14589 research outputs found
Sort by
High-resolution, accurate multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry for short-lived, exotic nuclei of a few events in their ground and low-lying isomeric states
Get PDFPublished versionMass measurements of fission and projectile fragments, produced via 238U and 124Xe primary beams, have been performed with the multiple-reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer (MR-TOF-MS) of the Fragment Separator (FRS) Ion Catcher with a mass resolving power (FWHM) of up to 410 000 and an uncertainty of down to 6 × 10-8. The nuclides were produced and separated in flight with the fragment separator FRS at 300 to 1000 MeV/u and thermalized in a cryogenic stopping cell. The data-analysis procedure was developed to determine with highest accuracy the mass values and the corresponding uncertainties for the most challenging conditions: down to a few events in a spectrum and overlapping distributions, which can be distinguished from a single peak only by a broader peak shape. With this procedure, the resolution of low-lying isomers is increased by a factor of up to 3 compared to standard data analysis. The ground-state masses of 31 short-lived nuclides of 15 different elements with half-lives of down to 17.9 ms and count rates as low as 11 events per nuclide were determined. This is the first direct mass measurement for seven nuclides. The excitation energies and the isomer-to-ground-state ratios of six isomeric states with excitation energies of as little as 280 keV were measured. For nuclides with known mass values, the average relative deviation from the literature values is (4.5 ± 5.3) × 10-8. The measured two-neutron separation energies and their slopes near and at the N = 126 and Z = 82 shell closures indicate a strong element-dependent binding energy of the first neutron above the closed proton shell Z = 82. The experimental results deviate strongly from the theoretical predictions, especially for N = 126 and N = 127
Deuteron photodisintegration by polarized photons in the region of the d∗(2380)
Get PDFPublished versionWe report the first large-acceptance measurement of the beam–spin asymmetry for deuteron photodisintegration (ȳd → pn) in the photon energy range 420 < Eγ < 620 MeV. The measurement provides important new constraints on the mechanisms of photodisintegration above the Δ resonance and on the photocoupling of the recently discovered d∗(2380) hexaquark
Supersize My Chances: Promotional Lotteries Impact Product Size Choices
Get PDFPublished versionPromotional lotteries offer consumers a chance to win one of many prizes along with their purchase. Critically, as is often the case, these campaigns not only include an assortment of prizes but also an assortment of offerings that one can buy to enter the lottery—such as a small or an extra-large coffee. While companies regularly advertise that the objective odds of winning do not vary by the size of their product offerings, recent anecdotal evidence suggest that consumers behave as if it does. The net result is that consumers seem to be supersizing during promotional lotteries, and thus purchasing larger sized items. Eight studies (four core and four supplementary in Supporting information) and a single-paper meta-analysis confirm that the supersizing phenomenon is indeed real and provides evidence that this behavior is the manifestation of consumers elevating their sense of control. Specifically, supersizing serves to gain psychological control over the pursuit of a desirable, but seemingly unobtainable, outcome
Landscape structure shapes the diversity of beneficial insects in coffee producing landscapes
No full textSubmitted VersionThe expansion of monocultures and the overuse of agrochemicals have resulted in the loss of beneficial insects and disruption of ecosystem services such as pollination and biological control in agricultural landscapes. Bees, wasps and flower flies were our model groups to investigate how landscape structure attributes affect alpha and beta diversity of different beneficial insect groups in Brazilian landscapes containing coffee crops. Species richness and abundance of wasps, and bee richness were positively correlated with forest cover at multiple spatial extents. Bee abundance, and species richness and abundance of flower flies did not respond to any landscape predictor. The community composition of wasps and bees in landscapes with low forest cover was composed of subsets of the communities located in forested landscapes, leading to species loss in structurally impoverished landscapes. High variations in landscape diversity and edge density between landscapes resulted in flower fly species replacement suggesting that pairs of landscapes with high and low diversity of habitat types and edge density harbor different species. Such results indicate that initiatives for the conservation of beneficial insects in the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot must focus on forest conservation and restoration, because high levels of forest loss can result in the loss of wasp and bee species with potential negative consequences for the provision of pollination and pest control services in agroecosystems. Our findings can aid conservationists and policy makers to define priority actions for biodiversity conservation as well as the selection of appropriate spatial scales in landscape planning and management
Shaping autism self-advocates’ identities through the neurodiversity movement
Get PDF1 online resource (iii, 63 pages)Includes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (pages 61-62).This thesis examines how and why the neurodiversity paradigm and movement influence autistic people’s identities as they participate in autism self-advocacy activity. The neurodiversity paradigm dictates that autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions are the result of neurodiversity, or the natural variations of human brain development. In turn, the neurodiversity movement aligns with the social model of disability, stating that autistic people are not directly disabled by their neurological differences, but rather by the general lack of accommodations provided by their society. By participating in self-advocacy groups, autistic people can thus view their autism as something that makes them unique rather than something that is inherently wrong. This thesis will thereby examine how continual involvement in autism self-advocacy activity allows autistic people to negotiate and practice their neurodivergent identities as a way of resisting stigmatizing views of autism that still prevail
among society
Development in Ethiopia using poverty reduction strategies
Get PDF1 online resource (48 p.) : colour mapIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-48).This thesis focuses on poverty alleviation and development in Ethiopia related to Poverty Reduction Strategy Plans, the Millennium Development Goals, and to a lesser extent, the Sustainable Development Goals. Issues debated are the meaning of development and effective poverty alleviation as well as industrialization and advances in agricultural technology, which affected job opportunities for farmers and ordinary Ethiopian workers. The implementation of various iterations of poverty reduction strategy plans has had a positive effect on such issues, with each of the four currently standing plans contributing to the development of the country. These plans are the World Bank Poverty Reduction Strategy Plan, the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty, and the Growth and Transformation Plans I & II. The plans mainly focus on increasing Ethiopia’s industrial sector, and on improving agricultural technology and farming methods. Through such programs, poverty rates and the number of people living below the poverty line in Ethiopia have dropped exponentially over the 15 years period from 2000-2015, despite Ethiopia’s population still rapidly growing. Job opportunities have increased in the service and industrial sectors, especially for women and youth. Policies related to each version of the plan, and how the ideals of the Millennium Development Goals have affected development in Ethiopia are examined. Ethiopia’s pro-poor development agenda has been implemented alongside a rapidly growing economy, which is continuing to grow, leading to hope that the sustainable development of it will contribute to the progressive reduction of poverty in the future
Testing construct redundancy : resilience, grit, hardiness, and mental toughness
Get PDF113 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cmIncludes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-100).Given the possible conceptual and content overlap between resilience, grit, hardiness, and mental toughness, it is important to investigate whether or not they are redundant constructs. As such, the primary purpose of my research, was to empirically determine whether resilience, grit, hardiness, and mental toughness represent construct redundancy. I assessed the content, construct and criterion validity of resilience, grit, hardiness, and mental toughness. The main findings of the three validity analyses indicated that there seems to be a strong argument which suggests that the four constructs are largely redundant (even though there is some evidence of their unique contributions). It showed that a common General Resiliency Factor exists across all four constructs of interest. While the group factors and the dimensions provided unique variances, this may be as a result of each construct author describing the larger construct of “Resilience” from different points of view
Jamaican development strategies : are the free trade zones contributing to decent work?
Get PDF1 online resource (50 pages)A Major Research Paper submitted ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in International Development Studies.Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (pages 40-50).Many developing countries have used export processing zones as central development strategies to attract foreign direct investment and to create employment However, a serious problem associated with export processing zones is the fact that workers, mainly women, have been subjected to low wages, deplorable working conditions, limited or no social security protection and freedom of association is strictly prohibited. Jamaica serves as a unique case study because it is a small island developing state in the Caribbean that faces serious development challenges due its fragile economy, growing population and dependence on foreign powers for international aid. The primary objective of the current Andrew Holness-led Administration of Jamaica is to promote economic growth through job creation in the business product outsourcing sector. The 2016 Special Economic Zones Act was introduced with a revised special incentive package to investment and create high value-added jobs in a new regime of zones.
By using content analysis of online newspaper articles, I will argue that because, Jamaica’s current EPZ development strategy is heavily focused on using special incentives to attract foreign direct investment, it does not contribute to decent work. I will first examine Jamaica’s main development strategies geared towards employment creation and the labour strategy of each government administration. I will then critically assess working conditions in the business product outsourcing sector by using the ILO’s pillars for evaluating decent work, in order to determine whether the current EPZ development strategy contributes to decent work
Bioaccumulation and transfer of mercury and arsenic in aquatic invertebrates and emergent insects at historical gold mine tailing sites of Nova Scotia
Get PDF97 leaves : illustrations (some colour), map ; 29 cmIncludes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.Historical gold mining in Nova Scotia resulted in over 3,000,000 tonnes of mine tailings deposited into aquatic habitats and low-lying areas, where they remain today. Legacy tailings are typically elevated in mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As), however, aquatic ecological effects remain largely unquantified to date. An initial literature review revealed only three studies mentioning contaminants in aquatic invertebrates at tailing sites. My objective was to assess [Hg] and [As] in aquatic invertebrates living on tailings-affected wetlands, and the role of emergent insects as biovectors of these contaminants. Samples showed that sediment and water at tailings sites were elevated in Hg and As, often surpassing CCME guidelines. Aquatic invertebrates from tailings sites had elevated [Hg] (up to 4.20 ppm). Invertebrate [As] frequently exceeded CCME guidelines for fish. Adult emergent insects were shown to be likely biovectors of Hg, while As was largely shed with casings during hatching
A case study : exploring the influence of the informal financial sector on food security among smallholder farmers in Uganda, Greater Luweero
Get PDFx, 112 leaves : illustrations, chiefly colour ; 29 cmIncludes abstract and appendix.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-109).Food insecurity is a global challenge especially to smallholder farmers. Yet, besides operating in the informal economy, many have limited access to finance. This qualitative study, therefore, will explore the influence of the informal financial sector (IFS) on food security among smallholder farmers in Uganda. The sustainable livelihood approach and food sovereignty were relied on as theoretical frameworks. Nineteen participants were interviewed, and four focus group discussions were held in 2019. An analytical framework was developed from the field study to aid in analyzing data. The findings reveal that the IFS enhances food security by providing households with access to mostly financial and social capital, which assist in financing activities along the agricultural value chain. The study further found that informal financial groups increase cash at households’ disposal to invest in income—generating activities and consumption. The study recommends support from government and NGOs to the informal financial sector