornais (49,3%) os meios de comunicação social mais referidos. Cerca de metade da população (51,4%) informou alguém, fundamentalmente a família, sobre os cuidados a ter. Com efeito, durante esta onda de calor verificou-se um maior cuidado em relação a comportamentos mais prejudiciais em épocas de maior calor. Por um lado, a população portuguesa andou menos ao sol (49,4%), fez menos viagens de carro/transportes à hora do calor (39,8%), realizou menos actividades que exigiriam esforço físico (32,5%) e também houve alguma preocupação em beber menos bebidas alcoólicas (26,5%). Por outro lado, aumentaram os comportamentos que já são mais habituais durante o período de Verão, tais como abrir as janelas durante a noite (40,8%), tomar refeições leves (46,7%), tomar mais duches ou banhos (58,5%), o uso de roupas leves largas e claras (42,5%) e o uso de ventoinhas (37,8%). A alteração do comportamento andar ou estar ao sol sem restrições aumenta com o número de meios de comunicação onde se obteve informação. Abrir as janelas de casa durante a noite e tomar duches ou banhos apresentou uma associação com o número de meios de comunicação onde se obteve informação e com o número de pessoas que prestaram informação. Ingerir líquidos e usar roupa leve, larga e clara mostrou também uma dependência do número de meios de comunicação onde se obteve informação.

Rough, tough and dependable

Some of your customers could care less what kind of zipper they find in their clothes. All they do is give it the roughest workout.

"I might be a duck, but I'm human" : an analysis of clothing in Disney cartoons

Mickey Mouse, one of the world's most recognizable cartoon characters, did not wear a shirt in his earliest incarnation in theatrical shorts and, for many years, Donald Duck did not wear pants and still rarely does so. Especially when one considers the era in which these figures were first created by the Walt Disney Studio, in the 1920s and 1930s, why are they portrayed without full clothing? The obvious answer, of course, is that they are animals, and animals do not wear clothes. But these are no ordinary animals: in most cases, they do wear clothing - some clothing, at least - and they walk on two legs, talk in a more or less intelligible fashion, and display a number of other anthropomorphic traits. If they are essentially animals, why do they wear clothing at all? On the other hand, if these characters are more human than animal, as suggested by other behavioral traits - they walk, talk, work, read, and so on - why are they not more often fully clothed? To answer these questions I undertook three major research strategies used to gather evidence: interpretive textual analysis of 321 cartoons; secondary analysis of interviews conducted with the animators who created the Disney characters; and historical and archival research on the Disney Company and on the times and context in which it functioned. I was able to identify five themes that played a large part in what kind of clothing a character wore; first, the character's gender and/or sexuality; second, what species or "race" the character was; third, the character's socio-economic status; fourth, the degree to which the character was anthropomorphized; and, fifth, the context in which the character and its clothing appeared in a particular scene or narrative. I concluded that all of these factors played a part in determining, to some extent, the clothing worn by particular characters at particular times. However, certain patterns emerged from the analysis that could not be explained by these factors alone or in combination. Therefore, my analysis also investigates the individual and collective attitudes and desires of the men in the Disney studio who were responsible for creating these characters and the cultural conditions under which they were created. Drawing on literature from the psychoanalytic approach to film studies, I argue that the clothing choices spoke to an idealized fantasy world to which the animators (most importantly, Walt Disney himself), and possibly wider society, wanted to return.