Monoenergetic Neutrino Beam for Long Baseline Experiments

In an electron capture process by a nucleus, emitted neutrinos are monoenergetic. By making use of it, we study how to get a completely monoenergetic neutrino beam in a long baseline experiment.Comment: 9 pages, no figure, som typos are corrected, e.g. equation number quoted in table I is correcte

ANALYSING THE LOW ADOPTION OF WATER CONSERVATION TECHNOLOGIES BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Natural resource degradation and water scarcity are a global concern, which typically threatens the sustainability of smallholder farmers' livelihoods in semi-arid developing areas. As part of research efforts, a number of water-conservation technologies (WCT) have been developed, yet with low adoption rates in smallholder farming environments. This paper discusses the concepts of adoption and innovation, comparing the perspectives of research operators to the ones of smallholder farmers. Discrepancies are highlighted and ultimately explain low uptake of technologies by farmer. Then it addresses socio-economic factors affecting such adoption. It is argued that WCT show specific traits: (1) diversity and applicability to different time and spatial scales; (2) hence, the dependency upon a context. These traits influence dissemination and adoption of WCT, and should not be ignored, from the early stage of technology development. It is shown that adoption does not only depend on individual farmers willingness, but also upon the role of property rights on resources, and collective action at community level. Other specific issues and factors like the demand for WCT, the role of public sector and research, and related biases are also discusses. It finally draws some recommendations towards rural livelihoods that are more sustainable. Farmers' participation in technology development, taking account of local indigenous knowledge and sound institutional arrangements are among other the pathways that are suggested towards a better integration of technology development and innovation processes.adoption, innovation, water conservation, technologies, collective action, property rights, sustainability, livelihoods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Resource Allocation Planning Helper (RALPH): Lessons learned

The current task of Resource Allocation Process includes the planning and apportionment of JPL's Ground Data System composed of the Deep Space Network and Mission Control and Computing Center facilities. The addition of the data driven, rule based planning system, RALPH, has expanded the planning horizon from 8 weeks to 10 years and has resulted in large labor savings. Use of the system has also resulted in important improvements in science return through enhanced resource utilization. In addition, RALPH has been instrumental in supporting rapid turn around for an increased volume of special what if studies. The status of RALPH is briefly reviewed and important lessons learned from the creation of an highly functional design team are focused on through an evolutionary design and implementation period in which an AI shell was selected, prototyped, and ultimately abandoned, and through the fundamental changes to the very process that spawned the tool kit. Principal topics include proper integration of software tools within the planning environment, transition from prototype to delivered to delivered software, changes in the planning methodology as a result of evolving software capabilities and creation of the ability to develop and process generic requirements to allow planning flexibility

Are High Wage Jobs Hazardous to Your Health? The Myth That Attracting Higher Paying Extractive Industry Jobs Is a Desirable Community Economic Development Strategy

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Elastic, dielectric and piezoelectric anomalies and Raman spectroscopy of 0.5Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3

The solid solution 0.5Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3-0.5(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BCZT) is a promising lead-free piezoelectric material with exceptionally high piezoelectric coefficients. The strong response is related to structural instabilities close to ambient temperature. We report here on temperature-induced anomalies in the dielectric, piezoelectric, and elastic coefficients and Raman spectroscopy of ceramic BCZT. The data indicate ferroelectric-ferroelectric structural phase transitions in this material in addition to those previously reported. An anomaly is also observed above the Curie temperature TC and is associated with the loss of polar structure that persists thirty degrees above TC

Making training more cognitively effective: making videos interactive

The cost of health and safety (H&S) failures to the UK industry is currently estimated at up to £6.5 billion per annum, with the construction sector suffering unacceptably high levels of work-related incidents. Better H&S education across all skill levels in the industry is seen as an integral part of any solution. Traditional lecture-based courses often fail to recreate the dynamic realities of managing H&S on site and therefore do not sufficiently create deeper cognitive learning (which results in remembering and using what was learned). The use of videos is a move forward, but passively observing a video is not cognitively engaging and challenging, and therefore learning is not as effective as it can be. This paper describes the development of an interactive video in which learners take an active role. While observing the video, they are required to engage, participate, respond and be actively involved. The potential for this approach to be used in conjunction with more traditional approaches to H&S was explored using a group of 2nd-year undergraduate civil engineering students. The formative results suggested that the learning experience could be enhanced using interactive videos. Nevertheless, most of the learners believed that a blended approach would be most effective