Harnessing spatial dispersion in wire media to control the shape of electromagnetic fields

We have detailed the development of our method for field profile shaping of longitudinal electric fields by exploiting the spatial dispersion of wire media. The development of this method involved a theoretical analysis of the problem where we derived the required variation in the electromagnetic properties of a medium that can be described by a 1D spatially dispersive model. Integrating this with information on how the wire radius affects the electromagnetic properties of our structures, taken from numerical simulations, we were able to develop our field profiling method. This method allows us to generate a function for the radius variation of our wires that should produce the desired profile. These profiles come from the solutions of Mathieu's equation. We have validated our method for a variety of realisations of wire media, comprising metal and dielectric wires, in eigenmode simulations, with work also undertaken in the time domain

Influences on Early Creativity: Examining the Role of Affect, Movement and Autonomy During Play on Divergent Thinking Skills of Preschool Children

Play provides children an opportunity to practice cognitive and affective processes which are important in creativity. Studies have found that during play, children who display positive emotions, are physically active and play by themselves tend to demonstrate higher creativity. In the present study, the researcher observed fifteen preschool children to record their independence, affect and physical movement during free play. In addition, one adult from each classroom rated of each child’s general affect. Next, participants completed two versions of an Alternate Uses Task assessing divergent thinking skills: one standard version in which participants verbally indicated multiple uses for an object presented by the researcher, and one embodied version in which they could physically manipulate the object while they generated their responses. Results indicated preschoolers provided a significantly greater number of responses on the embodied Alternate Uses Task (M = 3.64, SD = 2.34) than on the standard Alternate Uses Task (M = 2.45, SD = 1.81), t(10) = -.67, p = .05, d = -.69. Furthermore, children’s general positive affect as rated by their ECE was a significant predictor of children’ fluency scores on the Alternate Uses Task, ß = .60, t(10) = 2.26, p = .05, and accounted for 36% (R2 = .36) of the variance in fluency scores. These results indicate that physical movement during a creative thinking task and general positive happiness facilitates a greater number of responses. Results are discussed in the context of the classroom

Indigenous data from the ABS Labour Force Survey: what can they tell us?

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has recently published annual estimates of Indigenous labour force status for the period 1994-2000 based on the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Considerable interest surrounds these for two reasons: · as annual estimates, they offer the possibility of establishing trends in labour force status that are closely aligned-at least more so than are census data-with identifiable policy shifts and macroeconomic shocks; · the time series charted from the sequence of survey results is suggestive, at least at face value, of a sizeable decline in the Indigenous unemployment rate since the mid 1990s, and a current upward trend in employment levels. This paper critically evaluates these estimates with a view to assessing their utility for policy evaluation. The estimates are first examined in the context of previous attempts to benchmark the position of Indigenous people in relation to the labour market. The LFS methodology is then evaluated (to the extent that it bears on the interpretation of results), and finally the standard errors associated with annual movement in the estimates are calculated. Along the way a series of policy questions are addressed: do these apparently positive results suggest that improvement in the position of Indigenous people in the labour market is at long last emerging; · do they reflect success of the Indigenous Employment Policy (IEP); · do they result from macroeconomic or microeconomic change? Findings The LFS experimental estimates are of limited value for policy analysis. At best, they merely confirm existing understandings of recent labour force trends. At worst, they are unreliable due to high standard errors. In particular, movements of annual rates are statistically insignificant in all but the last two years, thus preventing the establishment of long-term trends. The key finding of significant decline in unemployment rates since 1998 resonates with an analysis of trends in Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme employment and with the fact that purely administrative changes to the scheme are likely to have raised overall employment levels over the same period. The prospect that recent decline in Indigenous unemployment has formed part of the general labour market trend appears unlikely. Also, the implementation of IEP would seem to have occurred too recently to have had any bearing on this result. The proposal by the ABS to augment the Indigenous sample in the LFS by providing annualised estimates is an innovative option, but may not be as straightforward as first appears. Such a procedure would require complex transformations of LFS data, probably involving out-of-sample estimates of the transition between, and duration of, respective labour force states. These are likely to effect the reliability of the final estimates

Indigenous employment forecasts: implications for reconciliation

Current government policy seeks to achieve ‘practical reconciliation’ between Indigenous and other Australians by focusing on closing the gap in the key social policy areas of health, housing, education and employment. Reflecting on progress to date, Altman and Hunter (2003) have analysed a range of Indigenous socioeconomic outcomes over the reconciliation decade of 1991 to 2001 concluding that there is little statistical evidence so far from census information to indicate a narrowing of the gap in the manner sought

A profile of Indigenous workers in the private sector

The current re-orientation in policy emphasis towards engagement with the private sector as the primary source of future employment growth for Indigenous people raises questions about how this might be achieved. As a prior step, this paper considers what is known about the present involvement of Indigenous people in the private sector and how this might be relevant to policy development. A profile of the Indigenous private sector workforce: In 1991, private sector jobs accounted for 42 per cent of all Indigenous jobs as opposed to 70 per cent for non-Indigenous Australians. According to the 1994 NATSIS there was no growth in private sector employment in the early 1990s. Most private sector jobs are found in urban areas. Capital cities stand out as having a greater share (39 per cent) than suggested by their share of population (27 per cent). The proportion of private sector jobs found in rural areas (18 per cent) is considerably less than expected given that 31 per cent of the population was located in rural areas. While Indigenous private sector workers have many of the same characteristics as their counterparts in public sector jobs there are a number of key differences. First, they have the option of self-employment; are in relatively insecure jobs; are more likely to be in part-time work but are also more likely to work over-time; are more likely to be males; tend to be younger; have a much greater spread across income categories than public sector workers and are more likely to be earning both the lowest and the highest incomes. Compared to private sector workers as a whole, Indigenous employees in private sector jobs are over-represented in primary industries and under-represented in retail and wholesale industries as well as in finance and business services. For both groups most workers are found in manufacturing and in wholesale and retail industries. Within industry groupings substantial concentration of Indigenous employment exists. Private sector activities from which Indigenous workers are noticeably under-represented tend to be in service industries and those requiring high skill levels and professional accreditation. As a consequence Indigenous people are relatively absent from some of the country's major employer groups and key areas of private sector growth such as in the hospitality and retail industries. Policy implications A degree of caution and policy realism is required in pursuing the goal of increased private sector employment as this could result in changes to the employment profile which may be construed as a backward step for Indigenous people and for related goals of policy: Less job security and more casual/part-time work; greater scope for males and younger people but less for females and older people; more workers on low salaries and fewer training opportunities. On the positive side, there is likely to be a greater proportion of high income earners, but this will be dependent on raising the numbers who are self-employed. To add to this, a major structural factor affecting Indigenous participation in the private sector is provided by location. This is because the majority of Indigenous people remain widely scattered across non-metropolitan regions, while new business activity and growth in private sector employment is increasingly focused on a few mega-metropolitan areas

Indigenous labour force status to the year 2000: Estimated impacts of recent Budget cuts

The simulated estimates of Indigenous labour force status used in this paper are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics projections of Indigenous population to the year 2000 and several reasonable assumptions about the growth in demand for Indigenous labour. The reliance of Indigenous workforce on the continued growth of the Community Development Employment Projects scheme is highlighted by the likely falls in the employment/population ratio and the large increases in unemployment that will result from any budget-induced curtailment of the scheme's growth. The key dynamic of these simulations is the rapidly growing working-age population. The other prominent factor underlying the results is the ongoing disadvantage of the Indigenous labour force including: poor educational attainment, high arrest rates, low life expectancy and locational disadvantage. One of the major challenges for policy makers within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and other government portfolios will be to quickly find alternatives and more permanent means of creating opportunities for new entrants to the Indigenous workforce

Indigenous participation in labour market and training programs

Despite the fact that large numbers of Indigenous people participate in labour market and training programs each year, little information has hitherto been publicly available regarding their characteristics and the nature of program involvement. Using information obtained from various administrative databases held by the Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs, this paper describes the changing distribution of Indigenous participation in labour market programs in recent years and provides details of the age, sex and location of program participants. Further insight into Indigenous participation in training courses is provided by data from the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey. Program participation is shown to have steadily risen in the 1990s with increased emphasis on clients in remote rural areas. Also noted is continuation of a well established trend towards an increasing share of program placements in mainstream programs. The significance of this is underscored by the finding that persons who had attended a training course were more likely to be employed in the mainstream labour market. Despite this, there still appears to be a mismatch between large and growing numbers of program participants and low net employment gain

Black Male Persistence Through Stereotypes in College

Stereotypes create threatening environments for Black males on campus causing social, psychological, and academic effects of Black male collegiate success. The theoretical underpinnings of stereotype threat and critical race theory drive this study and explain where stereotypes derive from and how they create threatening environments for stereotyped Black male collegians. In addition, this thesis seeks to break the deficit narrative surrounding Black males in college. In doing so, this study highlights how Black males persist through stereotypes and the threatening environments they create in both academic and social settings in college. The qualitative phenomenological research design captures the lived experiences of Black male collegians and their feelings, actions, and attitudes towards stereotypes and stereotype threats

The relationship between psychological well-being, student persistence, and retention at a rural public higher education institution

Mental health is a substantial concern in higher education. Fostering positive psychological attributes may improve mental health and contribute to student success. This research analyzes the relationship between positive psychological attributes and student persistence, an element of student success. The research also explores the impacts of mental health on higher education in rural areas. Additionally, it examines how society's view of the purpose of higher education can be revised and expanded by fostering psychological well-being. Employing a logistical regression model, the study results indicate that grit, engagement, resilience, and life satisfaction are statistically significant predictors of students' persistence from one semester to the next. However, this model is limited by a low r^2 number, which requires further research.Includes bibliographical references

Increasing Transit Ridership: Lessons from the Most Successful Transit Systems in the 1990s, MTI Report-01-22

This study systematically examines recent trends in public transit ridership in the U.S. during the 1990s. Specifically, this analysis focuses on agencies that increased ridership during the latter half of the decade. While transit ridership increased steadily by 13 percent nationwide between 1995 and 1999, not all systems experienced ridership growth equally. While some agencies increased ridership dramatically, some did so only minimally, and still others lost riders. What sets these agencies apart from each other? What explains the uneven growth in ridership