224 research outputs found
Exploring wellbeing in older male farmers in Western Australia
In the context of an ageing population it has become increasingly important to identify the determinants of wellbeing in older adulthood. A review of the literature relevant to wellbeing and strengths relevant to older male farmers in Australia was conducted. This body of knowledge was identified to be sparse. Existing literature on farming primarily had a deficits focus, and only a small number of qualitative studies were specific to older male farmers. Four broad, overlapping areas representing the meaning of wellbeing were identified as potentially important: farming work; connectedness; the land; health and wellbeing. The inter-connected nature of farming life was identified as presenting a unique set of circumstances for ageing well. Specifically, it was suggested that maintaining self-integrity within farming life may be important. In light of the depth provided by qualitative studies into the lived experiences of older male farmers in the state of New South Wales, it was concluded that further research of this nature was required in other states of Australia. Researcher
Breaking Down Traditional Classroom Walls and Studying Spacesuits Abroad
The spacesuit curriculum under development by the Spacesuit Utilization of Innovative Technology Laboratory (S.U.I.T. Lab) in the Spaceflight Operations program of the Applied Aviation Sciences Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has the unique challenge of educating non-engineering students about extremely technical space systems, highlighted by spacesuits. CSO 399: “Spacesuits and Human Spaceflight Operations” course, taught in Greece each summer, introduces students to human spaceflight topics. This unique offering takes advantage of the clear water visibility in the Aegean Sea with practical underwater demonstrations of space operations. Students live in confined quarters on a sailboat for two weeks to simulate operations in a close-quarter space station, emulating astronaut living experiences. Hiking Mount Astráka in the Zagori region of Greece created an immersed environment to learn about spacewalk preparations for extravehicular activities. This course is innovative by taking students outside of the classroom to do hands-on, or gloveson, learning. Students taking this course have a drive to obtain a career in the spaceflight industry. By taking this course, students developed an understanding of the design process of human-rated spacecraft and spacesuits required to aid humans in exploring the cosmos. Nontraditional learning was reinforced by the uniqueness of the program teaching “anywhere but a classroom and included locales such as an amphitheater on the beach, catacombs, monasteries, a church courtyard, and as micro-lessons along the way, on sailboats, buses, hotels, and underwater. By changing the locations and having students constantly adapt to new learning environments they were able to grasp a feel for the constant changing pace of the space industry and the thrill of exploration
Civic engagement, pedagogy, and information technology on Web sites for youth
Scholars of political socialization are paying increasing attention to how the Internet might help cure the civic disengagement of youth. This content analysis of a sample of 73 U.S.-based civic Web sites for youth introduces a framework for evaluating Web sites’ strategies for fostering active communication for citizenship. We offer the first systematic assessment of the extent to which a broad range of Web sites aim to develop young people’s abilities to use information and communication technology (ICT) as a vehicle for civic participation and to engage with ICT as a policy domain that encompasses issues (such as freedom of speech and intellectual property rights) that shape the conditions for popular sovereignty online. The study finds low levels of interactive features (such as message boards) that allow young people to share editorial control by offering their own content. In addition, few sites employ active pedagogical techniques (such as simulations) that research suggests are most effective at developing civic knowledge, skills, and participation. We also find little attention to ICT policy issues, which could engage budding citizens in debates over the formative conditions for political communication in the information age. We conclude with suggestions for civic Web site designers and hypotheses for user studies to test
Games for civic learning: A conceptual framework and agenda for research and design
Scholars, educators, and media designers are increasingly interested in whether and how digital games might contribute to civic learning. However, there are three main barriers to advancing understanding of games’ potential for civic education: the current practices of formal schooling, a dearth of evidence about what kinds of games best inspire learning about public life, and divergent paradigms of civic engagement. In response, this article develops a conceptual framework for how games might foster civic learning of many kinds. The authors hypothesize that the most effective games for civic learning will be those that best integrate game play and content, that help players make connections between their individual actions and larger social structures, and that link ethical and expedient reasoning. This framework suggests an agenda for game design and research that could illuminate whether and how games can be most fruitfully incorporated into training and education for democratic citizenship and civic leadership
Portrayals of information and communication technology on World Wide Web sites for girls
This study reports a content analysis of 35 World Wide Web sites that included in their mission the goal of engaging girls with information and communication technology (ICT). It finds that sites emphasize cultural and economic uses of ICT, doing little to foster civic applications that could empower girls as citizens of the information age. The study also finds that sites foster a narrow range of ICT proficiencies, focusing mostly on areas such as communication, in which girls have already achieved parity with boys. An examination of the role models portrayed in ICT occupations indicates that the sites show females mainly in elite technology jobs, reversing stereotypical mass media depictions of females in low-status roles in relation to ICT. Employing an original index of ICT knowledge and skills, the study finds that the sites that scored highest both on fostering comprehensive knowledge and skills as well as featuring civic content were general interest Web communities. Ownership (for-profit or not-for-profit) of sites was less important than editorial control: Sites that offered girls a place to contribute their own content were more likely to offer civic material and a broader range of ICT knowledge and skills. We conclude with recommendations for Web site designers to rethink their design strategies and their rationales for closing the gender gap in computing
Consumption and tax gains attributable to Covid-19 vaccinations in 12 EU countries with low vaccination rates.
BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic is an economic and a health crisis. Households reduced consumption expenditures as large-scale physical distancing measures, lower disposable incomes and fear of infection when engaging in many types of economic activity took hold. This, in turn, reduced domestic tax revenues at a time when governments were facing increased financial pressures to strengthen and sustain welfare states. METHODS: We developed a simulation model, the Covid-19 Taxination Simulator, to estimate potential economic gains and tax revenues attributable to vaccine rollouts. We apply the model to 12 European Union countries which had low vaccination rates at the beginning of 2022. RESULTS: The highest growth in aggregate personal consumption expenditure attributable to Covid-19 vaccines administered as of January 2022 is in Greece (10.8%), Slovenia (8.6%) and Czechia (8.6%), while the lowest is in Bulgaria (2.2%) and Slovakia (2.1%). If countries had vaccinated 85% of their adult population, the largest gains in consumption tax revenues would be expected in Romania (830 million Euros) and Poland (738 million Euros). Consumption tax revenues generated by meeting the 85% of the adult population target would, on their own, be large enough to fully cover the costs of expanding the vaccine rollout itself in Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary and Greece. CONCLUSION: Covid-19 vaccination rollouts not only save lives and relieve pressures on health systems, they also support economic growth and generate additional tax revenues. These revenues can partially offset the costs of vaccines programmes themselves
Cosmic Ray Acceleration at the Forward Shock in Tycho's Supernova Remnant: Evidence from Chandra X-ray Observations
We present evidence for cosmic ray acceleration at the forward shock in
Tycho's supernova remnant (SNR) from three X-ray observables: (1) the proximity
of the contact discontinuity to the forward shock, or blast wave, (2) the
morphology of the emission from the rim of Tycho, and (3) the spectral nature
of the rim emission. We determine the locations of the blast wave (BW), contact
discontinuity (CD), and reverse shock (RS) around the rim of Tycho's supernova
remnant using a principal component analysis and other methods applied to new
Chandra data. The azimuthal-angle-averaged radius of the BW is 251". For the CD
and RS we find average radii of 241" and 183", respectively. Taking account of
projection effects, we find ratios of 1:0.93:0.70 (BW:CD:RS). We show these
values to be inconsistent with adiabatic hydrodynamical models of SNR
evolution. The CD:BW ratio can be explained if cosmic ray acceleration of ions
is occurring at the forward shock. The RS:BW ratio, as well as the strong Fe Ka
emission from the Tycho ejecta, imply that the RS is not accelerating cosmic
rays. We also extract radial profiles from ~34% of the rim of Tycho and compare
them to models of surface brightness profiles behind the BW for a purely
thermal plasma with an adiabatic shock. The observed morphology of the rim is
much more strongly peaked than predicted by the model, indicating that such
thermal emission is implausible here. Spectral analysis also implies that the
rim emission is non-thermal in nature, lending further support to the idea that
Tycho's forward shock is accelerating cosmic rays.Comment: 39 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Ap
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