Mg I emission lines at 12 and 18 micrometer in K giants

The solar Mg I emission lines at 12 micrometer have already been observed and analyzed well. Previous modeling attempts for other stars have, however, been made only for Procyon and two cool evolved stars, with unsatisfactory results for the latter. We present high-resolution observational spectra for the K giants Pollux, Arcturus, and Aldebaran, which show strong Mg I emission lines at 12 micrometer as compared to the Sun. We also present the first observed stellar emission lines from Mg I at 18 micrometer and from Al I, Si I, and presumably Ca I at 12 micrometer. To produce synthetic line spectra, we employ standard non-LTE modeling for trace elements in cool stellar photospheres. We compute model atmospheres with the MARCS code, apply a comprehensive magnesium model atom, and use the radiative transfer code MULTI to solve for the magnesium occupation numbers in statistical equilibrium. We successfully reproduce the observed Mg I emission lines simultaneously in the giants and in the Sun, but show how the computed line profiles depend critically on atomic input data and how the inclusion of energy levels with n > 9 and collisions with neutral hydrogen are necessary to obtain reasonable fits.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

Mindfulness: A foothold for Rogers's humanistic person-centred approach

This article probed and contextualised the strong parallels between meditation derived mindfulness and Rogers's humanistic person-centred (PC) approach. This was done through a conceptual and evaluative literature review of the PC framework in relation to definitive descriptions of mindfulness. Elements of mindfulness within the core conditions of PC therapy were explored and verified. Quotations, pragmatic, behavioural descriptions and explications provided evidence of a shared ideology inherent in both concepts via “way of being”. The findings suggested that mindfulness cultivates, harmonises and deepens essential therapist qualities in PC therapy. This review article could supply a rationale for significant inferences in the implementation of meditation-inspired activities in the practical preparation of trainee therapists as well as optimising proficiency and refinement in professional practice

A detector for continuous measurement of ultra-cold atoms in real time

We present the first detector capable of recording high-bandwidth real time atom number density measurements of a Bose Einstein condensate. Based on a two-color Mach-Zehnder interferometer, our detector has a response time that is six orders of magnitude faster than current detectors based on CCD cameras while still operating at the shot-noise limit. With this minimally destructive system it may be possible to implement feedback to stabilize a Bose-Einstein condensate or an atom laser.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, submitted to optics letter

Sexual Offences Courts: Better justice for children?

Child victims of sexual abuse are vulnerable witnesses who experience trauma and secondary victimisation when they testify in sexual abuse cases. Sexual Offences Courts aim to alleviate this problem in various ways. The main focus of this article is to examine the prescribed blueprint for Sexual Offences Courts in order to determine whether blueprint-compliant Sexual Offences Courts contribute to better justice for child victims of sexual offences. Each blueprint requirement is therefore analysed with the aim of determining whether possible advantages for child victims can be identified.The conclusion is reached that substantial advantages for child victims are provided by blueprint compliant Sexual Offences Courts. By 2005 54 Sexual Offences Courts were established countrywide and official statistics indicate that these courts are very successful. However, despite numerous commitments by government to establish more of these courts, a moratorium on the establishment of new courts was announced. It is argued that blueprint compliant Sexual Offences Courts do indeed provide better justice for children and therefore more of these courts should be established at a much faster rate

High Ringxiety: Attachment Anxiety Predicts Experiences of Phantom Cell Phone Ringing

Mobile cell phone users have reported experiencing ringing and/or vibrations associated with incoming calls and messages, only to find that no call or message had actually registered. We believe this phenomenon can be understood as a human signal detection issue, with potentially important influences from psychological attributes. We hypothesized that individuals higher in attachment anxiety would report more frequent phantom cell phone experiences, whereas individuals higher in attachment avoidance would report less frequent experiences. If these experiences are primarily psychologically related to attributes of interpersonal relationships, associations with attachment style should be stronger than for general sensation seeking. We also predicted that certain contexts would interact with attachment style to increase or decrease the likelihood of experiencing phantom cell phone calls and messages. Attachment anxiety directly predicted the frequency of phantom ringing and notification experiences, whereas attachment avoidance and sensation seeking did not directly predict frequency. Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance interacted with contextual factors (expectations for a call or message and concerned about an issue that one may be contacted about) in the expected directions for predicting phantom cell phone experiences.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140350/1/cyber.2015.0406.pd

Sexual Offences Courts in South Africa: Quo vadis?

Since the establishment of the first Sexual Offences Court in Wynberg in 1993, various developments have taken place that include, but are not limited to, the following: several investigations into these courts were undertaken; the Sexual Offences and Community Affairs Unit (SOCA Unit) was established; a blueprint for Sexual Offences Courts was drafted and later refined; and, by 2007, the number of Sexual Offences Courts had increased to 59. These courts have performed exceptionally well compared with general regional courts and conviction rates rose to 70 per cent on average. Despite the obvious success of these courts, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development declared a moratorium on the establishment of additional Sexual Offences Courts pending the outcome of an evaluation of existing Sexual Offences Courts. In this article, a synopsis of the development of Sexual Offences Courts is given and the subsequent evaluation commissioned by the Minister is assessed and is supplemented with recommendations to enhance efforts to combat sexual offences through the Sexual Offences Courts

Forestry in reconstruction South Africa : imperial visions, colonial realities

Abstract: The British military conquest and political annexation of the former South African Republic (ZAR) and Orange Free State at the end of the South African War/Second Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) meant that the break-away Boer republics were finally integrated within British South Africa and the wider British Empire, a goal that elites in London had pursued since the British government annexed the fledgling Natalia Republic within the British-controlled Natal Colony in 1843.3 Among a broader suite of reforms, reconstruction officials established government forestry programs in the Transvaal and Orange Free State (renamed the Orange River Colony from 1900–1910..

An Evolutionary Framework for Understanding Sex Differences in Croatian Mortality Rates

Being male is the strongest demographic predictor of early mortality in Croatia. For every woman who dies between the ages of 15 and 34, three men die. Between the ages of 15 and 54, men are four times as likely as women to die from behavioral causes of death, such as accidents, homicides, and suicides. A causal explanation for sex differences in mortality must be based on an understanding of how sex differences were shaped by natural selection, and how those differences interact with environmental factors to create observed patterns and variations. In brief, males have been selected for riskier behavioral and physiological strategies than women, because of the greater variance and skew in male reproductive success. This paper examines the sex difference in Croatian mortality in three parts. First, we quantify the Croatian Male to Female Mortality Ratio (M:F MR) for 9 major causes of death across age group to provide a richer understanding of the sex difference in mortality from a life history framework. Second, we compare the Croatian M:F MR from behavioral, internal, and all causes with that of the available world population to demonstrate how Croatian mortality can be understood as part of a universal pattern that is influenced by unique environmental context. Third, we investigate how the War of Independence in 1991-1995 affected mortality patterns though its impact on behavioral strategies and the physical embodiment of distress