The Many Faces of the State

Reconsidering the trend in anthropology to conceptualize the multifaceted nature of the state and to focus on the local social dynamics beneath the institutional framework of the state, we argue that “state” is not a single governing entity but rather a multilayered body of practices at various levels of the society. We configure “state” as constructed, imagined, and negotiated by people in their everyday life in four dimensions: zones of limited statehood depicted as “peripheries,” “local state” by which the center governs locales, “public discourse” that represents dominant notions of “stateness,” and ambivalent positioning of political elites who represents state in the margin. This argument is substantiated with the reference to the case of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, a southeastern part of Bangladesh.

Safety Aspects of People Exposed to Ultra Wideband Radar Fields

The safety aspects of people exposed to the field emitted by ultra wideband (UWB) radar, operating both in the spatial environment and on ground, for breath activity monitoring are analyzed. The basic restrictions and reference levels reported in the ICNIRP safety guideline are considered, and the compliance of electromagnetic fields radiated by a UWB radar with these limits is evaluated. First, simplified analytical approaches are used; then, both a 3-dimensional multilayered body model and an anatomical model of the head have been used to better evaluate the electromagnetic absorption when a UWB antenna is placed in front of the head. The obtained results show that if the field emitted by the UWB radar is compliant with spatial and/or ground emission masks, then both reference levels and basic restrictions are largely satisfied.

A 3-D Model for a Multilayered Body Loaded Normally and Tangentially Against a Rigid Body: Application to Specific Coatings

Coatings are increasingly used to improve the mechanical and tribological behavior of surfaces. It is necessary to develop models to guide the initial choice of coating/substrate combinations that can withstand the applied loads. A three-dimensional model of an elastic multilayered body, loaded both normally and tangentially against an elliptical rigid body (partial sliding, rolling/sliding conditions), is presented here. This model is based on linear elasticity theory, integral transforms, Fast Fourier Transform, and unilateral contact analysis with friction. Normal and tangential contact conditions between the two bodies are first determined and then used to calculate the multilayered body stress field. One application is given here: The influence of the mechanical properties of coating and substrate, as well as coating thickness, is studied on contact conditions, internal stresses, and potential failure mechanisms.