Shady Side Research Articles

Roadbed temperature study based on earth-atmosphere coupled system in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Abstract In this work, a two-dimensional unsteady model for analyzing the roadbed temperature in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) is developed and the heat transfer processes of comprehensive earth-atmosphere coupled system are simulated by the numerical method. In the computation, the surrounding air environment of ground surface is brought into the research model and the corresponding unsteady and non-uniform influence factors of earth-atmosphere coupled system are also considered to obtain reasonable simulation results. Meanwhile, the model is validated with monitored data at a depth of 0.5 m in different roadbed positions. Based on the above model, the spatial and temporal temperature distributions of the roadbed surface in Wudaoliang region are determined. Then the influences of the system parameters, such as the ambient temperature, wind speed, roadbed height and route trends, on the local temperature distribution are investigated. The results show that, temperature of surface regions exhibits a periodic sinusoid trend and always higher than the ambient air temperature. For different surface regions, the temperature of asphalt pavement keeps the maximum value and the natural ground surface has an abrupt step change in temperature at beginning of April and end of October. The variation of ambient air temperature has little influence on annual average temperature of permafrost roadbed surface. The deviations between the surfaces' annual average temperature increase and their average values are less than 1%. Annual average temperature of various surfaces decreases as the wind speed and the roadbed height increase. Furthermore, the annual average temperature of leeward slope (also sunny side) along EW direction is the highest one among all three route directions and such temperature decreased systematically from SW45° direction to SN direction. However, the annual temperature of upwind slope (also shady side) is just contrary to the leeward slope.

Photoactivated route and new bromine source for AgBr/Ag nanocomposites with enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity

AgBr/Ag nanocomposites were fabricated by an in situ photoactivated route. Tetra-octylammonium bromide was used firstly as both bromine source and surfactant. The composites were composed of AgBr particles and Ag nanoparticles that deposited evenly on the surface of AgBr particles. The AgBr/Ag nanocomposites exhibited higher visible light photocatalytic activity for decomposing organic pollutant under the irradiation of common 24W cool daylight fluorescent lamp or direct sunlight. Even under the diffuse indoor daylight of a shady side room, the AgBr/Ag nanocomposite photocatalyst still possessed the ability to degrade model dyes. Recycle photocatalysis experiments indicated that the AgBr/Ag nanocomposites exhibited higher stability.

Non‐destructive evaluation of ripening and quality traits in apples using a multiparametric fluorescence sensor

The detection of pigments and colourless flavonoids in apples can provide a useful indication of fruit quality. Optical methods are preferable because they are fast and non-destructive. In this study, a fluorescence-based portable sensor was used in order to non-invasively determine the content of chlorophylls, anthocyanins and flavonols in Fuji, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apple cultivars. The aim was to define new non-destructive optical indices of apple quality. The anthocyanin index (ANTH) in Fuji was higher in the sunny (i.e. sun-exposed) side of the fruit compared to the shady side. For all cultivars, the flavonol index (FLAV) was higher in the sunny side compared with the shady side. The chlorophyll index (CHL) for the shady sides of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious was significantly higher than for the sunny sides. Fine linear regressions were found between the ANTH, FLAV and CHL indices and the actual anthocyanin, flavonol and chlorophyll concentrations, respectively, which were determined destructively on the apple peel extracts. A negative correlation was found between the apple sugar content and the chlorophyll fluorescence in the far-red spectral band. Our results indicate that a single multiparametric fluorescence-based sensor can provide valuable non-destructive markers of ripening and quality in apples.

Fashion World – models and backstages

The ethics of encouraging young girls to aspire to unrealistic and idealized models of femininity exemplified by the 'fashion model' has been discussed both in academic and public debate. What is less known is how the beauty system moulds and affects the models themselves. Those models who appear as the epitome of glamour also have a shady side away from the limelight where different ethical dilemmas loom large. As a psychoanalyst, I know about the human cost paid by the very individuals who are commodified into objects of desire.

Interrogating ‘Digital Korea’: Mobile Phone Tracking and the Spatial Expansion of Labour Control

This study investigates the realistic conditions of ‘digital Korea’, especially as they are exemplified by the Samsung SDI scandal in South Korea. Samsung SDI, the world's largest plasma TV maker and a subsidiary of the Samsung Group, has fallen under suspicion due to using illegally cloned mobile phones to track the location data of some activist workers who tried to organise a union. The study stresses that this example of mobile tracking represents the shady side of mobile phone use created by management's excessive desire for labour control, and confirms that mobile tracking techniques make possible the spatial expansion of the scope of power. The spatial vocabulary of power is not totalitarian, but dispersed and nomadic in action, and resides in the space of ‘flows’ constructed by electronic impulses. This study discloses that, for private corporations, mobile tracking facilitates a form of efficient, invisible labour control over ‘targeted’ workers, even outside the workplace. It concludes that the control of labourers in Korea has been reinforced by the confluence of business interests, the under-developed political system and a societal lack of interest in privacy.

Observation Study on the Stability of Frozen Soil Roadbed Equipped with Thermosyphon in Chaidaer-Muli Railway

The Chaidaer-muli railway winds along the Datong River in the central region of the Qilian Mountains. The widely distributed permafrost along the railway is characterized by swampy and warm, which leads to the poor Engineering geologic conditions of the transportation line from the point of frozen soil. That the extending direction of the railway is nearly southeast-northwest causes its roadbed experience the yin-yang slope problems. To improve the stability of frozen soil roadbed, proactive cooling measures were adopted in a large proportion of the roadbed with permafrost, in which about 20km railway was equipped with thermosyphon. At the same time, different design parameter was adopted in the sunny and shady side slopes in the thermosyphon parts. Observation data in the experimental section with warm permafrost shows, under the condition of current thermosyphon techniques and design parameters, thermosyphon measures can effectively cool the frozen soil roadbed, substantially reduce the settlement and successfully solve the yin-yang slope problem of the railway subgrade in swampy warm permafrost.

Not All Consumerism has a Shady Side!

Consumerism and tourism on mass scales are two defining characteristics of modern society which have both inspired much criticism. They are also closely connected and certain examples of tourism are seen as undesirable manifestations of consumerism. Questions of whether the censure of the phenomena is justified and the nature of their relationship are addressed in this brief commentary written in response to the research probe which raises enduring and still pertinent issues about tourism as a human and commercial activity, underlying dynamics and impacts. Reactions to the proposition that consumerism encourages bad tourism partly depend on the meanings ascribed to the terms. The notion of bad tourism is frequently associated with selected instances of modern mass tourism and its consequences, exemplified by the urbanization of coastlines around the world deemed by detractors to have been ‘ruined’. Large resorts and developed seashores are not, however, intrinsically bad and are a core visitor attraction with the capacity to perform valuable functions for tourists and destination residents. Their popularity may alleviate pressures elsewhere and protect more sensitive and vulnerable socio-cultural and physical environments which are under threat from the shift away from standardized tourism to a series of markets of vacationers looking for novelty of setting and experience. Smaller scale tourism of a sort typified by ecotourism and cultural tourism is lauded by suppliers and participants. It is hailed as the antithesis of and superior to modern mass tourism because of the rectitude of motives and positive effects, yet it is not necessarily better or to be welcomed. Tourists who search out pristine territories and remote communities could cause disruption to fragile eco-systems and everyday life, despite protestations about responsible travel (Butcher 2003). What constitutes bad and good tourism is clearly subject to interpretation and perceptions reflect the position of the individual and group alongside circumstances prevailing in countries of departure and arrival. Academic opinion is also divided within and between disciplines, although social scientists as a whole have been very fierce critics of tourism which is perhaps something of an easy target for them. The long standing dispute about whether tourism is a blessing or blight (Young 1973) would seem to be one that will never be fully resolved; for almost every argument, there is a counter-argument which has resulted in a circularity of discourse. Tourism as a field of enquiry and action is full of complexities and contradictions, encompassing an immense range of individual behaviour and commercial products as well as spaces where it occurs. Generalizations become difficult and opinions about badness or goodness are determined by personal, economic, political, socio-cultural, geographical and historical contexts. Interestingly, the debate is not confined to instances from contemporary society and Baranowski (2004) writes about consumerism and mass tourism in the Third Reich in her study of the Nazi ‘Strength through Joy’ programme. It claimed to be one of the largest leisure and travel organisers in the world and a force for good, integrating work and leisure, a view which soon became untenable.

The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States (review)

The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States (review)

Sunny–shady slope effect on the thermal and deformation stability of the highway embankment in warm permafrost regions

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate how the sunny–shady slope impacts on the thermal and deformation stability of the highway embankment in warm permafrost region. The investigation was done by analyzing both the observational geo-temperature and deformation data of the embankment in the experimental section K369+100 along the National Highway 214 on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Also, the fundamental cause of the embankment transverse asymmetrical thermal regime and asymmetrical deformation was discussed. The observation data indicates (1) for embankment in warm permafrost regions, the deformation stability is highly correlated with the thermal stability, and the embankment transverse deformation is mainly controlled by the ground temperature and its change; (2) the absorbed solar radiation difference between sunny and shady slopes results in the embankment's transverse thermal difference, which leads to asymmetrical deformation; and (3) the time of the highest settlement deformation does not coincide with that of the maximum thaw depth, which means that the development of the embankment deformation lags behind the development of embankment temperature. For the embankment with differential deformation in transverse section, the times of the highest settlement deformation on two sides of embankment are different. This difference lies in that the time of the highest settlement deformation on the sunny side is later than that on the shady side of the embankment. The differential deformation will be magnified over time, and finally the embankment stability is engulfed by the longitudinal cracks caused by asymmetric settlement of permafrost.

The shady side of sunlight current understanding of the mechanisms underlying UV-induction of skin cancers

The incidence of skin cancer has been rising at an astonishing rate, particularly that of the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma. While the molecular mechanisms of sunlight ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) have been well documented, there is a major gap in our current knowledge of how UV initiates melanoma. However, the components of the retinoblastoma (Rb) pathway, the p53 and the p16 pathways are considered the major targets of UV-induced NMSC and melanoma, respectively. Our recent study has revealed that these two pathways coordinate the early responses to UV radiation in the skin. Here, we review the value of studies targeting these early events of skin carcinogenesis, with specific focus on the critical role of the components of the Rb pathway.

The underworld of gemstones

In recent decades prices of high-end "colored gemstones" (trade jargon for precious stones other than diamonds), like almost all "collectibles," have risen dramatically. Demand has been spreading to economic classes formerly excluded at the same time the supply of high-quality material from natural sources falls, leading to constant searches for as yet undiscovered sites, which may take on the character of gold-rushes. While no doubt criminogenic factors have always existed within the gemstone business, periods of rapid price rise mean stronger temptation for illegal activities. The potential list of economic offenses, civil, regulatory and criminal, associated with the gemstones business includes: illegal mining, environmental offenses, bribery, gun-running, smuggling, "terrorist" (i.e. insurgent) financing, commercial fraud, mining-share swindles, money laundering and, not least, simple theft along with recycling stolen goods. This paper represents an attempt to understand the criminogenic factors in light of the history and current structures of the business. It fits the gemstone trade into a commercial, geo-strategic and sociological matrix, the three often interacting in mutually reinforcing ways. It asks whether, given the incentives and opportunities for illicit activity, relying primarily on industry self-regulation makes sense. But it questions whether the international regulatory regime now in place for diamonds can be applied to the far more diffuse supply-side of the colored gemstone market. The paper is divided into three parts. The first, "Under the Rainbow," examined the shady side of gemstone mining in a geo-political context. The second "In the Eye of the Beholder" looked at fraud in cutting and polishing of rough gemstones into finished gems. The third, the current one, entitled "Hot Rocks, Cold Cash," focuses on illicit activity in the retail jewelry trade.

The underworld of gemstones

In recent decades prices of high-end "colored gemstones" (trade jargon for precious stones other than diamonds), like almost all "collectibles," have risen dramatically. Demand has been spreading to economic classes formerly excluded at the same time the supply of high-quality material from natural sources falls, leading to constant searches for as yet undiscovered sites, which may take on the character of gold-rushes. While no doubt criminogenic factors have always existed within the gemstone business, periods of rapid price rise mean stronger temptation for illegal activities. The potential list of economic offenses, civil, regulatory and criminal, associated with the gemstones business includes: illegal mining, environmental offenses, bribery, gun-running, smuggling, "terrorist"(i.e. insurgent) financing, commercial fraud, mining-share swindles, money laundering and, not least, simple theft along with recycling stolen goods. This paper represents an attempt to understand the criminogenic factors in light of the history and current structures of the business. It fits the gemstone trade into a commercial, geo-strategic and sociological matrix, the three often interacting in mutually reinforcing ways. It asks whether, given the incentives and opportunities for illicit activity, relying primarily on industry self-regulation makes sense. But it questions whether the international regulatory regime now in place for diamonds can be applied to the far more diffuse supply-side of the colored gemstone market. The paper is divided into three parts. The first, "Under the Rainbow," examined the shady side of gemstone mining in a geo-political context. The current one, the second in the series, entitled "In the Eye of the Beholder," looks at fraud in cutting and polishing of rough gemstones into finished gems. The third "Hot Rocks, Cold Cash" will focus on illicit activity in the retail jewelry trade.

The underworld of gemstones

In recent decades prices of high-end “colored gemstones” (trade jargon for precious stones other than diamonds), like almost all “collectibles,” have risen dramatically. Demand has been spreading to economic classes formerly excluded at the same time the supply of high-quality material from natural sources falls, leading to constant searches (that may take on the character of gold-rushes) for as yet undiscovered sites. While no doubt criminogenic factors have always existed within the gemstone business, periods of rapid price rise mean stronger temptation for illegal activities. The potential list of economic offenses, civil, regulatory and criminal, associated with the gemstones business includes: illegal mining, environmental offenses, bribery, gun-running, smuggling, “terrorist”(i.e. insurgent) financing, commercial fraud, mining-share swindles, money laundering and, not least, simple theft along with recycling stolen goods. This paper represents an attempt to understand the criminogenic factors in light of the history and current structures of the business. It fits the gemstone trade into a commercial, geo-strategic and sociological matrix, the three often interacting in mutually reinforcing ways. It asks whether, given the incentives and opportunities for illicit activity, relying primarily on industry self-regulation makes sense. But it also questions whether the international regulatory regime now in place for diamonds can be applied to the far more diffuse supply-side conditions of the colored gemstone market. Methodologically, the paper is a research essay in the political economy of clandestine international economic activity, with particular focus on its historical, geo-strategic and sociological context rather than a more narrow, traditional criminological study. The second may work well enough when the activity under investigation is a crime per se, as with studies of illegal drugs. However when the activity is inherently legal, but conducted illegally, it is essential to understand thoroughly the nature and operation of the legal business to make sense of the illegal. The illegal is buried in and works concurrently with the legal, not in the narrow sense of having the legal as cover, but in a more profound sense of the legal and the illegal sharing attitudes and supporting institutions. The paper is divided into three parts. The first, “Under the Rainbow,”examines the shady side of gemstone mining in a geo-political context. The second, “In the Eye of the Beholder,” looks at fraud in cutting and polishing of rough gemstones into finished gems. The third, “Hot Rocks, Cold Cash,” focuses on illicit activity in the retail jewelry trade.

The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States (review)

The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States (review)

:The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States

:The Shady Side of Fifty: Age and Old Age in Late Victorian Canada and the United States

A Portable Device for the Bioyield Detection to Measure Apple Firmness

The bioyield phenomenon occurs to the apple fruit when it is subjected to compressive loading (i.e., compression or puncture), which causes cell failure without disintegrating the macro tissue structure. Force at the bioyield point is useful for nondestructive evaluation of fruit firmness. A portable device, which consisted of an off-shelf force meter, an actuation driver, and control unit, was developed for detecting bioyield force from apples. Experiments were performed on 'Golden Delicious' and 'Red Delicious' apples to determine the correlation between bioyield force measurement and the standard Magness-Taylor (MT) firmness test, evaluate the sensitivity of bioyield measurement to changes in firmness over time, and quantify firmness variation over the fruit. Bioyield force correlated with MT force with R2 values of 0.835, 0.654, and 0.751 for 'Golden Delicious,' 'Red Delicious,' and the pooled data, respectively. Bioyield force was as sensitive to firmness change over time as MT force (R2 = 0.990) for apples that underwent accelerated softening. The bottom section (the calyx end) of the apple was significantly firmer than the middle and top sections of the fruit. Moreover, the south face or sunny side of the apple was significantly firmer than the north face or shady side of the fruit. Hence, two bioyield measurements should be performed at opposing sides of an apple around the equator to obtain the average firmness value for the fruit. The bioyield device is useful for measuring the firmness of apples in the orchard and during postharvest handling, and for monitoring fruit conditions during storage.

Weathering patinas on the medieval (S. XIV) stained glass windows of the Pedralbes Monastery (Barcelona, Spain)

The first step in the restoration of a medieval stained glass window is the evaluation of its degree of degradation. This implies the study of the chemical composition of the stained glass as well as the new mineral phases developed on its surface (patinas). Patinas are clearly related to glass composition, time, environmental conditions, microenvironments developed in local zones, bioactivity, physical and chemical factors, etc. This study was carried out on patinas developed in selected Na-rich stained glass of the Santa Maria de Pedralbes Monastery (Barcelona, Spain). The location of this monument in the city (about 5 km from the shoreline and close to the Collserola hill flank) helped to determine the environmental conditions in which patinas developed. The aim of our study was to characterize the patinas formed on the surface of the selected glass of this monastery in order to understand the role of the chemical composition of the original glass (Na-rich) as well as the environmental conditions in which they developed. Powdered samples of two different color-type patinas (ochre-orange and brownish) were collected in the external and internal parts of the stained glass windows of the Prebystery and Chapter House of the Pedralbes Monastery by using a precision (odontological) drill. These patinas were subsequently analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). XRD analyses evidenced the presence of sulfates (gypsum and thenardite), calcite, Ca-oxalates (whewellite and weddellite), and quartz forming part of the patinas. Although these mineral phases can be found in both color-type patinas, whewellite and thenardite are more common in the ochre-orange patinas. The results obtained were validated by the FTIR measurements. It has been observed, when thenardite is present, that gypsum occurs as traces. Thenardite is in most of the cases associated with whewellite and mainly occurs in the internal parts of the glass. In contrast, weddellite is limited to the absence of thenardite and whewellite and to the external parts of the stained glass. Quartz is present in all the patinas independent of their location and color. Calcite also occurs in many samples. It appears in both color-type patinas and, in some cases, is associated to the presence of weddellite but not to whewellite and/or thenardite. Glass composition together with environmental conditions and location of the patinas (internal or external parts of the stained glass window), as well as the provenance of the glass within the monastery, are the main factors that define the development of the new mineral phases. Moreover, the action of microorganisms, when present, can also strongly influence the development of some mineral phases. For example, the formation of calcite in the external parts of the stained glass (associated with the presence of oxalates) is related to the action of microorganisms. When calcite is formed in the internal parts of the glass and it is not associated with the presence of Ca-oxalates, an inorganic origin can be invoked. The presence of weddellite requires a very humid microenvironment with very little exposure to sunlight. In fact, this mineral phase has only been observed in the external parts of some glass located in the humid and shady side of the monastery. Whewellite (which only appears in the internal parts) needs a low degree of relative humidity. It has been observed that sulfur precipitating in basically one mineral phase (thenardite or gypsum) depends on the microenvironmental conditions of the moment and the glass composition. When thenardite occurs, it can be maintained that the original glass is of Na composition. The occurrence of quartz in all samples is interpreted as being due to the deposition of atmospheric particulate matter. The color of the patinas can be originated by different processes (presence of carotenes, organic pigmentation, atmospheric contamination, etc.). In the case of moderately weathered stained glass windows, the combination of XRD and FTIR techniques is very useful to obtain a fast preliminary evaluation of the degree of weathering of a stained glass window. The presence of specific mineral phases in the patina (e.g., thenardite) confirms the Na composition of the original stained glass. This is important since Na-rich glass underwent a lesser degree of weathering than K- or K-Ca-rich glass. However, their absence cannot preclude other possibilities. It has been extensively evidenced through time that environmental conditions play an important role on the formation of the different mineral phases which form part of the patinas. The first step in the restoration of a stained glass window is the evaluation of the degree of deterioration of the glass. This evaluation includes a chemical analysis of the glass as well as a characterization of the patinas developed on their surfaces. The obtained results will be essential in order to define the best restoration practices to be followed.

Direct and indirect effects of dragonfly (Anax imperator) nymphs on green toad (Bufo viridis) tadpoles

We conducted an artificial pond experiment to assess the direct and indirect effects of predation on Bufo viridis tadpoles. We ran three treatments: free Anax (unrestrained predatory dragonfly nymph Anax imperator), caged Anax (non-consumptive effects), and control (no Anax). Anax showed both strong consumptive and non-consumptive effects on Bufo tadpoles. Free Anax eliminated all of the tadpoles within six days. Tadpoles preferred the shady side of the ponds. Caged Anax caused tadpoles to increase their spatial preferences. Tadpoles avoided the center of the pond, and in the presence of the caged predator, they were found in the center even less. Tadpoles also showed a strong preference for crowding together, and in the presence of a caged Anax, they tended to crowd more. Moreover, Bufo metamorphosed earlier and at a larger size in the caged Anax ponds, possibly by providing extra food resources due to the extra organic matter excreted by the predators.

Shortchanged: life and debt in the fringe economy

takes an uncompromising look at the corporate vultures that prey on America's working class. Made up of pawnshops, payday lenders, check cashers, credit card companies and the like, the fringe economy entices vulnerable consumers into an economic netherworld of high interest rates and ever-increasing debt. The book examines the factors behind the fringe economy's rise -- stagnant wages, rising numbers of working poor, and the 12 million U. S. households without bank accounts -- and investigates the sleazy practices -- instant credit, cash-for-your-title loans, predatory mortgage lending, E-Z home equity loans -- that result in phenomenal growth for the industry and a nightmare for the consumer. Powerful analysis is combined with moving personal stories of the mothers, fathers, and families whose lives have been put on the line for the perpetuation of this economy. Ruthless, compelling, outrageous, and often enraging, Shortchanged puts the spotlight on the shady side of America's economic underbelly.

Disturbance effects on early succession of field margins along the shaded and unshaded side of a tree lane

Effects of light and disturbance on species diversity and vegetation succession were assessed during early succession of newly created sown and unsown field margin strips installed along the sunny and shady side of a tree lane. During succession, disturbance by farming operations was simulated by a single rotocultivation of the margin strip. Two years after the disturbance event, species richness was not significantly determined by light regime or disturbance level. However, shortly after the disturbance event, disturbance caused a temporary increase in species richness on the unshaded side due to introgression by annual species in created gaps. On the shaded side, species richness was significantly lower in disturbed plots. Disturbance caused a temporary increase in importance of spontaneous annuals, which were quickly replaced by perennial sown and unsown monocotyledons and to a lesser extent by perennial unsown dicotyledons. The importance of spontaneous species within functional groups increased, resulting in higher similarity between sown and unsown vegetation.