927 research outputs found
Capital and Punishment: Resource Scarcity Increases Endorsement of the Death Penalty
Faced with punishing severe offenders, why do some prefer imprisonment whereas others impose death? Previous research exploring death penalty attitudes has primarily focused on individual and cultural factors. Adopting a functional perspective, we propose that environmental features may also shape our punishment strategies. Individuals are attuned to the availability of resources within their environments. Due to heightened concerns with the costliness of repeated offending, we hypothesize that individuals tend toward elimination-focused punishments during times of perceived scarcity. Using global and United States data sets (studies 1 and 2), we find that indicators of resource scarcity predict the presence of capital punishment. In two experiments (studies 3 and 4), we find that activating concerns about scarcity causes people to increase their endorsement for capital punishment, and this effect is statistically mediated by a reduced willingness to risk repeated offenses. Perceived resource scarcity shapes our punishment preferences, with important policy implications
Discussion on the Paper by Neumann, Evett and Skerrett
Neumann, Evett, and Skerrett have made a major contribution to the art and science of fingerprint identification. This is an important—perhaps historic—step forward in the intellectual history of fingerprint identification and perhaps other fields of pattern matching forensic science. Their work deals ingeniously with the elusive problem of placing forensic identification on an empirically sound, quantitative foundation
Discussion on the Paper by Neumann, Evett and Skerrett
Neumann, Evett, and Skerrett have made a major contribution to the art and science of fingerprint identification. This is an important—perhaps historic—step forward in the intellectual history of fingerprint identification and perhaps other fields of pattern matching forensic science. Their work deals ingeniously with the elusive problem of placing forensic identification on an empirically sound, quantitative foundation
Time-dependent spectral-feature variations of stars displaying the B[e] phenomenon; I. V2028 Cyg
We present results of nearly six years of spectroscopic observations of the
B[e] star V2028 Cyg. The presence of the cold-type absorption lines combined
with a hot-type spectrum indicate the binarity of this object. Since B[e] stars
are embedded in an extended envelope, the usage of common stellar atmosphere
models for the analysis is quite inappropriate. Therefore, we focus on the
analysis of the long-term spectral line variations in order to determine the
nature of this object. We present the time dependences of the equivalent width
and radial velocities of the H alpha line, [O I] 6300 A, Fe II 6427, 6433, and
6456 A lines. The bisector variations and line intensities are shown for the H
alpha line. The radial velocities are also measured for the absorption lines of
the K component. No periodic variation is found. The observed data show
correlations between the measured quantities, which can be used in future
modelling
Core components of mental health stigma reduction interventions in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Aims
To identify and categorise core components of effective stigma reduction interventions in the field of mental health in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and compare these components across cultural contexts and between intervention characteristics.
Methods
Seven databases were searched with a strategy including four categories of terms ('stigma’, ‘mental health’, ‘intervention’ and ‘low- and middle-income countries’). Additional methods included citation chaining of all papers identified for inclusion, consultation with experts and hand searching reference lists from other related reviews. Studies on interventions in LMICs aiming to reduce stigma related to mental health with a stigma-related outcome measure were included. All relevant intervention characteristics and components were extracted and a quality assessment was undertaken. A ‘best fit’ framework synthesis was used to organise data, followed by a narrative synthesis.
Results
Fifty-six studies were included in this review, of which four were ineffective and analysed separately. A framework was developed which presents a new categorisation of stigma intervention components based on the included studies. Most interventions utilised multiple methods and of the 52 effective studies educational methods were used most frequently (n = 83), and both social contact (n = 8) and therapeutic methods (n = 3) were used infrequently. Most interventions (n = 42) based their intervention on medical knowledge, but a variety of other themes were addressed. All regions with LMICs were represented, but every region was dominated by studies from one country. Components varied between regions for most categories indicating variation between cultures, but only a minority of studies were developed in the local setting or culturally adapted.
Conclusions
Our study suggests effective mental health stigma reduction interventions in LMICs have increased in quantity and quality over the past five years, and a wide variety of components have been utilised successfully – from creative methods to emphasis on recovery and strength of people with mental illness. Yet there is minimal mention of social contact, despite existing strong evidence for it. There is also a lack of robust research designs, a high number of short-term interventions and follow-up, nominal use of local expertise and the research is limited to a small number of LMICs. More research is needed to address these issues. Some congruity exists in components between cultures, but generally they vary widely. The review gives an in-depth overview of mental health stigma reduction core components, providing researchers in varied resource-poor settings additional knowledge to help with planning mental health stigma reduction interventions
The spectroscopic evolution of the symbiotic-like recurrent nova V407 Cygni during its 2010 outburst. I. The shock and its evolution
On 2010 Mar 10, V407 Cyg was discovered in outburst, eventually reaching V< 8
and detected by Fermi. Using medium and high resolution ground-based optical
spectra, visual and Swift UV photometry, and Swift X-ray spectrophotometry, we
describe the behavior of the high-velocity profile evolution for this nova
during its first three months. The peak of the X-ray emission occurred at about
day 40 with a broad maximum and decline after day 50. The main changes in the
optical spectrum began at around that time. The He II 4686A line first appeared
between days 7 and 14 and initially displayed a broad, symmetric profile that
is characteristic of all species before day 60. Low-excitation lines remained
comparatively narrow, with v(rad,max) of order 200-400 km/s. They were
systematically more symmetric than lines such as [Ca V], [Fe VII], [Fe X], and
He II, all of which showed a sequence of profile changes going from symmetric
to a blue wing similar to that of the low ionization species but with a red
wing extended to as high as 600 km/s . The Na I D doublet developed a broad
component with similar velocity width to the other low-ionization species. The
O VI Raman features were not detected. We interpret these variations as
aspherical expansion of the ejecta within the Mira wind. The blue side is from
the shock penetrating into the wind while the red wing is from the low-density
periphery. The maximum radial velocities obey power laws, v(rad,max) t^{-n}
with n ~ 1/3 for red wing and ~0.8 for the blue. (truncated)Comment: Accepted for publication, A&A (submitted: 9 Oct 2010; accepted: 1 Dec
2010) in press; based on data obtained with Swift, Nordic Optical Telescope,
Ondrejov Observatory. Corrected typo, Fermi?LAT detection was at energies
above 100 MeV (with thanks to C. C. Cheung
Time-dependent spectral-feature variations of stars displaying the B[e] phenomenon III. HD 50138
We analyse spectroscopic observations of the B[e] star HD 50138 (MWC 158,
V743 Mon, or IRAS 06491-0654), a member of the FS CMa group, obtained over the
last twenty years. Four different epochs are identified in the observational
data, where the variability of the spectral features is substantially
different. Additionally, two long periods of (3 000 +/- 500) and (5 000 +/-
1000) days are found in the variations of the equivalent widths of the H alpha
and [OI] 6300 A lines and radial velocities of the H alpha line violet peak.
Modest signatures of a regular period of ~34 days in the radial velocities of
the H alpha red peak and H beta central depression are found in the season
2013/2014. The H alpha V/R changes indicate a periodicity of ~50 days. The
correlations between individual spectral features significantly restricts the
model of the object and suggest that it is most likely a binary system with a
highly distorted disc with spiral arms around the primary component. At the
same time, no obvious signs of the secondary component has been found in the
object's spectrum
Physical theory of the twentieth century and contemporary philosophy
It has been shown that the criticism of Pauli as well as of Susskind and
Glogover may be avoided if the standard quantum-mechanical mathematical model
has been suitably extended. There is not more any reason for Einstein's
citicism, either, if in addition to some new results concerning Bell's
inequalities and Belifante's argument are taken into account. The ensemble
interpretation of quantum mechanics (or the hidden-variable theory) should be
preferred, which is also supported by the already published results of
experiments with three polarizers. Greater space in the text has been devoted
also to the discussion of epistemological problems and some philosophical
consequences.Comment: 12 page
Weak wind effects in CNO driven winds of hot first stars
During the evolution of rotating first stars, which initially consisted of
only hydrogen and helium, CNO elements may emerge to their surface. These stars
may therefore have winds that are driven only by CNO elements. We study weak
wind effects (Gayley-Owocki heating and multicomponent effects) in stellar
winds of first generation stars driven purely by CNO elements. We apply our
NLTE multicomponent models and hydrodynamical simulations. The multicomponent
effects (frictional heating and decoupling) are important particularly for low
metallicity winds, but they influence mass loss rate only if they cause
decoupling for velocities lower than the escape velocity. The multicomponent
effects also modify the feedback from first stars. As a result of the
decoupling of radiatively accelerated metals from hydrogen and helium, the
first low-energy cosmic ray particles are generated. We study the interaction
of these particles with the interstellar medium concluding that these particles
easily penetrate the interstellar medium of a given minihalo. We discuss the
charging of the first stars by means of their winds. Gayley-Owocki heating,
frictional heating, and the decoupling of wind components occur in the winds of
evolved low-metallicity stars and the solar metallicity main-sequence stars.Comment: 10 pages, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic
Organizational Fragmentation and Care Quality in the U.S. Health Care System
Many goods and services can be readily provided through a series of unconnected transactions, but in health care close coordination over time and within care episodes improves both health outcomes and efficiency. Close coordination is problematic in the US health care system because the financing and delivery of care is distributed across a variety of distinct and often competing entities, each with its own objectives, obligations and capabilities. These fragmented organizational structures lead to disrupted relationships, poor information flows, and misaligned incentives that combine to degrade care quality and increase costs. We illustrate our argument with examples taken from the insurance and the hospital industries, and discuss possible responses to the problems resulting from organizational fragmentation.
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