985 research outputs found
A cross-national comparative study of the roles of men in contemporary France and Britain
The purpose of this thesis is to increase understanding and contribute to knowledge about the attitudes and behaviour of men in contemporary France and Britain. The thesis has three main aims: firstly, to provide the first cross-national comparison of French and British writing and research on the place of men in contemporary society; secondly, to identify similarities and differences in the roles of men in France and Britain; and thirdly, to determine to what extent and in what way such similarities and differences are linked to the social structures and cultural background of each country. The thesis focuses on two main facets of the male experience: the relationship between men and women and the interaction between fathers and their children. Men's attitudes and behaviour are examined in relation to issues such as the division of household tasks and child care within the family, parental roles, female employment, role reversal, gender stereotyping and changes towards a new image of masculinity in society. Particular consideration is given to differences in governmental attitudes in France and Britain towards the introduction of family policy measures for men as fathers. The thesis ends with a discussion of legislative, social and educational measures which could be introduced in France and Britain in order to promote greater flexibility in men's roles and consequently improve gender equality in each country. The data analysed in the thesis are derived from a questionnaire-based empirical study involving 101 men in Britain and seventy-five men in France. The respondents' experience of and attitudes towards their roles in society are analysed and interpreted in the light of profile data relating to their family circumstances and with reference to knowledge about the broader socio-cultural context
The evolution of online teaching and learning in engineering at Deakin University
This paper presents a brief history of the use of online technologies in the support of teaching and learning in the School of Engineering and Technology at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia. It addresses the following topics: flexible engineering programs at Deakin University; computer-based learning in the School of Engineering and Technology; progression from individual efforts to formal, centralized control of the World Wide Web (Web); the costs of information technology; experiences with grant funded development projects; managing the development of online material; student access and equity; and staff development and cultural change. A sustainable online content development model is proposed to carry the School’s online initiatives in support of teaching and learning activities into the future.<br /
Technological innovations for improving cassava production in sub-Saharan Africa
Open Access Journal; Published online: 21 Jan 2021Cassava is crucial for food security of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. The crop has great potential to contribute to African development and is increasing its income-earning potential for small-scale farmers and related value chains on the continent. Therefore, it is critical to increase cassava production, as well as its quality attributes. Technological innovations offer great potential to drive this envisioned
change. This paper highlights genomic tools and resources available in cassava. The paper also provides a glimpse of how these resources have been used to screen and understand the pattern of cassava genetic diversity on the continent. Here, we reviewed the approaches currently used for phenotyping cassava traits, highlighting the methodologies used to link genotypic and phenotypic information, dissect the genetics architecture of key cassava traits, and identify quantitative trait loci/markers significantly associated with those traits. Additionally, we examined how knowledge acquired is utilized to contribute to crop improvement. We explored major approaches applied in the field of molecular breeding for cassava, their promises, and limitations. We also examined the role of national agricultural research systems as key partners for sustainable cassava production
Genetic diversity among farmer-preferred cassava landraces in Uganda
Understanding of genetic diversity among a breeding population is an
important requirement for crop improvement as it allows for the
selection of diverse parental combinations and formation of heterotic
pools for genetic gain. This study was carried out to determine genetic
diversity within and among 51 farmer-preferred cassava ( Manihot
esculenta ) landraces and 15 elite accessions grown in Uganda. Twenty
six simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers used for genetic diversity
assessment in this study revealed a total of 154 alleles, of which 24%
were unique alleles present only in landraces. The genetic diversity
and observed herozygosity in landraces were slightly higher than in
elite accessions. Elite accessions clustered with some of the landraces
indicating that there were some alleles in common. However, 58.8% of
the landraces fell into 3 different clusters independent of the elite
accessions. Including these landraces with unique alleles in cassava
breeding schemes will increase the chances of producing farmer
preferred adapted elite cultivars. The study also revealed genetic
differentiation among accessions from different regions providing an
opportunity for establishment of heterotic pools within a breeding
programme.La compr\ue9hension de la diversit\ue9 g\ue9n\ue9tique est une
condition importante dans la s\ue9lection de diverses combinaisons
parentales et la formation des groupes h\ue9terotiques
d\u2019int\ue9r\ueat g\ue9n\ue9tique pour
l\u2019am\ue9lioration des cultures. Cette \ue9tude \ue9tait
conduite pour d\ue9terminer la diversit\ue9 g\ue9n\ue9tique
parmi 51 vari\ue9t\ue9s locales de manioc ( Manihot esculenta )
pr\ue9f\ue9r\ue9es des fermiers et 15 accessions \ue9lites
cultiv\ue9es en Ouganda. Vingt six marqueurs simples \ue0 sequence
r\ue9p\ue9t\ue9e (SSR) utilis\ue9s pour l\u2019\ue9valuation
de la diversit\ue9 g\ue9n\ue9tique ont r\ue9v\ue9l\ue9 un
total de 154 all\ue8les, parmi lesquelles 24% \ue9taient des
all\ue8les uniques pr\ue9sentes dans les races locales seulement.
La diversit\ue9 g\ue9n\ue9tique et
l\u2019h\ue9terozygosit\ue9 observ\ue9es dans les races locales
\ue9taient l\ue9g\ue8rement sup\ue9rieures que dans les
accessions \ue9lites. Celles-ci s\u2019\ue9taient regroup\ue9es
avec quelques vari\ue9t\ue9s locales indiquant donc qu\u2019elles
avaient quelques all\ue8les en commun. Par ailleurs, 58.8% des races
locales ont form\ue9 trois diff\ue9rents groupes
ind\ue9pendamment des accessions \ue9lites. Inclure ces races
locales \ue0 all\ue8les uniques dans les syst\ue8mes
d\u2019am\ue9lioration du manioc permettra d\u2019augmenter les
chances de produire des cultivars \ue9lites pr\ue9f\ue9r\ue9s
des fermiers. L\u2019\ue9tude montre aussi que la
diff\ue9renciation g\ue9n\ue9tique trouv\ue9e parmi les
accessions de diff\ue9rentes r\ue9gions est une opportunit\ue9
offerte pour l\u2019\ue9tablissement des groupes h\ue9terotiques
dans le programme d\u2019am\ue9lioration
Cross-over behaviour in a communication network
We address the problem of message transfer in a communication network. The
network consists of nodes and links, with the nodes lying on a two dimensional
lattice. Each node has connections with its nearest neighbours, whereas some
special nodes, which are designated as hubs, have connections to all the sites
within a certain area of influence. The degree distribution for this network is
bimodal in nature and has finite variance. The distribution of travel times
between two sites situated at a fixed distance on this lattice shows fat
fractal behaviour as a function of hub-density. If extra assortative
connections are now introduced between the hubs so that each hub is connected
to two or three other hubs, the distribution crosses over to power-law
behaviour. Cross-over behaviour is also seen if end-to-end short cuts are
introduced between hubs whose areas of influence overlap, but this is much
milder in nature. In yet another information transmission process, namely, the
spread of infection on the network with assortative connections, we again
observed cross-over behaviour of another type, viz. from one power-law to
another for the threshold values of disease transmission probability. Our
results are relevant for the understanding of the role of network topology in
information spread processes.Comment: 12 figure
Observation of a Narrow Resonance of Mass 2.46 GeV/c^2 Decaying to D_s^*+ pi^0 and Confirmation of the D_sJ^* (2317) State
Using 13.5 inverse fb of e+e- annihilation data collected with the CLEO II
detector we have observed a narrow resonance in the Ds*+pi0 final state, with a
mass near 2.46 GeV. The search for such a state was motivated by the recent
discovery by the BaBar Collaboration of a narrow state at 2.32 GeV, the
DsJ*(2317)+ that decays to Ds+pi0. Reconstructing the Ds+pi0 and Ds*+pi0 final
states in CLEO data, we observe peaks in both of the corresponding
reconstructed mass difference distributions, dM(Dspi0)=M(Dspi0)-M(Ds) and
dM(Ds*pi0)=M(Ds*pi0)-M(Ds*), both of them at values near 350 MeV. We interpret
these peaks as signatures of two distinct states, the DsJ*(2317)+ plus a new
state, designated as the DsJ(2463)+. Because of the similar dM values, each of
these states represents a source of background for the other if photons are
lost, ignored or added. A quantitative accounting of these reflections confirms
that both states exist. We have measured the mean mass differences
= 350.0 +/- 1.2 [stat] +/- 1.0 [syst] MeV for the DsJ*(2317) state, and
= 351.2 +/- 1.7 [stat] +/- 1.0 [syst] MeV for the new DsJ(2463)+
state. We have also searched, but find no evidence, for decays of the two
states via the channels Ds*+gamma, Ds+gamma, and Ds+pi+pi-. The observations of
the two states at 2.32 and 2.46 GeV, in the Ds+pi0 and Ds*+pi0 decay channels
respectively, are consistent with their interpretations as (c anti-strange)
mesons with orbital angular momentum L=1, and spin-parities of 0+ and 1+.Comment: 16 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, version to be published in Physical
Review D; minor modifications and fixes to typographical errors, plus an
added section on production properties. The main results are unchanged; they
supersede those reported in hep-ex/030501
Measurement of the Charge Asymmetry in
We report on a search for a CP-violating asymmetry in the charmless hadronic
decay B -> K*(892)+- pi-+, using 9.12 fb^-1 of integrated luminosity produced
at \sqrt{s}=10.58 GeV and collected with the CLEO detector. We find A_{CP}(B ->
K*(892)+- pi-+) = 0.26+0.33-0.34(stat.)+0.10-0.08(syst.), giving an allowed
interval of [-0.31,0.78] at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 7 pages postscript, also available through
http://w4.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS, submitted to PR
Measurement of the W+W-gamma Cross Section and Direct Limits on Anomalous Quartic Gauge Boson Couplings at LEP
The process e+e- -> W+W-gamma is analysed using the data collected with the
L3 detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 188.6GeV, corresponding to an
integrated luminosity of 176.8pb^-1. Based on a sample of 42 selected W+W-
candidates containing an isolated hard photon, the W+W-gamma cross section,
defined within phase-space cuts, is measured to be: sigma_WWgamma = 290 +/- 80
+/- 16 fb, consistent with the Standard Model expectation. Including the
process e+e- -> nu nu gamma gamma, limits are derived on anomalous
contributions to the Standard Model quartic vertices W+W- gamma gamma and W+W-Z
gamma at 95% CL: -0.043 GeV^-2 < a_0/Lambda^2 < 0.043 GeV^-2 0.08 GeV^-2 <
a_c/Lambda^2 < 0.13 GeV^-2 0.41 GeV^-2 < a_n/Lambda^2 < 0.37 GeV^-2
Production of Single W Bosons at \sqrt{s}=189 GeV and Measurement of WWgamma Gauge Couplings
Single W boson production in electron-positron collisions is studied with the
L3 detector at LEP. The data sample collected at a centre-of-mass energy of
\sqrt{s} = 188.7GeV corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 176.4pb^-1.
Events with a single energetic lepton or two acoplanar hadronic jets are
selected. Within phase-space cuts, the total cross-section is measured to be
0.53 +/- 0.12 +/- 0.03 pb, consistent with the Standard Model expectation.
Including our single W boson results obtained at lower \sqrt{s}, the WWgamma
gauge couplings kappa_gamma and lambda_gamma are determined to be kappa_gamma =
0.93 +/- 0.16 +/- 0.09 and lambda_gamma = -0.31 +0.68 -0.19 +/- 0.13
Search for an invisibly decaying Higgs boson in e^+e^- collisions at \sqrt{s} = 183 - 189 GeV
A search for a Higgs boson decaying into invisible particles is performed
using the data collected at LEP by the L3 experiment at centre-of-mass energies
of 183 GeV and 189 GeV. The integrated luminosities are respectively 55.3 pb^-1
and 176.4 pb^-1. The observed candidates are consistent with the expectations
from Standard Model processes. In the hypothesis that the production cross
section of this Higgs boson equals the Standard Model one and the branching
ratio into invisible particles is 100%, a lower mass limit of 89.2 GeV is set
at 95% confidence level
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