The Organic Retail Market in Wales

This report on retail data provides an estimate of the value of the organic market in Wales and its borders, which shows the importance of this sector to the Welsh economy both directly and as a multiplier of the Welsh Government’s investment in organic farming under the Rural Development Plan (RDP) agri-environment schemes. The report combines data from three sources: Nielsen Scantrack which covers sales through ma-jor food and drink retailers (supermarkets) in Wales/West, surveys of Welsh organic businesses (independent retailers, processors, box schemes, farm shops and others) carried out by the Soil Association and data from the Welsh producer survey carried out by Organic Centre Wales. In addition, comments were invited from a number of industry experts

Teacher Professionalism: A Study of Professionalism for Religious Educators in the Seminary and Institutes Department of the Church Educational System

This qualitative study investigated Seminary and Institute teachers’ perception of professionalism. To answer the question “What is the perception of seminary and institute teachers and leaders regarding professionalism,” a life history approach was used to explore what experiences and events shaped the participants’ view of professionalism in seminary and institutes. Findings indicated the following: (a) loyalty to the organization is a key attribute for professionalism; (b) positive associations with peers and administrators strengthen professionalism and foster a culture of unity; (c) observation and feedback are critical elements in developing professionally; (d) content mastery is a prerequisite for teachers seeking to be professional; (e) years’ experience practicing appropriate skills, attitudes, and behaviors deepens the professional attributes; and (f) experience in many different assignments builds confidence, efficacy, and trust in teachers

Selective Laser Sintering Preparation and Tribological Testing of Nanostructured Tungsten Carbide-Cobalt Composites

This paper describes the results to date ofresearch done to compare and contrast the tribological properties ofnanostructured tungsten carbide-cobalt composites consolidated by selective laser sintering (SLS) and conventional grain size composites ofthe same chemical composition consolidated by conventional commercial methods. The powder preprocessing and selective laser sintering methods will briefly be described. The tribological testing methods will be discussed, and the tribological properties ofthe selective laser sintered and commercially consolidated materials will be compared. It will be seen that the nanosized WC-Co composites have far superior harness and wear resistance compared to their microsized counterparts.Mechanical Engineerin

Feeding live prey to zoo animals: response of zoo visitors in Switzerland

In summer 2007, with the help of a written questionnaire, the attitudes of more than 400 visitors to the zoological garden of Zurich, Switzerland, toward the idea of feeding live insects to lizards, live fish to otters, and live rabbits to tigers were investigated. The majority of Swiss zoo visitors agreed with the idea of feeding live prey (invertebrates and vertebrates) to zoo animals, both off- and on-exhibit, except in the case of feeding live rabbits to tigers on-exhibit. Women and frequent visitors of the zoo disagreed more often with the on-exhibit feeding of live rabbits to tigers. Study participants with a higher level of education were more likely to agree with the idea of feeding live invertebrates and vertebrates to zoo animals off-exhibit. In comparison to an earlier study undertaken in Scotland, zoo visitors in Switzerland were more often in favor of the live feeding of vertebrates. Feeding live prey can counter the loss of hunting skills of carnivores and improve the animals’ well-being. However, feeding enrichments have to strike a balance between optimal living conditions of animals and the quality of visitor experience. Our results show that such a balance can be found, especially when live feeding of mammals is carried out off-exhibit. A good interpretation of food enrichment might help zoos to win more support for the issue, and for re-introduction programs and conservation

Laser Measurement of SAM Bulk and Surface Wave Amplitudes for Material Microstructure Analysis

Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (SAM) at ultra high frequencies has proven to be a useful tool for investigating materials on the scale of individual grains. This technique is normally performed in a reflection mode from one side of a sample surface. Information about the generation and transmission of bulk acoustic waves into the material is inferred from the reflection signal amplitude. We present an adaptation to the SAM method whereby the acoustic bulk waves are directly visualized through laser acoustic detection. Ultrasonic waves were emitted from a nominal 200 MHz point focus acoustic lens into a thin silicon plate (thickness 75ìm) coupled with distilled water. A scanned laser beam detected the bulk and surface acoustic waves at the opposite surface of the thin silicon plate. Distinct amplitude patterns exhibiting the expected symmetry for Silicon were observed that alter in predictable ways as the acoustic focal point was moved throughout the plate. Predictions of the acoustic wave fields generated by the acoustic lens within and at the surface of the Silicon are being investigated through the angular spectrum of plane waves approach. Results shall be presented for plates with (100) and (111) orientations followed by discussion of applications of the technique for material microstructure analysis

News discourses on distant suffering: A critical discourse analysis of the 2003 SARS outbreak

News carries a unique signifying power, a power to represent events in particular ways (Fairclough, 1995). Applying Critical Discourse Analysis and Chouliaraki's theory on the mediation of suffering (2006), this article explores the news representation of the 2003 global SARS outbreak. Following a case-based methodology, we investigate how two Belgian television stations have covered the international outbreak of SARS. By looking into the mediation of four selected discursive moments, underlying discourses of power, hierarchy and compassion were unraveled. The analysis further identified the key role of proximity in international news reporting and supports the claim that Western news media mainly reproduce a Euro-American centered world order. This article argues that news coverage of international crises such as SARS constructs and maintains the socio-cultural difference between 'us' and 'them' as well as articulating global power hierarchies and a division of the world in zones of poverty and prosperity, danger and safety

Fermi's golden rule and exponential decay as a RG fixed point

We discuss the decay of unstable states into a quasicontinuum using models of the effective Hamiltonian type. The goal is to show that exponential decay and the golden rule are exact in a suitable scaling limit, and that there is an associated renormalization group (RG) with these properties as a fixed point. The method is inspired by a limit theorem for infinitely divisible distributions in probability theory, where there is a RG with a Cauchy distribution, i.e. a Lorentz line shape, as a fixed point. Our method of solving for the spectrum is well known; it does not involve a perturbation expansion in the interaction, and needs no assumption of a weak interaction. We use random matrices for the interaction, and show that the ensemble fluctuations vanish in the scaling limit. Thus the limit is the same for every model in the ensemble with probability one.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur

Spectroscopy of 54^{54}Ti and the systematic behavior of low energy octupole states in Ca and Ti isotopes

Excited states of the $N=32$ nucleus $^{54}$Ti have been studied, via both inverse-kinematics proton scattering and one-neutron knockout from $^{55}$Ti by a liquid hydrogen target, using the GRETINA $\gamma$-ray tracking array. Inelastic proton-scattering cross sections and deformation lengths have been determined. A low-lying octupole state has been tentatively identified in $^{54}$Ti for the first time. A comparison of $(p,p')$ results on low-energy octupole states in the neutron-rich Ca and Ti isotopes with the results of Random Phase Approximation calculations demonstrates that the observed systematic behavior of these states is unexpected.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Spectroscopy of 54^{54}Ti and the systematic behavior of low energy octupole states in Ca and Ti isotopes

Excited states of the $N=32$ nucleus $^{54}$Ti have been studied, via both inverse-kinematics proton scattering and one-neutron knockout from $^{55}$Ti by a liquid hydrogen target, using the GRETINA $\gamma$-ray tracking array. Inelastic proton-scattering cross sections and deformation lengths have been determined. A low-lying octupole state has been tentatively identified in $^{54}$Ti for the first time. A comparison of $(p,p')$ results on low-energy octupole states in the neutron-rich Ca and Ti isotopes with the results of Random Phase Approximation calculations demonstrates that the observed systematic behavior of these states is unexpected.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure