Stability of multifield cosmological solutions in the presence of a fluid

We explore the stability properties of multifield solutions in the presence of a perfect fluid, as appropriate to assisted quintessence scenarios. We show that the stability condition for multiple fields phi(i) in identical potentials V-i is simply d(2)V(i)/d phi(2)(i) > 0, exactly as in the absence of a fluid. A possible new instability associated with the fluid is shown not to arise in situations of cosmological interest

Multifield consequences for D-brane inflation

We analyse the multifield behaviour in D-brane inflation when contributions from the bulk are taken into account. For this purpose, we study a large number of realisations of the potential; we find the nature of the inflationary trajectory to be very consistent despite the complex construction. Inflation is always canonical and occurs in the vicinity of an inflection point. Extending the transport method to non-slow-roll and to calculate the running, we obtain distributions for observables. The spectral index is typically blue and the running positive, putting the model under moderate pressure from WMAP7 constraints. The local f_NL and tensor-to-scalar ratio are typically unobservably small, though we find approximately 0.5% of realisations to give observably large local f_NL. Approximating the potential as sum-separable, we are able to give fully analytic explanations for the trends in observed behaviour. Finally we find the model suffers from the persistence of isocurvature perturbations, which can be expected to cause further evolution of adiabatic perturbations after inflation. We argue this is a typical problem for models of multifield inflation involving inflection points and renders models of this type technically unpredictive without a description of reheating

Maternal Psychological Control, Use of Supportive Parenting, and Childhood Depressive Symptoms

Given the developmental importance of the family system, research on child depressive symptoms often examines the impact of parenting practices as either sources of or buffers against depressive symptoms. The current study, operating from a stress-process framework, examined the interactive effects of supportive parenting practices (i.e., mothers' use of positive communication, positive parenting, and parental involvement) and maternal psychological control on mother- and child-reported child depressive symptoms in a community-recruited sample of 9-12 year-olds. Discrepancies between mother- and child-reports of depressive symptoms were also examined. Maternal psychological control was uniquely associated with child-, not mother-, reported depressive symptoms. Parental involvement was uniquely associated with mother-, not child-, reported depressive symptoms. Positive parent-child communication was associated with less child- and mother-reported child depressive symptoms at the bivariate level, but not when unique associations were examined. Positive parenting was unrelated to either report of depressive symptoms. No interaction effects were detected. Implications and future directions are discussed

Reconceiving Labour Law: The Labour Market Regulation Project

This paper reviews the recent work by Australian labour lawyers that has embraced the ‘new regulation’ and in particular the idea of law as regulation. This approach has recast the academic study of labour law as being concerned with regulation of the labour market. While much of this work has concentrated on expanding the field of labour law to include many areas of law affecting the labour market (beyond the employer-employee relationship), the work has also developed the view of law as a mechanism of state regulation. The paper examines how the ‘regulatory turn’ in Australian labour law has affected the accounts it provides, and assesses the connection between seeing the labour market as the field of study and the adoption of a regulatory perspective to the study of labour law

Factors Affecting Franchise Agreement Terminations: Lessons for the Franchising Sector

The practice  of termination  of franchise   agreements  raises  significant  strategic  and  legal issues. This paper aims to provide descriptive information about franchise terminations in relation to which the appropriateness of regulatory responses can be measured. Data were collected from surveys of Australian franchisers in 1998 and 1999 to explore the nature, reasons and outcomes of franchise  agreement terminations.  A model predicting  the likelihood of terminations was developed, based on franchise system maturity, support structures provided, and level of conflict experienced. The results indicate that mature franchises were more  likely  than younger  systems  to experience franchise  terminations.  No  consistent  link was found between the amount of system support or the level of conflict and the incidence of franchise terminations. The data  lends  support  to judicial  responses  to  termination  issues which accommodate the relational aspect of  franchise  relationships  and  addresses termination issues in the context of the underlying relationship and the legitimate business expectations  of the parties

Effect of reheating on predictions following multiple-field inflation

We study the sensitivity of cosmological observables to the reheating phase following inflation driven by many scalar fields. We describe a method which allows semi-analytic treatment of the impact of perturbative reheating on cosmological perturbations using the sudden decay approximation. Focusing on $\mathcal{N}$-quadratic inflation, we show how the scalar spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio are affected by the rates at which the scalar fields decay into radiation. We find that for certain choices of decay rates, reheating following multiple-field inflation can have a significant impact on the prediction of cosmological observables.Comment: Published in PRD. 4 figures, 10 page

2019-2020 Tracking Report: LGBTQ Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations

The 2019-2020 Resource Tracking Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations (2022) explores the scope and character of U.S. foundation funding for LGBTQ communities and issues in calendar years 2019-2020. This 18th edition of the tracking report represents the next iteration of work from Funders for LGBTQ Issues in our ongoing effort to document the scale of philanthropic support for LGBTQ communities and issues.The report finds that foundation funding for LGBTQ communities and issues has fallen since its record high in 2018, totaling $193 million in 2019 and$201 million in 2020. This is concerning, as it comes at a time when, according to Giving USA, overall foundation support has soared. For every $100 awarded by U.S. foundations in 2020, only 23 cents specifically supported LGBTQ communities and issues

Parenting and Child Competence in Aggressive Youth: Bidirectional Associations and the Role of Parental Depression

Previous research has established associations between parenting factors and children’s competence, though these studies have been limited in their reliance on parenting styles and their examination of these associations cross-sectionally. The current study examined longitudinal growth trajectories and associations between two parenting practices (i.e., parental supervision and avoidance of discipline) and two dimensions of children’s self-perceived competence (i.e., academic and social competence) across six years spanning the transition from elementary school to middle and high school among aggressive youth. Associations and bidirectional influences across time were evaluated. Parental depressive symptoms were also examined as a moderator of these associations. Latent growth models suggested that child perceived competence and parenting practices showed significant variability and no stable growth trajectories. GEE analyses revealed that parental avoidance of discipline negatively predicted perceived academic competence, which, in turn, negatively predicted parental avoidance of discipline. Likewise, when depressive symptoms were low, similar bidirectional associations between parental supervision and perceived academic competence were evident. At low levels of parental depressive symptoms, avoidance of discipline also negatively predicted perceived social competence. Results lend support to developmental models that evaluate the nature of youth competence and parenting factors uniquely and in the context of other salient factors, such as parental psychopathology. Implications and future directions are discussed