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Natural resource and local communities: evidence from Ghana’s offshore oil and gas
No full textIn 2007, Kosmos Energy and Tullow Oil found Ghana’s most significant column of high-grade offshore oil and gas. In this paper, I use geocoded household data to examine the socio-economic effects of this oil and gas discovery on the local communities. I conduct two quasi-experimental analysis and find that oil and gas discovery increased real income for households close to the fields, with the benefits being larger for households in districts with a high proportion of skilled workers and limited to non-poor districts. However, there is no apparent effect on employment, total consumption expenditure and poverty
India as a regional hub for higher education - a destination for international students from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. An exploratory study of the role of a private Indian university
No full textThis qualitative research examines one part of the potential for India to become a regional hub for higher education. It explores India's relationship with its neighbours to establish the pragmatism of such a scheme. Policies and aspirations gain traction, through the support of the nodes that actually live and play out those aspirations. Universities are one such node. The role of individual universities in contributing to the attractiveness of India as a higher education destination is indispensable particularly in the context of central government policies that are still in development.The research gathers perceptions from students currently enrolled at a private university in India (the study uses the pseudonym ‘BTS’ for this university), from the sub region of Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. Their academic, social and residential experiences are explored. The study assumes that positive student experiences are one factor that can boost the inflow of international students from these neighbouring countries.Additionally, the study incorporates insights from an interview with a senior university official to enable a comparison between student perceptions and the university's actual success in attracting international students from the above-mentioned countries. This integrated analysis helps in suggesting the factors that support or hinder India's reputation and viability as a higher education destination in these regions, though the study of a single institution is not sufficient to achieve a full national picture.The findings reveal that despite positive student experiences in relation to all of the academic, residential, and social aspects, there has not been a corresponding increase in international student numbers from Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal at the university. It is counterintuitive to consider student satisfaction and student growth not moving along the same trend line. This suggests that broader causative factors are at play and highlights the need for a large-scale study that includes different regions and types of institutions to deepen our understanding. The study suggests that a lack of employment opportunities, both during their studies and after graduation, as well as the inability to stay long-term in India to work or pursue citizenship are identified as primary deterrents for international student, even though visa-free regimes exist for Bhutan and Nepal. Another important insight from the study is that there is a disjunction between student satisfaction and the likelihood of students recommending the institution. Student surveys should not only assess satisfaction levels but also evaluate the likelihood of favourable recommendations. That broader approach would offer more comprehensive feedback, enabling institutions to better understand and address the factors that drive student enrolment and its growth.This research contributes to the literature by offering insights into the factors that determine the study choices of international students from Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, the strategic implications for private universities aiming to attract students from these countries, and the implications for India as an emerging regional higher education destination. This study also serves as an "evaluation study [that] supports the planning and management of interventions to promote internationalisation” (UGC, 2021, p. 19), as outlined in the guidelines for the internationalisation of higher education issued by India's regulatory body in higher education (HE)
A longitudinal multilevel analysis of individual‐ and contextual‐level predictors of cross‐ethnic friendships in the UK
No full textIntergroup contact plays a central role in fostering positive intergroup attitudes; yet, factors promoting intergroup contact are less understood. Using three waves of data from a nationally representative UK household panel study (N = 18,807), we applied longitudinal multilevel models to examine how individual‐ and objective neighbourhood‐level indicators jointly predict cross‐ethnic friendships. At the individual level, higher openness and agreeableness, stronger neighbourhood belonging and a left‐leaning political orientation were associated with more cross‐ethnic friendships. At the contextual level, intergroup friendships were more common in neighbourhoods with more structural opportunity for contact (i.e., areas with a lower proportion of same‐ethnic residents), and in areas with lower anti‐immigration norms (as indicated by local Brexit ‘Leave’ vote share). Crucially, cross‐level interactions highlighted the interplay of person and place: neighbourhood diversity fostered more cross‐ethnic friendships, especially among those with strong neighbourhood belonging, suggesting that people who feel embedded in their community are more likely to translate diverse surroundings into meaningful intergroup ties. Differences between the ethnic majority and minority groups also emerged. For example, higher objective area‐level racial hate crime incidence predicted more intergroup friendships among majority members, suggesting a possible repair response, but showed no association for minority members. Findings underscore the multilevel and group‐specific pathways to sustained intergroup friendships
A Shunt-LDO for the Electron Ion Collider in a 110nm CMOS process
No full textIn this work we report on the development of a Shunt LDO (SLDO) for use in the serial powering chain of staves and discs at the Electron Ion Collider (EIC). The device is designed in a 110nm CMOS technology and can supply up to 1 A at a voltage of 1.1 to 1.4 V. Simulated PSRR at DC is -56 dB, and efficiency is above 70 %. Safety features such as load overcurrent protection and the ability to shunt the current of failed parallel SLDOs are included. A first prototype has been submitted. In this work we will report on the design of the device, and on simulation results of the prototype
Alkali metal borate conjugated block polyelectrolytes as tuneable mixed ionic-electronic conductors
No full textConjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) combine ionic conductivity from tethered ionic groups with electronic conductivity from intrinsically-doped π-conjugated backbones, enabling applications in energy storage, bioelectronics, and neuromorphic computing. Conjugated block polyelectrolytes (CBEs), in which the conjugated and ionic functions are spatially segregated into distinct blocks, represent an emerging and underexplored variant of this materials class. Despite multiple studies of various pendant ionic groups, neither borate ionic functionalisation nor block copolymer architectures bearing non-sulfonate ionic groups have been explored. Here, we report CBEs, accessible through controlled Suzuki–Miyaura catalyst-transfer polymerisation (SCTP) and cyclic carbonate ring-opening polymerisation (ROP), incorporating alkali metal borate polycarbonate segments: poly(3-hexylthiophene)-block-poly(ethylene oxide-graft-poly(ethylene glycol))-block-polycarbonate bearing lithium, sodium, or potassium borate moieties. Systematic variation of P3HT chain length (DP = 35 and 110) and content (10–50 wt%) reveals distinct cation-dependent transport behaviour. Electrochemical characterisation via impedance spectroscopy, chronoamperometry, and linear sweep voltammetry demonstrates purely ionic conduction at low applied potentials, with p-type electronic transport activated above 1–1.5 V. Notably, lithium-ion conductivity remains independent of P3HT incorporation, whereas sodium transport improves with longer conjugated blocks and potassium conductivity is enhanced with shorter segments. Thermal analysis, DFT calculations, rheological and tensile measurements establish structure–property relationships linking polymer ionic networking to mechanical and ionic-electronic transport properties. These findings position anionic borate CBEs as a promising addition to the mixed ionic-electronic conductor platform, with tuneable properties for emerging electrochemical technologies and a modular synthetic approach expected to extend to alternative conjugated backbones and other polyelectrolyte groups easily installed by ligand coordination chemistry
Search for Beyond the Standard Model physics with anomaly detection in multilepton final states in pp collisions at with the ATLAS detector
No full textA model-agnostic search for Beyond the Standard Model physics is presented, targeting final states with at least four light leptons (electrons or muons). The search regions are separated by event topology and unsupervised machine learning is used to identify anomalous events in the full 140 fb-1 of proton–proton collision data collected with the ATLAS detector during Run 2. No significant excess above the Standard Model background expectation is observed. Model-agnostic limits are presented in each topology, along with limits on several benchmark models including vector-like leptons, wino-like charginos and neutralinos, or smuons. Limits are set on the flavourful vector-like lepton model for the first time
Brain Age Estimation on T2 ‐ FLAIR Scans for Application to Multiple Sclerosis
No full textThe brain‐predicted age difference (brain‐PAD) is associated with measures of clinical interest in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Most brain age models rely on 3D T1‐weighted scans, which are not routinely acquired in MS clinical practice, limiting their potential for clinical translation. We aimed to develop a model predicting brain age using T2‐FLAIR, the core sequence for MS diagnosis and monitoring, and validate the resulting brain‐PAD values as a biomarker of MS severity and progression. We collected 3D T2‐FLAIR and 3D T1‐weighted brain MRI scans to compose (i) a multicentre cohort of healthy participants for brain age modeling, and (ii) a single‐centre cohort of pwMS and healthy controls for external validation. We trained and evaluated 3D convolutional neural network models predicting brain age from T2‐FLAIR or T1‐weighted images. Models were compared using t‐tests based on bootstrapped standard errors. Saliency maps were obtained with the SmoothGrad method to visualize regions that were most important for the predictions. Finally, using a linear model framework, we clinically validated the resulting brain‐PAD metric by assessing its relationship with diagnosis (MS versus healthy controls), clinical phenotype, disease duration, and physical disability as measured with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), adjusting for age and sex. The Inception‐ResNet‐V2 model based on T2‐FLAIR scans yielded accurate brain age predictions (test set MAE = 3.31 years, R2 = 0.944, 5x ensemble MAE = 2.81, R2 = 0.955), which were comparable to those obtained with the T1w‐based model (test set MAE = 3.34 years, R2 = 0.942, 5x ensemble MAE = 2.84, R2 = 0.955, p = 0.91). Brain age predictions were mostly driven by subcortical regions, particularly the thalamus. T2‐FLAIR‐based brain‐PAD was higher in pwMS than healthy controls (7.07 vs −0.50 years, p < 0.0001). As with T1 brain‐PAD, FLAIR brain‐PAD correlated with MS disease duration (R = 0.24, p < 0.0001) and EDSS (R = 0.30, p < 0.0001). Brain age predictions relying on T2‐FLAIR scans are as accurate as those derived from T1‐weighted scans and could be used as an easily obtainable biomarker of MS severity and progression in clinical practice
Natural take-off flight performance is repeatable and scalable in mixed flock tit species
No full textModelling small bird flights is challenging, as small birds (< 20 g) rarely engage in steady-state flights, as assumed by traditional flight models. Additionally, their flights are difficult to measure in the field due to the mass of high-resolution GPS loggers and the low resolution in lightweight geolocators. This study aimed to measure and model spontaneous, non-steady-state take-off flights of wild tit species that forage in mixed flocks during winter, despite differences in body sizes and ecological niches. We recorded 1434 spontaneous flights from 49 individuals of great tits (Parus major), blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), and marsh tits (Poecile palustris) in the Paridae family using two automated RFID-infrared tunnels. We developed a power margin model to predict in-flight acceleration based on initial velocity, scaled by species-specific wing loading. Lastly, we tested the repeatability of flight metrics to assess whether flight may be interpreted as an individual behavioural trait. We found significant differences in initial velocity (p = 0.004) and in-flight acceleration (p <0.001) between species. The observed difference in the in-flight acceleration aligned with the power margin model prediction. Finally, we found significant individual repeatability in both initial velocity (R = 0.21) and in-flight acceleration (R = 0.11). Our findings suggest that the flight performance of small birds can be consistently measured in the field, modelled beyond steady-state assumptions, and interpreted as an individual behavioural trait
Interactions between ants and diaspores in a Brazilian hotspot: an overview of trends and gaps in literature
No full textAbstract
Ants are present in terrestrial ecosystems nearly worldwide and participate in several ecological interactions that result in essential ecosystem functions, such as seed dispersal. In these interactions, ants collect fruits and seeds and move them to safe sites, preventing pathogen proliferation and increasing seedling establishment. Some ant species play a key role in these interactions, enhancing seed dispersal efficiency in areas where they occur. However, species loss due to land-use changes threatens these interactions and the ecosystem functions they support. The Atlantic Forest is among the most critically endangered hotspots in the world, making studies that support conservation strategies urgent. To address this, we compiled 26 years of research on ant-diaspore interactions in the Atlantic Forest to assess the current state of knowledge and encourage future studies. Most research has focused on three Brazilian states, revealing large knowledge gaps across the biome. Additionally, many studies have only evaluated the quantitative aspects of seed dispersal by ants. We identified six key ant species responsible for diaspore removal (e.g.,
Pachycondyla striata
,
Odontomachus chelifer
and
Atta sexdens
), but no key species were found for diaspore cleaning. Also, we found that seed size and lipid content influence interaction types. Finally, we highlighted priority locations for future sampling based on environmental characteristics, emphasizing specific ecoregions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. This information is crucial for advancing the discussion on ant species and their ecological interactions in the Atlantic Forest and guiding further research on their role in seed dispersal