Sensitivity-enhanced fiber optic temperature sensor with strain response suppression

A temperature sensor based on a multimode-singlemode-multimode (MSM) fiber structure has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By utilizing the interference between fiber core and cladding modes, temperature measurement is exploited by monitoring the selected resonant dips shift of the transmission spectrum. A high temperature sensitivity of 50.65 pm/ºC is achieved at a certain resonant dip, accompanied by a suppressed strain sensitivity of only 0.587 pm/με. The sensor reveals the advantages of easy fabrication and interrogation, low cost and small axial strain response. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interviewing suspected offenders

Poor practices in interrogation and interviewing techniques, including those that the scientific literature suggests are counterproductive in eliciting reliable information, have led to many miscarriages of justice around the world, undermining the reputation and trust of the legal processes and organizations involved. This chapter provides a background and history of interrogation and interviewing, one that includes a description of current models and practices and highlights the fundamental differences in the two primary philosophies in Western countries. The chapter also explores the ultimate purpose of interviewing and interrogation together with the questioning strategies that science suggests are the most effective. It is argued throughout the chapter that modern, scientifically backed, interviewing approaches should be used at all times, no matter the challenge or situation, as a pathway towards both the collection of accurate information and diligent adherence to the standards of international human rights.

Tracking habitus across a transnational professional field

The sociology of the professions has shied away from cross-national comparative work. Yet research in different professional jurisdictions emphasizes the transnational nature of professional fields. Further work is therefore needed that explores the extent to which transnational professional fields are characterized by unity or heterogeneity. To that end, this article presents the results of a qualitative interrogation of the habitus of partners in ‘Big 4’ professional service firms across, primarily, five countries (Bangladesh, Canada, France, Spain and the UK). Marked differences are observed between the partner habitus in Bangladesh and the other countries studied in terms of entrepreneurial and public service dispositions. In turn, these findings highlight the methodological relevance of habitus for both the sociology of the professions and comparative capitalism literatures: for the former, habitus aids in mapping the dynamics of transnational professional fields; for the latter, habitus can elucidate the informal norms and conventions of national business systems.

Stem cell-derived astrocytes:are they physiologically credible?

Astrocytes are now increasingly acknowledged as having fundamental and sophisticated roles in brain function and dysfunction. Unravelling the complex mechanisms that underlie human brain astrocyte-neuron interactions is therefore an essential step on the way to understanding how the brain operates. Insights into astrocyte function to date, have almost exclusively been derived from studies conducted using murine or rodent models. Whilst these have led to significant discoveries, preliminary work with human astrocytes has revealed a hitherto unknown range of astrocyte types with potentially greater functional complexity and increased neuronal interaction with respect to animal astrocytes. It is becoming apparent, therefore, that many important functions of astrocytes will only be discovered by direct physiological interrogation of human astrocytes. Recent advancements in the field of stem cell biology have provided a source of human based models. These will provide a platform to facilitate our understanding of normal astrocyte functions as well as their role in CNS pathology. A number of recent studies have demonstrated that stem cell derived astrocytes exhibit a range of properties, suggesting that they may be functionally equivalent to their in vivo counterparts. Further validation against in vivo models will ultimately confirm the future utility of these stem-cell based approaches in fulfilling the need for human- based cellular models for basic and clinical research. In this review we discuss the roles of astrocytes in the brain and highlight the extent to which human stem cell derived astrocytes have demonstrated functional activities that are equivalent to that observed in vivo.

All-fiber loading sensor based on a hybrid 45° and 81° tilted fiber grating structure

We experimentally demonstrate an all-fiber loading sensor system based on a 45° and an 81° tilted fiber grating (TFG). We have fabricated two TFGs adjacent to each other in a single fiber to form a hybrid structure. When the transverse load applied to the 81° TFG, the light coupling to the two orthogonally polarized modes will interchange the power according to the load applied to the fiber, which provides a solution to measure the load. For real applications, we further investigated the interrogation of this all-fiber loading sensor system using a low-cost and compact-size single wavelength source and a power meter. The experimental results have clearly shown that a low-cost high-sensitivity loading sensor system can be developed based on the proposed TFG configuration.

Biosensor based on excessively tilted fiber grating in thin-cladding optical fiber for sensitive and selective detection of low glucose concentration

We report a highly sensitive, high Q-factor, label free and selective glucose sensor by using excessively tilted fiber grating (Ex-TFG) inscribed in the thin-cladding optical fiber (TCOF). Glucose oxidase (GOD) was covalently immobilized on optical fiber surface and the effectiveness of GOD immobilization was investigated by the fluorescence microscopy and highly accurate spectral interrogation method. In contrast to the long period grating (LPG) and optical fiber (OF) surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) based glucose sensors, the Ex-TFG configuration has merits of nearly independent cross sensitivity of the environmental temperature, simple fabrication method (no noble metal deposition or cladding etching) and high detection accuracy (or Q-factor). Our experimental results have shown that Ex-TFG in TCOF based sensor has a reliable and fast detection for the glucose concentration as low as 0.1~2.5mg/ml and a high sensitivity of ~1.514nm·(mg/ml)−1, which the detection accuracy is ~0.2857nm−1 at pH 5.2, and the limit of detection (LOD) is 0.013~0.02mg/ml at the pH range of 5.2~7.4 by using an optical spectrum analyzer with a resolution of 0.02nm.

Dynamic strain sensor using a vcsel and a polymer fiber bragg grating in a multimode fiber

We have implemented a dynamic strain sensor using a Polymer Optical Fiber Bragg Grating (POFBG). In this paper, we have investigated an approach for making such systems cheaper through the use of easy to handle multimode fiber. A Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser is used to decrease the cost of the interrogation system and a photodetector converts the reflected light into an electrical signal.

True and false confessions to an intentional act: A novel experimental paradigm

Due to the powerful nature of confession evidence, it is imperative that we investigate the factors that affect the likelihood of obtaining true and false confessions. Previous research has been conducted with a paradigm limited to the study of false confessions to an act of negligence, thereby limiting the generalizability of the findings. The first goal of the current study was to introduce a novel paradigm involving a more serious, intentional act that can be used in the study of both true and false confessions. The second goal was to explore the effects of two police interrogation tactics, minimization and an offer of leniency, on true and false confession rates. ^ Three hundred and thirty-four undergraduates at a large southeastern university were recruited to participate in a study on problem-solving and decision-making. During the course of the laboratory experiment, participants were induced to intentionally break or not break an experimental rule, an act that was characterized as “cheating.” All participants (i.e., both innocent and guilty) were later accused of the act and interrogated. For half of the participants, the interrogator used minimization tactics, which involved downplaying the seriousness of the offense, expressing sympathy, and providing face-saving excuses, in order to encourage the participant to confess. An offer of leniency was also manipulated in which half the participants were offered a “deal” that involved the option of confessing and accepting a known punishment or not confessing and facing the threat of harsher punishment. Results indicated that guilty persons were more likely to confess than innocent persons, and that the use of minimization and an explicit offer of leniency increased both the true and false confession rates. Furthermore, a cumulative effect of techniques was observed, such that the diagnosticity of the interrogation (the ratio of true confessions to false confessions) decreased as the number of techniques used increased. Taken together, the results suggest that caution should be used when implementing these techniques in the interrogation room. ^

The Effect of Rapport Building in Police Interrogations: Can Rapport Improve the Diagnosticity of Confession Evidence?

Police investigators rely heavily on eliciting confessions from suspects to solve crimes and prosecute offenders. Therefore, it is essential to develop evidence-based interrogation techniques that will motivate guilty suspects to confess but minimize false confessions from the innocent. Currently, there is little scientific support for specific interrogation techniques that may increase true confessions and decrease false confessions. Rapport building is a promising possibility. Despite its recommendation in police interrogation guidelines, there is no scientific evidence showing the effect of rapport building in police interrogations. The current study examined, experimentally, whether using rapport as an interrogation technique would influence participants’ decisions to confess to a wrongdoing. It was hypothesized that building rapport with participants would lead to more true confessions and fewer false confessions than not building rapport. One hundred and sixty nine undergraduates participated in the study. Participants worked on logic problems together and individually, with a study confederate. The confederate asked half of the participants for help in one of the individual problems – effectively breaking the rules of the study. After working on these problems, a research assistant playing the role of interviewer came into the room, built rapport or not with participants, accused all participants of cheating by sharing answers on the individual problems, and asked them to sign a statement admitting their guilt. Results indicated that guilty participants were more likely to sign the confession statement than innocent participants. However, there were no significant differences on participants’ confession decisions based on the level of rapport they experienced. Results do not provide support for the hypothesis that building rapport increases the likelihood of obtaining true confessions and decreases the likelihood of obtaining false confessions. These findings suggest that, despite the overwhelming recommendation for the use of rapport with suspects, its actual implementation may not have a direct impact on the outcome of interrogations.

Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) V3

The Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) is a synthesis of quality-controlled fCO2 (fugacity of carbon dioxide) values for the global surface oceans and coastal seas with regular updates. Version 3 of SOCAT has 14.5 million fCO2 values from 3646 data sets covering the years 1957 to 2014. This latest version has an additional 4.4 million fCO2 values relative to version 2 and extends the record from 2011 to 2014. Version 3 also significantly increases the data availability for 2005 to 2013. SOCAT has an average of approximately 1.2 million surface water fCO2 values per year for the years 2006 to 2012. Quality and documentation of the data has improved. A new feature is the data set quality control (QC) flag of E for data from alternative sensors and platforms. The accuracy of surface water fCO2 has been defined for all data set QC flags. Automated range checking has been carried out for all data sets during their upload into SOCAT. The upgrade of the interactive Data Set Viewer allows better interrogation of the SOCAT data collection and rapid creation of high-quality figures for scientific presentations. Automated data upload has been launched for version 4 and will enable more frequent SOCAT releases in the future. High-profile scientific applications of SOCAT include quantification of the ocean sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide and its long-term variation, detection of ocean acidification, as well as evaluation of coupled-climate and ocean-only biogeochemical models. Users of SOCAT data products are urged to acknowledge the contribution of data providers, as stated in the SOCAT Fair Data Use Statement. This living data publication documents changes in the methods and data sets used in this new version of the SOCAT data collection compared with previous publications of this data collection (Pfeil et al., 2013; Sabine et al., 2013; Bakker et al., 2014).

Les pratiques culturelles des excisions et des infibulations à Bamako au Mali : la contribution de la dignité humaine au respect de l’intégrité physique des femmes

Une des questions les plus débattues dans le domaine de l’éthique en ce XXIème siècle entre l’Afrique et le monde occidental concerne le respect de l’intégrité physique des femmes. Parmi les actions humaines qui touchent le plus l’intégrité corporelle, les excisions et les infibulations sont les plus dénoncées en Afrique. Longtemps considérées comme des rites d’initiation pubertaire des filles, ces pratiques sont maintenant considérées comme néfastes à la santé, et communément désignées par la communauté internationale de « mutilations sexuelles féminines ». Au cours des dernières décennies, ces pratiques ont été progressivement interdites légalement tant dans la plupart des pays d’Afrique que dans les pays occidentaux. Le Comité Inter-Africain (CIAF) contre les mutilations sexuelles demande la « tolérance zéro » par rapport à ces pratiques. La communauté internationale les combat avec des armes juridiques, en se référant aux conséquences médicales et aux droits de l’homme. Notre thèse est née d’une interrogation sur les raisons pour lesquelles ces rites se poursuivent encore en Afrique et plus spécialement au Mali, alors que dans les pays occidentaux, on élève fortement la voix pour les dénoncer comme sévices infligés aux femmes. Sur le plan international, on hésite à imposer des valeurs universelles à un phénomène perçu dans une large mesure comme une tradition conforme aux normes sociales des communautés qui les maintiennent. Afin de mieux cerner le sujet, notre questionnement a été le suivant : « Comment les pratiques culturelles des excisions et des infibulations, dans la ville de Bamako au Mali, interpellent-elles l’éthique : en quoi l’analyse de ces rites constitue-t-elle un domaine légitime d’application des principes de la bioéthique ? » Notre réflexion part du postulat que la dignité humaine est une norme à l’aune de laquelle se mesurent les défis éthiques liés à ces rites. Un proverbe Bambara dit ceci : « Une seule main ne lave pas proprement un éléphant ». La logique de cette sagesse met en évidence qu’une seule approche disciplinaire ne saurait faire ressortir les enjeux éthiques de ces pratiques. Notre analyse bioéthique se veut une démarche interdisciplinaire, qui permet d’articuler les approches philosophiques, anthropologiques, sociologiques et biomédicales de ces pratiques. Le premier chapitre, à travers la revue des écrits, présente la problématique de ces rites. Le deuxième chapitre présente le cadre théorique basé sur la notion de dignité humaine et délimite « ses contours, ses sources, ses formes et ses conséquences » afin de la rendre plus efficace et opérationnelle comme moyen de protection de l’être humain. Le troisième chapitre présente la méthodologie de la recherche basée sur la méthode qualitative et l’induction analytique et décrit le contexte de l’étude. Le quatrième chapitre présente les résultats de la recherche qui font ressortir que ces pratiques se résument essentiellement au contrôle du désir sexuel féminin. Ces pratiques sont par ailleurs déritualisées, touchent de plus en plus des enfants, comportent des risques et des conséquences sur la santé avec des coûts humains et financiers pour la société. Le cinquième chapitre analyse ces pratiques avec les principes éthiques qui démontrent qu’elles constituent un problème de santé publique malgré leur caractère culturel. Enfin, le sixième chapitre présente la portée et la limite de la thèse. Celle-ci montre qu’il est possible de mener un débat sur les excisions et les infibulations à travers une éthique de discussion. Elle offre un moyen pour y parvenir avec une vision de la notion de dignité humaine comme une « valeur éthique universelle » susceptible d’être utilisée dans toutes les actions impliquant l’être humain et dans tous les contextes socio-culturels. Notre démarche élargit ainsi le champ d’application des principes bioéthiques à des pratiques non-médicales. Par cette thèse, nous souhaitons contribuer à enrichir la réflexion éthique sur les excisions et les infibulations et inspirer les politiques de santé publique dans le respect des diversités culturelles. Nous espérons pouvoir inspirer aussi d’autres recherches en vue de rapprocher la bioéthique des pratiques culturelles traditionnelles afin de trouver des compromis raisonnables qui pourraient renforcer le rôle de protection de la dignité humaine.

Chaucer and the Disconsolations of Philosophy: Boethius, Agency, and Literary Form in Late Medieval Literature

This study argues that Chaucer's poetry belongs to a far-reaching conversation about the forms of consolation (philosophical, theological, and poetic) that are available to human persons. Chaucer's entry point to this conversation was Boethius's Consolation of Philosophy, a sixth-century dialogue that tried to show how the Stoic ideals of autonomy and self-possession are not simply normative for human beings but remain within the grasp of every individual. Drawing on biblical commentary, consolation literature, and political theory, this study contends that Chaucer's interrogation of the moral and intellectual ideals of the Consolation took the form of philosophical disconsolations: scenes of profound poetic rupture in which a character, sometimes even Chaucer himself, turns to philosophy for solace and yet fails to be consoled. Indeed, philosophy itself becomes a source of despair. In staging these disconsolations, I contend that Chaucer asks his readers to consider the moral dimensions of the aspirations internal to ancient philosophy and the assumptions about the self that must be true if its insights are to console and instruct. For Chaucer, the self must be seen as a gift that flowers through reciprocity (both human and divine) and not as an object to be disciplined and regulated.

Chapter one focuses on the Consolation of Philosophy. I argue that recent attempts to characterize Chaucer's relationship to this text as skeptical fail to engage the Consolation on its own terms. The allegory of Lady Philosophy's revelation to a disconsolate Boethius enables philosophy to become both an agent and an object of inquiry. I argue that Boethius's initial skepticism about the pretentions of philosophy is in part what Philosophy's therapies are meant to respond to. The pressures that Chaucer's poetry exerts on the ideals of autonomy and self-possession sharpen one of the major absences of the Consolation: viz., the unanswered question of whether Philosophy's therapies have actually consoled Boethius. Chapter two considers one of the Consolation's fascinating and paradoxical afterlives: Robert Holcot's Postilla super librum sapientiae (1340-43). I argue that Holcot's Stoic conception of wisdom, a conception he explicitly links with Boethius's Consolation, relies on a model of agency that is strikingly similar to the powers of self-knowledge that Philosophy argues Boethius to posses. Chapter three examines Chaucer's fullest exploration of the Boethian model of selfhood and his ultimate rejection of it in Troilus and Criseyde. The poem, which Chaucer called his "tragedy," belonged to a genre of classical writing he knew of only from Philosophy's brief mention of it in the Consolation. Chaucer appropriates the genre to explore and recover mourning as a meaningful act. In Chapter four, I turn to Dante and the House of Fame to consider Chaucer's self-reflections about his ambitions as a poet and the demands of truth-telling.

Les pratiques culturelles des excisions et des infibulations à Bamako au Mali : la contribution de la dignité humaine au respect de l’intégrité physique des femmes

Une des questions les plus débattues dans le domaine de l’éthique en ce XXIème siècle entre l’Afrique et le monde occidental concerne le respect de l’intégrité physique des femmes. Parmi les actions humaines qui touchent le plus l’intégrité corporelle, les excisions et les infibulations sont les plus dénoncées en Afrique. Longtemps considérées comme des rites d’initiation pubertaire des filles, ces pratiques sont maintenant considérées comme néfastes à la santé, et communément désignées par la communauté internationale de « mutilations sexuelles féminines ». Au cours des dernières décennies, ces pratiques ont été progressivement interdites légalement tant dans la plupart des pays d’Afrique que dans les pays occidentaux. Le Comité Inter-Africain (CIAF) contre les mutilations sexuelles demande la « tolérance zéro » par rapport à ces pratiques. La communauté internationale les combat avec des armes juridiques, en se référant aux conséquences médicales et aux droits de l’homme. Notre thèse est née d’une interrogation sur les raisons pour lesquelles ces rites se poursuivent encore en Afrique et plus spécialement au Mali, alors que dans les pays occidentaux, on élève fortement la voix pour les dénoncer comme sévices infligés aux femmes. Sur le plan international, on hésite à imposer des valeurs universelles à un phénomène perçu dans une large mesure comme une tradition conforme aux normes sociales des communautés qui les maintiennent. Afin de mieux cerner le sujet, notre questionnement a été le suivant : « Comment les pratiques culturelles des excisions et des infibulations, dans la ville de Bamako au Mali, interpellent-elles l’éthique : en quoi l’analyse de ces rites constitue-t-elle un domaine légitime d’application des principes de la bioéthique ? » Notre réflexion part du postulat que la dignité humaine est une norme à l’aune de laquelle se mesurent les défis éthiques liés à ces rites. Un proverbe Bambara dit ceci : « Une seule main ne lave pas proprement un éléphant ». La logique de cette sagesse met en évidence qu’une seule approche disciplinaire ne saurait faire ressortir les enjeux éthiques de ces pratiques. Notre analyse bioéthique se veut une démarche interdisciplinaire, qui permet d’articuler les approches philosophiques, anthropologiques, sociologiques et biomédicales de ces pratiques. Le premier chapitre, à travers la revue des écrits, présente la problématique de ces rites. Le deuxième chapitre présente le cadre théorique basé sur la notion de dignité humaine et délimite « ses contours, ses sources, ses formes et ses conséquences » afin de la rendre plus efficace et opérationnelle comme moyen de protection de l’être humain. Le troisième chapitre présente la méthodologie de la recherche basée sur la méthode qualitative et l’induction analytique et décrit le contexte de l’étude. Le quatrième chapitre présente les résultats de la recherche qui font ressortir que ces pratiques se résument essentiellement au contrôle du désir sexuel féminin. Ces pratiques sont par ailleurs déritualisées, touchent de plus en plus des enfants, comportent des risques et des conséquences sur la santé avec des coûts humains et financiers pour la société. Le cinquième chapitre analyse ces pratiques avec les principes éthiques qui démontrent qu’elles constituent un problème de santé publique malgré leur caractère culturel. Enfin, le sixième chapitre présente la portée et la limite de la thèse. Celle-ci montre qu’il est possible de mener un débat sur les excisions et les infibulations à travers une éthique de discussion. Elle offre un moyen pour y parvenir avec une vision de la notion de dignité humaine comme une « valeur éthique universelle » susceptible d’être utilisée dans toutes les actions impliquant l’être humain et dans tous les contextes socio-culturels. Notre démarche élargit ainsi le champ d’application des principes bioéthiques à des pratiques non-médicales. Par cette thèse, nous souhaitons contribuer à enrichir la réflexion éthique sur les excisions et les infibulations et inspirer les politiques de santé publique dans le respect des diversités culturelles. Nous espérons pouvoir inspirer aussi d’autres recherches en vue de rapprocher la bioéthique des pratiques culturelles traditionnelles afin de trouver des compromis raisonnables qui pourraient renforcer le rôle de protection de la dignité humaine.

TENDENCIA THATCHERITIS OR ENGLISHNESS REMADE: The Fictions of Julian Barnes, Hanif Kureishi and Pat Barker

Julian Barnes, Pat Barker, and Hanif Kureishi are all canonical authors whose fictions are widely believed to reflect the cultural and political state of a nation that is post-war, post-imperial and post-modern. While much has been written on how Barker’s and Kureishi’s early works in particular respond to and intervene in the presiding political narrative of the 1980s – Thatcherism – treatment of how revenants of Thatcherism have shaped these writers’ works from 1990 on has remained cursory. Thatcherism is more than an obvious historical reference point for Barker, Barnes, and Kureishi; their works demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how Thatcher’s reworkings of the repertoires of Englishness – a representational as well as political and cultural endeavour – persist beyond her time in office. Barnes, Barker, and Kureishi seem to have reached the same conclusion as political and cultural critics: Thatcher and Thatcherism have remade not only the contemporary political and cultural landscapes but also the electorate and consequently the English themselves. Tony Blair’s conception of the New Britain proved less than satisfactory because contemporary repertoires of Englishness repeat and rework historical and not incidentally imperial formulations of England and Englishness rather than envision civic and populist formulations of renewal. Barnes’s England, England and Arthur & George confront the discourse of inevitability that has come to be attached to contemporary formulations of both political and cultural Englishness – both in terms of its predictable demise and its belated celebration. Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia and “The Body” speak to an alteration that has taken place in which historical Englishness and Thatcherism have become complementary rather than contrasting discourses. What Barker’s Border Crossing and Double Vision offer against this backdrop is a subtle interrogation of how renewal itself comes to be a presiding mode of cultural reflection that absorbs revolutionary possibility.