This thesis draws primarily upon the work of Furedi (2001; 2002) and his notion of a culture of fear to explore contemporary parenting and childhood from a social psychological perspective. Furedi argues that contemporary society is dominated by a sense of anxiety which is ubiquitous and free-floating (2007) and it is arguable that this fear is particularly easily attached to issues around childhood as children are considered increasingly vulnerable - giving rise to the phenomenon of paranoid parents (Furedi, 2002). While these and related issues have been explored elsewhere in the social sciences (e.g. Jackson & Scott, 2000; Katz, 2008; Valentine, 1996) there has yet to be a study from a social psychological perspective which would seek to understand how these fears are articulated, constructed and managed in relational interaction. The first stage of analysis is a content analysis of newspaper articles, providing partial information about the socio-cultural backdrop of the study. This is complemented by focus group data from both parents and children (aged 12-13) which is analysed using strategies and tools drawn from discursive psychology (Edwards & Potter, 1992). This approach allows for an examination of how participants construct fears, anxieties and concerns that exist in and around modern parenting and childhood. Themes that emerged from this analysis include a focus on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, a fear of hypothetical dangers, and a catalogue of potential risks. These concerns are also worked up in the participants talk as related to wider social changes (such as an increase in crime and changes in family structure) and connected with a nostalgia for a past which is constructed as safer, simpler and more liberated; even the children display a fondness for this utopian childhood. Hence the study begins to develop an empirical understanding of how aspects of a culture of fear may be worked up in relation to contemporary parenting and childhood, and so points toward some of its possible psychological implications.

The political and economically based social system of neoliberalism fosters an individualistic perspective that informs people’s actions when confronted by a stranger in crisis. When a stranger is witnessed in crisis, the witness follows the lead of the neoliberal individualistic social structures that deny the plight of those in crisis. The stranger is feared and left to fend for herself in her plight. The creation of spectacles and imaginary notions of ‘stranger danger’ as combined with individuals having blasé attitudes reinforce an individualistic perspective. The mass media help in circulating an archive of images in which the stranger is dangerous, different and to be feared. Because these images are so available, and have become expected, compassion fatigue is set in motion when people are confronted with images of strangers in crisis; compassion fatigue is reinforced by the surrounding individualistic social structures.

The lack of insight into their illness continues to be a significant barrier to treatment for people with schizophrenia. However, some people with the illness do develop insight which then results in stability and recovery from their condition. Having met the criteria of good insight, nineteen participants participated in semi-structured interviews exploring the concept of insight and recovery in the context of their personal experiences. Research design used grounded theory methodology layered with a further narrative analysis. The literature review and theoretical perspectives of care provide the context for the research, thus illuminating the known and determining what mysteries in insight development remain. Study findings revealed a Paradox of Insight within a 3-stage process of insight development: The Period of Chaos, the Dynamic Period, and the Period of Wisdom. An overarching Theory of Dangerousness explains the turning point from illness to recovery. This turning point occurs with a Trinity of Crisis. Within this theory, Four Constructions of Dangerousness explain how the meaning making of dangerousness affects recovery. Additionally, Four Types of Insight support this recovery. The importance, meaning, and relevance of study findings for recovery are the focus of the discussion. Six inter-rator focus groups affirmed the findings. Policy and practice implications are discussed, along with recommendations for further research and the acknowledgement of study limitations.

Shrub fuels are capable of extreme fire behaviour under conditions that are often moderate in other fuels. There is also a narrow range of conditions that determine fire success in these fuels, below which fires may ignite but hardly spread and above which they ignite and develop into fast moving and high intensity fires. This is due to the elevated dead fine fuels that dry rapidly and carry fire. Fire danger rating systems designed for forest and grassland fuels do not predict fire potential in shrub fuels very well. Fire management requires fire danger rating systems to provide accurate and timely information on fire potential for all important fuel types. Studies of fuel moisture, ignition and fire spread were carried out in the field in gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) shrub fuels to predict the moisture content of the elevated dead fuels and to define the conditions that govern fire development. The accuracy of the Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System to predict moisture content of this layer was assessed. A bookkeeping method to predict moisture content was developed based on semi-physical models of equilibrium moisture content, fuel response time and the FFMC. The FFMC predicted moisture content poorly, because the FWI System is based on the litter layer of a mature conifer forest. The gorse elevated dead fuel layer is more aerated and dries faster than this conifer forest litter layer. The bookkeeping method was reliable and allowed adjustment of fuel response time based on weather conditions. Difficulties in modelling meteorological conditions under the gorse canopy limited its accuracy. Separate thresholds determined ignition and fire spread success, with both based on the elevated dead fuel moisture content. Options to improve the shrub fire danger rating system were presented based on these findings. The results are significant because they are based on data collected in the field under real conditions. Validation of these results and extension to other shrub fuels is required before the findings are used to change current models. However, the study has significantly advanced the knowledge of fire behaviour in shrub fuels and will contribute to safe and effective fire management in these fuels.

The political and economically based social system of neoliberalism fosters an individualistic perspective that informs people’s actions when confronted by a stranger in crisis. When a stranger is witnessed in crisis, the witness follows the lead of the neoliberal individualistic social structures that deny the plight of those in crisis. The stranger is feared and left to fend for herself in her plight. The creation of spectacles and imaginary notions of ‘stranger danger’ as combined with individuals having blasé attitudes reinforce an individualistic perspective. The mass media help in circulating an archive of images in which the stranger is dangerous, different and to be feared. Because these images are so available, and have become expected, compassion fatigue is set in motion when people are confronted with images of strangers in crisis; compassion fatigue is reinforced by the surrounding individualistic social structures.

For two fire seasons in Nordegg, Alberta, a system of in-stand weather stations were arranged along a north and south aligned valley and combined with collection of destructive fine fuel moisture content data in order to quantify variations due to differences in slope and aspect. South-facing sites were found to be slightly warmer (1.5°C), less humid (5%) and received on average 20% more solar radiation than the north-facing sites during the peak burning period of the day. Based on these weather observations a difference of 1 or 2 % moisture content between north and south sites was predicted using existing theoretical relationships. A corresponding difference in observed moisture content was not identified, due to the low transmittance recorded at the in-stand sites (<10% of open solar radiation measurements), variation amongst destructive samples and logistical limits on the number of replicates collected.

For two fire seasons in Nordegg, Alberta, a system of in-stand weather stations were arranged along a north and south aligned valley and combined with collection of destructive fine fuel moisture content data in order to quantify variations due to differences in slope and aspect. South-facing sites were found to be slightly warmer (1.5°C), less humid (5%) and received on average 20% more solar radiation than the north-facing sites during the peak burning period of the day. Based on these weather observations a difference of 1 or 2 % moisture content between north and south sites was predicted using existing theoretical relationships. A corresponding difference in observed moisture content was not identified, due to the low transmittance recorded at the in-stand sites (<10% of open solar radiation measurements), variation amongst destructive samples and logistical limits on the number of replicates collected.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, March, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. Release of full electronic text on OhioLINK has been delayed until April 1, 2014. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-154)

Η παρούσα διπλωματική εργασία εκπονήθηκε στο εργαστήριο ενσύρματης τηλεπικοινωνίας του τμήματος Ηλεκτρολόγων Μηχανικών και Τεχνολογίας Υπολογιστών. Πρόκειται για μια εργασία, η οποία έχει ως στόχο τη δημιουργία ενός συστήματος αναγνώρισης που θα αναγνωρίζει τον κίνδυνο που υπάρχει στο δρόμο λόγω των διασταυρούμενων οχημάτων, και θα μας ειδοποιεί. Σκοπός ήταν η κατασκευή ενός συστήματος, το οποίο έχει την ικανότητα να διακρίνει τα αυτοκίνητα από όλα τα αλλά αντικείμενα που εντοπίζονται κατά τη διάρκεια μιας πορείας με αμάξι. Αυτό επετεύχθη με τη χρήση μεθόδων οπτικής ροής και χρήση κατωφλιών σύμφωνα με τις οποίες λαμβάνονταν η απόφαση για ύπαρξη κινδύνου. / This study has been prepared in Wire Communications Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. This is a work which aims to create an identification system that recognizes the danger on the road because of other vehicle and returns notifications . The aim was to build a system which is able to distinguish the cars that are moving dangerously towards us, excluding all the other objects we found during a journey with car. This goal was achieved by using optical flow and Thresholding methods . According to these results a decision is made and notifications are given in the case of existing danger .

Submitted by Claudinei Garcia (claudinei.garcia@yahoo.com.br) on 2018-06-25T23:11:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 AVALIAÇÃO DO PERIGO À POLUIÇÃO DAS ÁGUAS SUBTERRÂNEAS NO MUNICÍPIO DE PIRACICABA SP.pdf: 6931690 bytes, checksum: ca32dc4d54818c6994582918f1151a35 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Lucilene Cordeiro da Silva Messias null (lubiblio@bauru.unesp.br) on 2018-06-26T12:41:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 garcia_c_me_bauru.pdf: 6931693 bytes, checksum: 9701edc264d8220201a6e0dea3d79f0b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-26T12:41:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 garcia_c_me_bauru.pdf: 6931693 bytes, checksum: 9701edc264d8220201a6e0dea3d79f0b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-06-04 / Este trabalho buscou a avaliação do perigo à poluição das águas subterrâneas no município de Piracicaba, através da interação entre os índices de vulnerabilidade intrínseca e vulnerabilidade específica dos aquíferos aflorantes no município de Piracicaba, motivado pela importância estratégica destas fontes, pela ausência de estudos específicos locais e pela crescente demanda de exploração de cunho econômico da área de estudo. Para a análise dos índices de vulnerabilidade intrínseca, que define-se como a capacidade de atenuação natural do meio local à contaminação de determinado aquífero imposta por uma carga contaminante, utilizou-se do método GOD - groundwater hydraulic confinement; overlaying strata; depth to groundwater table (FOSTER, 1987; FOSTER; HIRATA, 1988), e para a avaliação da vulnerabilidade específica que considera a probabilidade de determinado sistema aquífero ser exposto a um contaminante, classe de contaminantes ou atividade contaminante, utilizou-se do método POSH - pollutant origin, surcharge hydraulically (FOSTER, et al., 2006) e da análise do potencial de contaminação das áreas urbanas e rurais por fontes de nitrato. A manipulação de dados envolveu informações de poços profundos outorgados, pedologia e litologia da área de estudo, informações de uso do solo e de fontes potenciais de contaminação local, obtidos de fontes públicas e privadas. A avaliação do perigo à poluição das águas subterrâneas, que pode ser definido como a interação entre a vulnerabilidade intrínseca e a vulnerabilidade específica, se deu pela interação dos resultados obtidos de vulnerabilidade intrínseca e da vulnerabilidade específica, cujos produtos finais se apresentam em forma de mapas situacionais ilustrativos. Embora a análise da vulnerabilidade intrínseca tenha produzido classes predominantes de baixa vulnerabilidade natural, a avaliação da vulnerabilidade específica para o município revelou, ao contrário, índices significativos de fontes potenciais contaminantes difusas e pontuais. Esta particularidade resultou em situação de médio perigo de poluição dos recursos subterrâneos locais para aproximadamente 74% dos pontos avaliados. Os resultados auferidos, embora contextuais objetivam em síntese identificar os locais onde é pertinente se intensificar recursos e esforços para estudos complementares e conclusivos, e constituem primeiro passo importante para a caracterização e avaliação dos riscos aos recursos hídricos subterrâneos locais, frente às novas imposições de demanda de usos de águas subterrâneas, oriundos do crescimento econômico e populacional, atrelados ao esgotamento das fontes de água superficiais. / This work sought to evaluate the danger to groundwater pollution in the municipality of Piracicaba through the interaction between intrinsic vulnerability indexes and specific vulnerability of outlying aquifers in the city of Piracicaba, motivated by the strategic importance of these sources due to the absence of specific local studies and by the growing demand for economic exploration of the study area. For the analysis of the intrinsic vulnerability indexes, which is defined as the natural attenuation capacity of the local environment to the contamination of a given aquifer imposed by a contaminant load, the GOD method was used - groundwater hydraulic confinement; overlaying strata; depth to groundwater table (FOSTER, HIRATA, 1988), and for the assessment of the specific vulnerability that considers the probability of a certain aquifer system being exposed to a contaminant, class of contaminants or contaminant activity, the POSH method - pollutant origin, surcharge hydraulically (FOSTER, et al., 2006) and the analysis of the potential of contamination of urban and rural areas by nitrate sources. Data manipulation involved information from deep wells, pedology and lithology of the study area, land use information and potential sources of local contamination obtained from public and private sources. The groundwater hazard assessment, which can be defined as the interaction between intrinsic vulnerability and specific vulnerability, was the interaction of the results obtained from intrinsic vulnerability and specific vulnerability, the final products of which are presented in the form of maps illustrative situations. Although the analysis of intrinsic vulnerability has produced predominant classes of low natural vulnerability, the assessment of specific vulnerability to the municipality revealed, on the contrary, significant indices of potential diffuse and point source contaminants. This particularity resulted in a situation of average danger of pollution of the local underground resources to approximately 74% of the assessed points. The results obtained, although contextual, aim in a synthesis to identify the places where it is pertinent to intensify resources and efforts for complementary and conclusive studies, and constitute important first step for the characterization and evaluation of the risks to the local groundwater resources, in face of the new impositions of demand of groundwater uses, derived from economic and population growth, linked to the depletion of surface water sources.