Agency, identity and learning at turning points in women's lives: A comparative UK-Italian analysis

This paper discusses the ways in which women aged 50, in two different cultural contexts (United Kingdom and Italy) narrate and portray turning points in their life course. Particular emphasis is put on the relationships between identity, learning and agency that emerge through work, family and life experiences. The reference paradigm is adopted from Narrative Learning Theory and the approach is qualitative and comparative in analysing the participant\u2019s voice. For the UK sample, the data sources are 16 semi-structured interviews, including drawings representing the life course, selected from the study deposited in the UK Archives Data under the \u201cSocial Participation and Identity\u201d project; for the Italian sample, the data sources are 28 semistructured interviews and drawings, based on the same selected items of the UK interviews and provided by women living in the North-East of Italy. This study will show how women\u2019s representations of their life course and of turning points in their lives reveal different propensities to reflect on and learn from their own lives. The comparative perspective highlights, through two-level analysis (micro and macro) and by contrasting cultural, relational and social contexts, variations in ways these women are enabled or restricted in moving their lives forward. The research also contributes to methodological insight into the use of drawings in elucidating life course narratives

The economic impact of NASA R and D spending: Executive summary

An evaluation of the economic impact of NASA research and development programs is made. The methodology and the results revolve around the interrelationships existing between the demand and supply effects of increased research and development spending, in particular, NASA research and development spending. The INFORUM Inter-Industry Forecasing Model is used to measure the short-run economic impact of alternative levels of NASA expenditures for 1975. An aggregate production function approach is used to develop the data series necessary to measure the impact of NASA research and development spending, and other determinants of technological progress, on the rate of growth in productivity of the U. S. economy. The measured relationship between NASA research and development spending and technological progress is simulated in the Chase Macroeconometric Model to measure the immediate, intermediate, and long-run economic impact of increased NASA research and development spending over a sustained period

But What do I Wear? A Study of Women's Climbing Attire

Mrs Henry Warwick-Coleman advises the lady climber on her attire in her 1859 publication, A Lady’s Tour Round Monte Rosa. She suggests ‘A lady’s dress is inconvenient for mountaineering’, continuing ‘even under the most careful management, and therefore every device which may render it less so should be adopted’’ Throughout history clothing can be seen to have been responsible for the development of many theory’s and concepts that have become embedded within the social structure of communities. They form a framework around which society has and still does establish rules, codes and beliefs, embedding a deep sense of social conformity through ‘uniforms’ that express moods and personalities. Emancipation opened up the opportunity for women, to take an active role in the sport of climbing, yet conflicts arose, when it came to the attire they were expected to wear. For women breaking dress codes would cause a scandal, whilst becoming the first to ascend a peak; had its prizes. This paper investigates historical documentation related to the development of women’s climbing and climbing clothing from 1806 to the twentieth century. This will provide an outline of the clothing developmental stages that have taken place and the struggle for inclusion and recognition that women have faced on the mountain

Spatial Shift-Share Analysis of the Leisure and Hospitality Sector on the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina

Employment shifts in the Leisure and Hospitality sector along the Gulf coast following Hurricane Katrina were explored using spatial shift-share analysis. Using a spatial weights matrix that incorporated relative employment, and distance measures relative to the track of the storm we calculated classical and spatial shift-share components. Each of the spatial components then was regressed on net employment change, and the results were statistically significant, and similar to results obtained by Marquez and Ramajo (2005). These results suggest that spatial interaction between employment centers as well as with the storm track, was a relevant aspect of the employment shifts that occurred following Hurricane Katrina.Labor and Human Capital, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, R11, R12, J21,

Exploring and strengthening the role of positive affect in the lives of people living with HIV

A group multicomponent positive affect intervention for individuals with HIV was conducted with seven participants accessing an inner-city charity providing support for this population. The intervention ran over eight weeks and included a number of skills which have previously been found to improve positive affect. Outcomes were measured using quantitative scales of affect and mindfulness, and qualitative follow-up interviews. Following the intervention, positive affect and mindfulness significantly increased, and a variety of other subjective changes were also reported, although more sessions or booster sessions may have maintained these changes more effectively. These findings are in keeping with previous studies exploring the impact of multicomponent interventions with chronically ill populations. The limitations of these findings are discussed, and suggestions are made for future research, including having a larger number of participants and more carefully controlled studies

Deformation mechanisms leading to auxetic behaviour in the α-cristobalite and α-quartz structures of both silica and germania

Analytical expressions have been developed in which the elastic behaviour of the α-quartz and α-cristobalite molecular tetrahedral frameworks of both silica and germania are modelled by rotation, or dilation or concurrent rotation and dilation of the tetrahedra. Rotation and dilation of the tetrahedra both produce negative Poisson’s ratios (auxetic behaviour), whereas both positive and negative values are possible when these mechanisms act concurrently. Concurrent rotation and dilation of the tetrahedra reproduces with remarkable accuracy both the positive and negative nu31 Poisson’s ratios observed in silica α-quartz and α-cristobalite, respectively, when loaded in the x3 direction. A parametric fit of the concurrent model to the germania α-quartz experimental nu31 Poisson’s ratio is used to predict nu31 for germania α-cristobalite, for which no experimental value exists. This is predicted to be +0.007. Strain-dependent nu31 trends, due to concurrent rotation and dilation in the silica structures, are in broad agreement with those predicted from pair-potential calculations, although significant differences do occur in the absolute values. Concurrent dilation and rotation of the tetrahedra predicts that an alternative uniaxial stress (sigma3)-induced phase exists for both silica α-quartz and α-cristobalite and germania α-cristobalite, having geometries in reasonable agreement with beta-quartz and idealised beta-cristobalite, respectively

Proceedings of the National Conference on Water, Food Security and Climate Change in Sri Lanka, BMICH, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 9-11 June 2009. Vol. 2. Water quality, environment and climate change

This is the second volume of the proceedings of the National Conference on ‘Water for Food and Environment’, which was held from June 9 –11, 2009 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH). The volumes 1 and 3 have been produced as separate documents of this report series. In response to a call for abstracts, 81 abstracts were received from government institutes dealing with water resources and agriculture development, universities, other freelance researchers and researchers from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Forty seven of the eighty-one abstracts that were submitted were accepted for compiling full papers. In the past couple of years the sharp increase in food prices worldwide has raised serious concerns about food security, especially in developing countries. To effectively address these concerns a holistic approach is required that encompasses improved agricultural water productivity, adaptation to climate change, targeted and appropriate institutional and financial measures, and a consideration of environmental issues. The main purpose of the conference was to share experiences in these areas and to find opportunities to improve farmers’ incomes and food production, and to promote environmentally sustainable practices in Sri Lanka in the face of growing water scarcity and the challenges of climate change.Wetlands, / Environmental flows / Assessment / Water allocation / Case studies / Rivers / Farming systems / Models / Groundwater / Aquifers / Domestic water / Rainfed farming / Climate change / Wastewater irrigation / Rice

The Partnership Paperchase: Structuring Partnership Agreements in Water and Sanitation in Low-income Communities

Tripartite partnerships between water utilities, local government and civil society are often seen as a good way to deliver services to informal urban communities and slums. However, while these 'partnerships' can be seen as benign relationships, they often fail because the incentives and interests of the partners are not well aligned. In this report, the authors argue that the development of robust documentation (in forms which consitute a 'contractual' agreement) can enhance the performance of such partnerships. Aspects of the partnership which should be included in such documentation include roles and responsibilities, financing, objectives and indicators of success and dispute-resolution mechanisms. The report provides practical guidance and examples of good practice to guide the reader through a process of developing such documentation

Device for tensioning test specimens within an hermetically sealed chamber

The device is characterized by a support column adapted to be received within an insulated, hermetically sealable chamber. A plurality of anchor pins are mounted on the column for releasibly connecting thereto a plurality of test specimens. A plurality of axially displaceable pull rods are received by the column in coaxial alignment with the anchor pins. One end of each pull rod is provided with a coupling for connecting the pull rod to a test specimen. The opposite end of the pull rod is entended through a cover plate and adapted to be connected with a remotely related linear actuator through a connecting link including a load cell for measuring stress as the pull rod is placed in tension by the actuator

The Partnership Paperchase: Structuring Partnership Agreements in Water and Sanitation in Low-income Communities

Tripartite partnerships between water utilities, local government and civil society are often seen as a good way to deliver services to informal urban communities and slums. However, while these 'partnerships' can be seen as benign relationships, they often fail because the incentives and interests of the partners are not well aligned. In this report, the authors argue that the development of robust documentation (in forms which consitute a 'contractual' agreement) can enhance the performance of such partnerships. Aspects of the partnership which should be included in such documentation include roles and responsibilities, financing, objectives and indicators of success and dispute-resolution mechanisms. The report provides practical guidance and examples of good practice to guide the reader through a process of developing such documentation