When the chips are down: Social and technical aspects of computer failure and repair

This paper explores computer failure as a social event by examining recorded interactions between computer users and help-desk consultants (technicians). It was found, first, that the nature of a failure was negotiated between participants rather than being simply technically evident. Failure was defined from users' perspectives, in relation to what they were trying to achieve, rather than according to technical parameters. Secondly, negotiations of failure had social consequences for both users and help-desk consultants. Both avoided being seen as incompetent and actively defended their social standing. Thirdly, such social issues sometimes took precedence over technical and practical ones. The implications for HCI theorists and practitioners are twofold: firstly, failure should be accepted as a regular part of computer use in which human–computer interaction continues even though the interface may be non-functional. Secondly, the management of failure could be better addressed if technicians were trained in social as well as technical intervention skills.     

Beyond the Optimal Contact Strategy: A Reality Check for the Contact Hypothesis.

The contact hypothesis proposes that interaction between members of different groups reduces intergroup prejudice if--and only if--certain optimal conditions are present. For over 50 years, research using this framework has explored the boundary conditions for ideal contact and has guided interventions to promote desegregation. Although supporting the contact hypothesis in principle, the authors critique some research practices that have come to dominate the field: (a) the prioritizing of the study of interactions occurring under rarefied conditions, (b) the reformulation of lay understandings of contact in terms of a generic typology of ideal dimensions, and (c) the use of shifts in personal prejudice as the primary measure of outcome. The authors argue that these practices have limited the contact hypothesis both as an explanation of the intergroup dynamics of desegregation and as a framework for promoting social psychological change. In so arguing, the authors look toward a complementary program of research on contact and desegregation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mining seismicity in the Witwatersrand Basin:monitoring, mechanisms and mitigation strategies in perspective

The Kaapvaal Craton in South Africa hosts one of the largest gold placer deposits in the world. Mining in the Witwatersrand Basin here has been the source of about one third to one half of the gold ever produced in the world. Gold was discovered in the Johannesburg area in 1886 and after 120 years of continuous operation, mining is currently approaching depths of 4 000 m. In spite of the challenges and risks that the industry has had to deal with including rock temperature, ventilation and water, one of the most feared hazards in the basin has been the threat from the ongoing occurrence of seismicity and rockbursts. The problem first manifested itself by way of the occurrence of tremors roughly twenty years after the commencement of mining operations. This paper traces the history of the approach to rockbursts and seismicity during the 120 year history of mining in the basin. It portrays a picture of the mining seismicity in terms of monitoring phases, mechanisms and mitigation strategies. The work of research organizations over the years is highlighted with a brief mention of current regulation strategies on the part of the mining inspectorate.     

Thymocyte activation induces the association of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and pp120 with CD5

Specific anions in tubular fluid, including uropontin (UP), the urinary form of human osteopontin (OPN), block adhesion to renal tubular cells of the most common crystal in kidney stones, calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM). In this study, monkey renal epithelial cells (BSC-1 line) in monolayer culture constitutively secreted UP into the culture medium. COM crystals added to the medium avidly bound previously secreted UP, reducing its concentration by 46% one hour later. However, the net UP content of cultures after a 24-hour exposure to COM crystals was increased by 18%. Northern blotting showed that the constitutively expressed gene encoding human OPN was maximally stimulated in BSC-1 cells after exposure to COM crystals for 12 hours. Two other calcium-containing crystals, hydroxyapatite and brushite, did not alter OPN gene expression or protein production. OPN mRNA expression was enhanced in canine renal epithelial cells (MDCK line) after exposure to COM crystals for six hours, whereas the constitutive expression of murine OPN mRNA by 3T3 fibroblasts was unchanged. In vivo this glycoprotein could defend the cell against adhesion of crystals in tubular fluid, and/or promote renal interstitial fibrosis in subjects with heavy crystalluria.     

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Clinical presentation and correlates in a South African sample.

The clinical presentation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its relationship to other developmental delays, and its association with socioeconomic variables were explored in a multicultural, South African clinical sample. Results indicate that, for this sample, ADHD is manifested by hyperactivity, attention deficits, disciplinary problems, social impairment, aggression, and impulsiveness and that these components cohere in the manner of a unidimensional syndrome. ADHD was found to be most frequently associated with behavior disorders followed by learning disabilities and speech delays. No relationship with socioeconomic variables was found. The findings have implications for the reconstruction of mental health structures in South Africa. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attitudes in the Fiber of Everyday Life: The Discourse of Racial Evaluation and the Lived Experience of Desegregation.

This article critically reviews the social-psychological literature on race attitudes, which has assumed that the prejudicial status of any expression is determined by the underlying psychological attitude that motivated it. Variation and inconsistency in individuals' attitudinal expressions and disagreement over how to measure prejudice have bedeviled attitude research. Contemporary theories of racial attitudes (symbolic racism, self-presentation, aversive racism) have responded to this problem by explaining how, when, and why attitudes vary and by proposing research paradigms for isolating prejudiced from nonprejudiced expressions. The authors argue that research in this area may be enhanced by the use of qualitative methods that place fewer constraints on the expression of racial attitudes and variability than quantitative methods do. Using empirical materials from a South African case study, the authors show that a focus on attitudinal discourse and the lived experience of desegregation allow researchers to investigate attitudes as social practices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A cholera outbreak and control in a rural region of South Africa

Dance injuries associated with cervical radiculopathy have not been described in the literature. This report describes the case of an international-style ballroom dancer who developed a cervical radiculopathy as a result of frequent lateral rotation and hyperextension of the cervical spine during dancing. The patient's symptoms and signs suggestive of a left C7 radiculopathy were confirmed and documented by both magnetic resonance imaging and electrodiagnostic testing. The patient was treated conservatively with activity modification, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and alternative medicine approaches, including herbs and acupuncture. Her neck pain and cervical radicular symptoms declined in severity, but continued even 4 1/2 months after the onset of her symptoms. She did not wish to try steroids either through an oral or epidural route and refused surgical intervention. This case report illustrates an unconventional manner in which a left cervical radiculopathy was clinically produced. The neck motions and positions of frequent hyperextension and lateral rotation demonstrated by this ballroom dancer simulated a pattern and sequence of movements that promoted the development of signs and symptoms of a left cervical radiculopathy.