Pollution monitoring by dosimetry and passive diffusion sampling for evaluation of environmental conditions for paintings in microclimate frames

Pollutants and their potential degradation of paintings have been measured for the first time in microclimate frames (mc-frames), which are used to protect paintings. The pollutants that were measured include both inorganic pollutants, which originate mainly from external sources, and organic pollutants from mainly internal sources. Those originating from the outdoors enter rooms and subsequently mc-frames at a rate depending on the ventilation rates (air exchange rates) of the mc-frames. The concentration of gaseous pollutants emitted within the mc-frames will depend on net emission rates of the materials used to make the mc-frames, their design, and their ventilation rates. In the EU PROPAINT project measurements of gaseous air pollutants and climatic conditions were performed at various locations both inside and outside different state-of-the-art mc-frames. Diffusive passive pollution gas samplers were used together with different types of dosimeters. Results show that the dosimeters respond to either the photo-oxidizing conditions or the level of volatile organic acids in the environments both in the museums and within the mc-frames. Two dosimeters, the Early Warning Organic (EWO) made from a synthetic polymer and the Resin Mastic coated Piezo electric Quartz Crystals (RM-PQC) respond to photo-oxidation and showed higher values outside than inside the mc-frames. Two other dosimeters, the Glass Slide Dosimeter (GSD) and the Lead coated Piezo electric Quartz Crystals (L-PQC) respond to volatile organic acids and yielded higher values inside than outside the mc-frames. This study emphasizes the need for further work to determine environmental damage functions for paintings, in particular for the effects of organic acids. Such information is essential for the evaluation of the protective effects of mc-frames for paintings. The use of mc-frames is increasing and it is very important to know that this protective measure does not introduce new risks.     

The Ability–Achievement Discrepancy: Does it Contribute to an Understanding of Learning Disabilities?

Federal legislation of the 1960s and 1970s extending educational services to learning disabled children contained a criterion requiring a severe discrepancy between an child's ability and achievement. Following a discussion of the historical context related to this decision, research related to discrepancy is reviewed using reading disabilities or dyslexia as the prototype. Topics examined include the relationship of IQ to various factors, including underlying cognitive weaknesses; varying IQ levels; stability of diagnosis; heterogeneity of the diagnostic category; genetic and neuroimaging findings; and appropriate standards of comparison. Research on the practical application of the discrepancy model is also reviewed. In general, there is little evidence to support its continued use. Three proposed alternatives are considered, and a possible model is offered that incorporates findings from research on diagnosis and intervention.     

“What is an author?” Contemporary publishing discourse and the author figure

Martin Amis’ novel The Information was published in paperback in May 1995. For a number of convergent reasons, the publication became, in itself, a major media event. In examining this occasion., the economic and cultural imperatives that shaped the marketing of The Information and the wider context of contemporary book publishing and its relation to other media, this paper problematises the relationship between cultural and economic value. It considers the discourse around what an author is “worth” in a late capitalist society of fiercely competitive consumer choice, and how the representation of an avowedly “literary” author is mobilised in the marketplace in ways that aim not to threaten to compromise the investment in the difference between literary and popular fiction.     

Learning to Make Good Decisions: A Self-Regulation Perspective

Two studies were conducted to determine the extent to which feedback could improve the decision-making of adolescents and adults. In Experiment 1, 96 eighth graders and adults engaged in a task that required a choice between easy and hard questions. Two types of feedback (i.e., verbal and outcome) were used to help participants identify the type of question that would be most likely to earn them points. Results showed that (1) neither group benefited from verbal feedback, and (2) adults benefited more from outcome feedback than eighth graders. In Experiment 2, two types of feedback were once again employed in the context of a medical decision-making task. Fifty-five adults and adolescents participated. As was found in Experiment 1, adults seemed to benefit more from feedback than adolescents. In addition, intelligence was unrelated to performance. The results are interpreted within the perspective of a self-regulation model of decision-making.     

Literature reading in the United States: Data from national surveys and their policy implications

Who reads literature? Using national survey data, Nicholas Zill and Marianne Winglee analyze the audience for quality fiction, poetry, and drama—its size, potential for growth, demographic composition, and reading preferences. They discuss the factors that affect literary participation and investigate the mechanisms of these effects. They then examine the policy implications of their findings and suggest several ways that publishers, book-sellers, and librarians can use the survey results to increase the reading of quality fiction, poetry, and drama.