923 research outputs found

    Detectors and cooling technology for direct spectroscopic biosignature characterization

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    Direct spectroscopic biosignature characterization (hereafter "biosignature characterization") will be a major focus for future space observatories equipped with coronagraphs or starshades. Our aim in this article is to provide an introduction to potential detector and cooling technologies for biosignature characterization. We begin by reviewing the needs. These include nearly noiseless photon detection at flux levels as low as <0.001 photons s1 pixel1<0.001~\textrm{photons}~s^{-1}~\textrm{pixel}^{-1} in the visible and near-IR. We then discuss potential areas for further testing and/or development to meet these needs using non-cryogenic detectors (EMCCD, HgCdTe array, HgCdTe APD array), and cryogenic single photon detectors (MKID arrays and TES microcalorimeter arrays). Non-cryogenic detectors are compatible with the passive cooling that is strongly preferred by coronagraphic missions, but would add non-negligible noise. Cryogenic detectors would require active cooling, but in return deliver nearly quantum limited performance. Based on the flight dynamics of past NASA missions, we discuss reasonable vibration expectations for a large UV-Optical-IR space telescope (LUVOIR) and preliminary cooling concepts that could potentially fit into a vibration budget without being the largest element. We believe that a cooler that meets the stringent vibration needs of a LUVOIR is also likely to meet those of a starshade-based Habitable Exoplanet Imaging Mission.Comment: 31 pages, 6 figures, and 4 tables. Submitted to the Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and System

    Correlates of Complete Childhood Vaccination in East African Countries.

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    Despite the benefits of childhood vaccinations, vaccination rates in low-income countries (LICs) vary widely. Increasing coverage of vaccines to 90% in the poorest countries over the next 10 years has been estimated to prevent 426 million cases of illness and avert nearly 6.4 million childhood deaths worldwide. Consequently, we sought to provide a comprehensive examination of contemporary vaccination patterns in East Africa and to identify common and country-specific barriers to complete childhood vaccination. Using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, we looked at the prevalence of complete vaccination for polio, measles, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) and DTwPHibHep (DTP) as recommended by the WHO among children ages 12 to 23 months. We conducted multivariable logistic regression within each country to estimate associations between complete vaccination status and health care access and sociodemographic variables using backwards stepwise regression. Vaccination varied significantly by country. In all countries, the majority of children received at least one dose of a WHO recommended vaccine; however, in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda less than 50% of children received a complete schedule of recommended vaccines. Being delivered in a public or private institution compared with being delivered at home was associated with increased odds of complete vaccination status. Sociodemographic covariates were not consistently associated with complete vaccination status across countries. Although no consistent set of predictors accounted for complete vaccination status, we observed differences based on region and the location of delivery. These differences point to the need to examine the historical, political, and economic context of each country in order to maximize vaccination coverage. Vaccination against these childhood diseases is a critical step towards reaching the Millennium Development Goal of reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds by 2015 and thus should be a global priority

    Tourism stakeholder exclusion and conflict in a small island

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    Research in the Isle of Man, British Isles, reveals limited and dysfunctional collaboration between stakeholders, and in particular between public and private sector actors. Power and influence over tourism decision making is generally felt to be restricted to a small and opaque network. Moreover, different levels of interest in and support for tourism further divide stakeholders. Various negative consequences are shown to arise from this absence of collaboration, including a lack of shared vision or future strategy for local tourism, and high levels of mutual mistrust between stakeholders. Resulting conflict, wasted resources, lost enthusiasm and lack of strategic direction appear to undermine the current and future management of island tourism. Emphasised by research is the importance of stakeholder collaboration to sustainable tourism management and underlying factors which may enhance or undermine. Focus on dysfunctional collaboration and the small island setting makes a unique contribution to the existing literature

    The Relationship of Sex Role Stereotyped and Nonstereotyped Fiction to Achievement Motivation Imagery in Eighth Grade Honors Students

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    A body of research has emerged to postulate the heretofore unexplained discrepancies between the sexes as to achievement motivation. This difference has been identified as the Motive to Avoid Success (M-s). Books convey societal values and attitudes. The characters in books provide role models for children. Since many characters in books are stereotyped with respect to sex role, it follows that children assimilate values from these models. Not the least of these values is stereotyped attitude toward role and function of gender within society. This work was designed to study the possible relationship between the M-s in females and the negative perception of female success in males, and the influence of sex role stereotyped fiction in popular reading anthologies. Forty-eight eighth grade honors students participated in the study. After treatment, results revealed that students exposed to the reading of stereotyped fiction did not show an appreciable increase in negative success imagery in their writing. However, students exposed to the reading of non-stereotyped fiction showed a significant decrease in the incidence of negative success imagery.SUNY BrockportEducation and Human DevelopmentMaster of Science in Education (MSEd)Education and Human Development Master's These

    The Relationship of Sex Role Stereotyped and Nonstereotyped Fiction to Achievement Motivation Imagery in Eighth Grade Honors Students

    Get PDF
    A body of research has emerged to postulate the heretofore unexplained discrepancies between the sexes as to achievement motivation. This difference has been identified as the Motive to Avoid Success (M-s). Books convey societal values and attitudes. The characters in books provide role models for children. Since many characters in books are stereotyped with respect to sex role, it follows that children assimilate values from these models. Not the least of these values is stereotyped attitude toward role and function of gender within society. This work was designed to study the possible relationship between the M-s in females and the negative perception of female success in males, and the influence of sex role stereotyped fiction in popular reading anthologies. Forty-eight eighth grade honors students participated in the study. After treatment, results revealed that students exposed to the reading of stereotyped fiction did not show an appreciable increase in negative success imagery in their writing. However, students exposed to the reading of non-stereotyped fiction showed a significant decrease in the incidence of negative success imagery

    Mental health care for irregular migrants in Europe: Barriers and how they are overcome

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    This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

    Malaria in Northern Ireland

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    The clinical features, parasitology and prophylactic history of 67 patients who imported malaria to Northern Ireland between 1974 and 1983 are reported. P. falciparum infections were encountered more frequently than anticipated from current United Kingdom experience. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed

    Narcissism normalisation: tourism influences and sustainability implications

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    The concept of narcissism normalisation suggests that individuals and societies are becoming more narcissistic due to various cultural influences. Tourism is reviewed here as one such possible influence. Exploitative, entitled and exhibitionistic tendencies associated with narcissism are wellestablished in tourism. Yet tourism is also an intimate, communal and satisfying activity which may counteract narcissism. Increases in narcissism have significant implications from a sustainable tourism perspective. Narcissism is associated with exploitative and entitled behaviours that over time cause significant harm to those people and landscapes that come into contact with. Narcissism appears to be incompatible with principles of sustainability and the challenges this poses for the industry are reviewed, while the opportunities are also explored. There are signs that narcissism, particularly those aspects relating to exhibitionism, can be co-opted to benefit sustainable development
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