The Fairness of Fair Trade: An Analysis of the Economics of Fair Trade

In 2015, a study done by Cone Communications found that millennials are universally more engaged in corporate social responsibility. In fact, 87% of millennials are willing to purchase a product with social or environmental benefits. Enter, the fair trade label. The fair trade label, which is attached to products which meet the previously mentioned consumer demands, has emerged over the last three decades. Products like organic produce, textiles, and natural commodities have entered into global retailers and supermarkets through these non-traditional distribution channels, supported by increased consumption as well as changing consumer preferences. In order to uncover the underlying economic and social benefits and potential disadvantages, an analysis of the fair trade model has been conducted. Additionally, this paper will examine the future outlook of fair trade labels and how companies are creating niche business strategies within the model to develop sustained competitive advantages

Recurrent flow patterns as a basis for turbulence: predicting statistics from structures

A dynamical systems approach to turbulence envisions the flow as a trajectory through a high-dimensional state space transiently visiting the neighbourhoods of unstable simple invariant solutions (E. Hopf, Commun. Appl. Maths 1, 303, 1948). The hope has always been to turn this appealing picture into a predictive framework where the statistics of the flow follows from a weighted sum of the statistics of each simple invariant solution. Two outstanding obstacles have prevented this goal from being achieved: (1) paucity of known solutions and (2) the lack of a rational theory for predicting the required weights. Here we describe a method to substantially solve these problems, and thereby provide the first compelling evidence that the PDFs of a fully developed turbulent flow can be reconstructed with a set of unstable periodic orbits. Our new method for finding solutions uses automatic differentiation, with high-quality guesses constructed by minimising a trajectory-dependent loss function. We use this approach to find hundreds of new solutions in turbulent, two-dimensional Kolmogorov flow. Robust statistical predictions are then computed by learning weights after converting a turbulent trajectory into a Markov chain for which the states are individual solutions, and the nearest solution to a given snapshot is determined using a deep convolutional autoencoder. To our knowledge, this is the first time the PDFs of a spatio-temporally-chaotic system have been successfully reproduced with a set of simple invariant states, and provides a fascinating connection between self-sustaining dynamical processes and the more well-known statistical properties of turbulence

Linking Human Health to Biological Diversity

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/74648/1/j.1523-1739.1997.0110061459.x.pd

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ): robust nine-dimension Danish language confirmatory factor model

Health literacy is an important construct in population health and healthcare requiring rigorous measurement. The Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), with nine scales, measures a broad perception of health literacy. This study aimed to adapt the HLQ to the Danish setting, and to examine the factor structure, homogeneity, reliability and discriminant validity. The HLQ was adapted using forward-backward translation, consensus conference and cognitive interviews (n = 15). Psychometric properties were examined based on data collected by face-to-face interview (n = 481). Tests included difficulty level, composite scale reliability and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Cognitive testing revealed that only minor re-wording was required. The easiest scale to respond to positively was \u27Social support for health\u27, and the hardest were \u27Navigating the healthcare system\u27 and \u27Appraisal of health information\u27. CFA of the individual scales showed acceptably high loadings (range 0.49-0.93). CFA fit statistics after including correlated residuals were good for seven scales, acceptable for one. Composite reliability and Cronbach\u27s α were >0.8 for all but one scale. A nine-factor CFA model was fitted to items with no cross-loadings or correlated residuals allowed. Given this restricted model, the fit was satisfactory. The HLQ appears robust for its intended application of assessing health literacy in a range of settings. Further work is required to demonstrate sensitivity to measure changes

Electronic structure, magnetism and superconductivity of MgCNi3_{3}

The electronic structure of the newly discovered superconducting perovskite MgCNi$_3$ is calculated using the LMTO and KKR methods. The states near the Fermi energy are found to be dominated by Ni-d. The Stoner factor is low while the electron-phonon coupling constant is estimated to be about 0.7, which suggests that the material is a conventional type of superconductor where T$_C$ is not affected by magnetic interactions. However, the proximity of the Fermi energy to a large peak in the density of states in conjunction with the reported non-stoichiometry of the compound, has consequences for the stability of the results.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

On the Nature of the NGC 1275 System

Sub-arcsecond images, taken in B, R, and H-Alpha filters, and area spectroscopy obtained with the WIYN 3.5-m telescope provide the basis for an investigation of the unusual structures in the stellar body and ionized gas in and around the Perseus cluster central galaxy, NGC 1275. Our H-Alpha filter is tuned to gas at the velocity of NGC 1275, revealing complex, probably unresolved, small-scale features in the extended ionized gas, located up to 50/h kpc from NGC 1275. The mean H-Alpha surface brightness varies little along the outer filaments; this, together with the complex excitation state demonstrated by spectra, imply that the filaments are likely to be tubes, or ribbons, of gas. The morphology, location and inferred physical parameters of the gas in the filaments are consistent with a model whereby the filaments form through compression of the intracluster gas by relativistic plasma emitted from the active nucleus of NGC 1275. Imaging spectroscopy with the Densepak fiber array on WIYN suggests partial rotational support of the inner component of low velocity ionized gas. We confirm and extend evidence for features in the stellar body of NGC 1275, and identify outer stellar regions containing very blue, probably very young, star clusters. We interpret these as evidence for recent accretion of a gas-rich system, with subsequent star formation. We suggest that two main processes, which may be causally connected, are responsible for the rich phenomenology of the NGC 1275 system -- NGC 1275 experienced a recent merger/interaction with a group of gas-rich galaxies, and recent outflows from its AGN have compressed the intracluster gas, and perhaps the gas in the infalling galaxies, to produce a complex web of filaments. (Abridged)Comment: AJ, accepted; a recommended full resolution version is available at http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~chris/pera.p

The Spectrum of Integrated Millimeter Flux of the Magellanic Clouds and 30-Doradus from TopHat and DIRBE Data

We present measurements of the integrated flux relative to the local background of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the region 30-Doradus (the Tarantula Nebula) in the LMC in four frequency bands centered at 245, 400, 460, and 630 GHz, based on observations made with the TopHat telescope. We combine these observations with the corresponding measurements for the DIRBE bands 8, 9, and 10 to cover the frequency range 245 - 3000 GHz (100 - 1220 micrometers) for these objects. We present spectra for all three objects and fit these spectra to a single-component greybody emission model and report best-fit dust temperatures, optical depths, and emissivity power-law indices, and we compare these results with other measurements in these regions and elsewhere. Using published dust grain opacities, we estimate the mass of the measured dust component in the three regions.Comment: 41 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journa

WFPC2 Observations of the Cooling Flow Elliptical in Abell 1795

We present WFPC2 images of the core of the cooling flow cD galaxy in Abell 1795. An irregular, asymmetric dust lane extends 7 \h75 kpc in projection to the north-northwest. The dust shares the morphology observed in the H$\alpha$ and excess UV emission. We see both diffuse and knotty blue emission around the dust lane, especially at the ends. The dust and emission features lie on the edge of the radio lobes, suggesting star formation induced by the radio source or the deflection of the radio jets off of pre-existing dust and gas. We measure an apparent R$_V$ significantly less than 3.1, implying that the extinction law is not Galactic in the dust lane, or the presence of line emission which is proportional to the extinction. The dust mass is at least 2$\times10^{5} h_{75}^{-2}$ M\solar\ and is more likely to be 6.5$\times10^{5} h_{75}^{-2}$ M\solar.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, Figure 4 included, Postscript Figs. 1-3 available at ftp://astro.nmsu.edu/pub/JASON/A1795/, accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Identifying and investigating pesticide application types to promote a more sustainable pesticide use: the case of smallholders in Boyacá, Colombia

The present paper investigates pesticide application types adopted by smallholder potato producers in the Department of Boyacá , Colombia. In this region, environmental, health and adverse economic effects due to pesticide mis- or over-use respectively have been observed. Firstly, pesticide application types were identified based on input-effectiveness. Secondly, their determinants of adoption were investigated. Finally suggestions were given to develop intervention options for transition towards a more sustainable pesticide use. Three application types were identified for fungicide and insecticide. The types differed in terms of input (intensity of pesticide application), effect (damage control), frequency of application, average quantity applied per application, chemical class, and productivity. Then, the determinants of different pesticide application types were investigated with a multinomial logistic regression approach and applying the integrative agent centred (IAC) framework. The area of the plot, attendance at training sessions and educational and income levels were among the most relevant determinants. The analysis suggested that better pesticide use could be fostered to reduce pesticide-related risks in the region. Intervention options were outlined, which may help in targeting this issue. They aim not only at educating farmers, but to change their social and institutional context, by involving other agents of the agricultural system (i.e. pesticide producers), facilitating new institutional settings (i.e. cooperatives) and targeting social dynamics (i.e. conformity to social norms)