1,643 research outputs found
SCRIPTKELL : a tool for measuring cognitive effort and time processing in writing and other complex cognitive activities
We present SCRIPTKELL, a computer-assisted experimental tool that makes it possible to measure the time and cognitive effort allocated to the subprocesses of writing and other cognitive activities, SCRIPTKELL was designed to easily use and modulate Kellogg's (1986) triple-task procedure,.which consists of a combination of three tasks: a writing task (or another task), a reaction time task (auditory signal detection), and a directed retrospection task (after each signal detection during writing). We demonstrate how this tool can be used to address several novel empirical and theoretical issues. In sum, SCRIPTKELL should facilitate the flexible realization of experimental designs and the investigation of critical issues concerning the functional characteristics of complex cognitive activities
An assessment of legal and societal responses to reproductive coercion in Australia
Recently, various forms of domestic violence have commanded heightened public awareness and sparked legislative reforms. Nonetheless, one form of domestic violence that has gained very little attention is reproductive coercion. Reproductive coercion is any behaviour that interferes with the independent decision-making of a person regarding their reproductive health. Although it is not a new phenomenon, reproductive coercion was only recognised as a distinct form of domestic violence in a scientific study published in 2010. The scarcity of subsequent studies means that stakeholders, such as victims, health practitioners, policymakers and law enforcement officers are ill-equipped to understand and properly respond to reproductive coercion-related behaviour. Using legal research methodologies, this thesis will assess reproductive coercion within the broader legislative and societal framework of domestic violence. This thesis aims to address pertinent questions, such as whether the current policy and legislative environment within Australian jurisdictions adequately supports women’s reproductive autonomy, and whether the existing health and societal responses are sufficient to effectively address reproductive coercion. In doing so, this thesis offers a comparative analysis of United Kingdom legislation and societal mechanisms to consider what lessons can be learnt for future legislative, policy and societal reform in Australia
Effects of a fundamental mass term in two-dimensional super Yang-Mills theory
We show that adding a vacuum expectation value to a gauge field left over
from a dimensional reduction of three-dimensional pure supersymmetric
Yang-Mills theory generates mass terms for the fundamental fields in the
two-dimensional theory while supersymmetry stays intact. This is similar to the
adjoint mass term that is generated by a Chern-Simons term in this theory. We
study the spectrum of the two-dimensional theory as a function of the vacuum
expectation value and of the Chern-Simons coupling. Apart from some symmetry
issues a straightforward picture arises. We show that at least one massless
state exists if the Chern-Simons coupling vanishes. The numerical spectrum
separates into (almost) massless and very heavy states as the Chern-Simons
coupling grows. We present evidence that the gap survives the continuum limit.
We display structure functions and other properties of some of the bound
states.Comment: 17 pp., 10 figs; substantially revised version to be published in
Phys. Rev.
Exploring the potential of administrative data for understanding and advancing child protection and family support policy, practice and research in Ireland
It is generally understood that administrative data at the level of the individual, family and wider population is fundamental to delivering client centred services which aim to support families and respond to, and reduce child abuse. They are valuable to policy makers and practitioners and play an important role in research. The focus of this paper is the potential use of administrative data from statutory family support and child protection and welfare services in Ireland for policy, practice and research. In the context of an evolving legislative and policy framework in Ireland, we provide an overview of the statutory family support and child protection services provided by Tusla Child and Family Agency. We suggest that this context provides an exceptional opportunity for developing administrative data sets in child protection and welfare and in family support. The benefits and challenges of developing administrative data sets are discussed. The paper concludes with recommendation for developing and linking administrative data sets to better understand and respond to the needs of children and families presenting to the service
Little Groups of Preon Branes
Little groups for preon branes (i.e. configurations of branes with maximal
(n-1)/n fraction of survived supersymmetry) for dimensions d=2,3,...,11 are
calculated for all massless, and partially for massive orbits. For massless
orbits little groups are semidirect product of d-2 translational group
on a subgroup of (SO(d-2) R-invariance) group. E.g. at d=9
the subgroup is exceptional group. It is also argued, that 11d Majorana
spinor invariants, which distinguish orbits, are actually invariant under
d=2+10 Lorentz group. Possible applications of these results include
construction of field theories in generalized space-times with brane charges
coordinates, different problems of group's representations decompositions,
spin-statistics issues.Comment: LaTeX, 11 page
Collider Interplay for Supersymmetry, Higgs and Dark Matter
We discuss the potential impacts on the CMSSM of future LHC runs and possible
electron-positron and higher-energy proton-proton colliders, considering
searches for supersymmetry via MET events, precision electroweak physics, Higgs
measurements and dark matter searches. We validate and present estimates of the
physics reach for exclusion or discovery of supersymmetry via MET searches at
the LHC, which should cover the low-mass regions of the CMSSM parameter space
favoured in a recent global analysis. As we illustrate with a low-mass
benchmark point, a discovery would make possible accurate LHC measurements of
sparticle masses using the MT2 variable, which could be combined with
cross-section and other measurements to constrain the gluino, squark and stop
masses and hence the soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters m_0, m_{1/2} and
A_0 of the CMSSM. Slepton measurements at CLIC would enable m_0 and m_{1/2} to
be determined with high precision. If supersymmetry is indeed discovered in the
low-mass region, precision electroweak and Higgs measurements with a future
circular electron-positron collider (FCC-ee, also known as TLEP) combined with
LHC measurements would provide tests of the CMSSM at the loop level. If
supersymmetry is not discovered at the LHC, is likely to lie somewhere along a
focus-point, stop coannihilation strip or direct-channel A/H resonance funnel.
We discuss the prospects for discovering supersymmetry along these strips at a
future circular proton-proton collider such as FCC-hh. Illustrative benchmark
points on these strips indicate that also in this case FCC-ee could provide
tests of the CMSSM at the loop level.Comment: 47 pages, 26 figure
Toxic Leadership and Organisational Silence: An Appraisal of Selected Faith-Based Organisations in Ogun State, Nigeria
This study examined the effect of toxic leadership on organisational silence in selected faith-based organisations in Ogun State, Nigeria. It debates that securing endurable paths to organisation success requires keen attention to the menace of organisational silence, and this does not leave out organisations that base their business operations on certain fundamental doctrines, corporate practices, or religious believes. Survey research design was adopted. The population of the study was seven hundred and seventy-five (775) staff drawn from the selected faith-based organisations in Ogun State, Nigeria. The study adopted multi-stage sampling technique. Structured questionnaire was adapted, validated and used for data collection. Cronbach’s Alpha Reliability Analysis ranged 0.704 to 0.775. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that Toxic leadership had significant effect on Organisational silence (Adj. R2 = 0.475; F (4, 361) = 83.60, p<0.05). This revealed that organisational silence exists as a result of toxic leadership, and to this end, employers and managers are expected to take every affordable step to weaken the weight of organisational silence by deploying quality leadership that encourages cross fertilization of ideas, creativity, ingenuousness and knowledge extension among employers, managers and employees. Keywords: Toxic leadership, Organisational silence, Corporate practices, Organisational communication, Ogun State, Nigeria. DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/67-05 Publication date:July 31st 202
Quintessence Models and the Cosmological Evolution of alpha
The cosmological evolution of a quintessence-like scalar field, phi, coupled
to matter and gauge fields leads to effective modifications of the coupling
constants and particle masses over time. We analyze a class of models where the
scalar field potential V(phi) and the couplings to matter B(phi) admit common
extremum in phi, as in the Damour-Polyakov ansatz. We find that even for the
simplest choices of potentials and B(phi), the observational constraints on
delta alpha/alpha coming from quasar absorption spectra, the Oklo phenomenon
and Big Bang nucleosynthesis provide complementary constraints on the
parameters of the model. We show the evolutionary history of these models in
some detail and describe the effects of a varying mass for dark matter.Comment: 26 pages, 20 eps figure
The Role of the Agricultural Economist in Agricultural Adaptation to Climate Change in the Oil Palm Industry in the Southern Nigeria
When human activities which cause climate change raise threats to the environment, the Agricultural Economist who is also a policy maker should take careful measures even if some cause and effect relationships are not established. The vulnerability of Nigerian Agricultural sector to climate change is of particular interest to policy makers in the economy accounting for higher percentage of the labour force. There are many adaptation options which can be adopted by farmers at low cost but proper estimates of adaptation cost and benefits are currently deficient due to the involvement of wrong climate change actors. As is the case with making an economic decision, the astute response by an Agricultural Economist will depend on equating and or comparing benefits and cost. When the expected benefits of adaptation are positive, the rational decision maker (the Oil Palm farmer) will take adaptive actions. Policy options in particular must become available. Climate change will almost surely make life even harder for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable Oil Palm farmer. An Agricultural Economist must play his role in reducing the society’s vulnerability to losses from climate change and avoid restricting farmers’ capacity to adapt by limiting their options. The devastating effects of climate change and the need for an integrated response requires resilient and adaptive institutions and exemplary actors like the Agricultural Economist to lead the process towards creating an enabling environment for adaptation to climate change. This paper described the potential role the Agricultural Economist can play in climate change adaptation, in the Oil Palm industry and aims to address the question: what policy and institutional changes are needed to encourage agricultural adaptation strategies/ practices to develop the industry and the nation as a whole. The paper concluded that advances in understanding of climate change adaptation can come from collection of better data, development of new methods and models, observation of changes in climate and its effects, by an Agricultural Economist in order to accommodate new dimensions brought about by climate change
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