Cash Equals Education? A Case Study of How a Scholarship to Highland Students in Ratanakiri, Cambodia Promotes Educational Participation

The purpose of this thesis was to explore how a scholarship distributed to upper secondary school students of ethnic minority in Ratanakiri, Cambodia has promoted educational participation. To do this, this thesis analysed students’ understanding of the value of education, obstacles to participation and how the scholarship has addressed these obstacles. A qualitative approach was used where data was gathered through individual interviews and focus group discussions with students in Ratanakiri. The data was analysed in relation to the analytical framework that consists of previous research on the topic and by using thematic analysis. The findings show that education was valued by the informants, by reference to its importance for gaining knowledge and having improved future opportunities. Obstacles to participation were found within financial resources, obstacles connected to the school and on individual, family and community levels. The informants understood the scholarship to promote educational participation through reducing expenses, increasing access to education and motivation for participation, improving opportunities to better one’s academic performance, improving parental and community support for education and raising awareness about the importance of education. However, not all obstacles could be addressed by the scholarship, indicating that further interventions are needed to improve educational participation

Välfärd hos ren

Renen i Sverige är ett semidomesticerat hjortdjur som under tusentals år har anpassat sig till klimatet i norr. Alla i Sverige har rätt att äga en ren men det är enbart samer som får bedriva renskötsel. Under renskötselåret, som består av åtta årstider, är renskötarens främsta uppgift att förflytta renarna till bra betesmarker och bevaka hjorden. Sedan 1960-talet har renskötseln genomgått stora moderniserade förändringar. Från att ha varit en intensiv skötsel med tama renar i mindre hjordar till dagens extensiva renskötsel med mindre tama renar, större hjordar och en tillgång till modern teknik som t.ex. motorfordon. Klimatförändringens effekter och en ökad konkurrens om markerna från andra näringar och intressen påverkar renen och rennäringen negativt. Det leder bland annat till att renarna vintertid behöver stödutfodras. Stödutfodring innebär en ökad stress för djuren, speciellt då de i samband med detta ofta behöver hägnas. Hållande av ren i hägn leder till ett ökat smittryck i hjorden och därmed fler sjuka djur. Djurvälfärd handlar om hur djur mår. Det finns flera definitioner av djurvälfärd och de kan delas in i tre olika approacher. Den första menar att djurets välfärd är god om dess fysiska hälsa är god, den andra utgår från djurets känslor och att positiva känslor är förenat med god djurvälfärd och den tredje approachen förespråkar att god djurvälfärd uppnås när djur får leva i enlighet med sin sanna natur. De flesta av dagens forskare är överens om att alla tre approacher ska inkluderas i definitionen av god djurvälfärd. Med en god djurvälfärd följer en god hälsa. För att bedöma djurvälfärd används det ofta standardiserade protokoll för det specifika djurslaget som bedömaren utgår från. Det övergripande syftet med detta examensarbete var att sammanställa litteraturen inom området och på sikt öka kunskapen om djurvälfärd hos ren. Det mer specifika syftet var att lägga fram ett förslag till ett bedömningsprotokoll som kan användas för en systematisk djurvälfärdsbedömning av ren i fält, samt att ta fram ett förslag till en enkät som kan användas för att få en uppdaterat information om djurvälfärden hos svenska renar och även undersöka hur renägare bedömer djurvälfärd i praktiken. I litteratursökningen hittades få artiklar om djurvälfärdsbedömning på ren. De bedömningsprotokoll som tagits fram i examensarbete har därför baserats på de protokoll som finns för nötkreatur men med hänsyn till de stora skillnaderna i typ av djurhållning och djurslagen som sådana. Konklusionen av litteraturstudien är att för att upprätthålla en god djurvälfärd och undvika sjukdom krävs det en ökad kontroll, kunskap och forskning om de sjukdomar och andra djurvälfärdsproblem som drabbar ren. Protokollet som utvecklats för djurvälfärdsbedömning av ren skulle kunna underlätta ett systematiskt insamlande av data kring djurvälfärdsläget hos ren i olika situationer, i första hand inom det aktuella forskningsprojektet vid Statens veterinärmedicinska anstalt (SVA) ”Allvarliga infektionssjukdomar i öga och mun påverkar djurvälfärden hos svenska renar”. På sikt skulle protokollet också kunna användas av andra forskare, renägare, rådgivare och myndigheter med intresse för renarnas välfärd. Detta skulle i förlängningen kunna stärka djurvälfärden, bl.a. genom att öka möjligheterna att förebygga sjukdom samt att tidigt fånga upp individer som är nedsatta och /eller blivit utsatta för stress en längre tid, och då vidta relevanta åtgärder. Det finns dock svårigheter med att bedöma välfärd hos ren i praktiken. Exempel på detta är väderförhållanden och begränsad tamhet hos djuren. Det kan leda till att bedömaren inte kan se djuren tillräckligt bra och/eller under en tillräckligt lång tid samt att enskilda individer inte kan särskiljas, vilket är något som krävs för att kunna utföra en rättvis djurvälfärdsbedömning. Med hjälp av den enkät som tagits fram inom ramen för detta arbete skulle kunskapen om välfärd, hälsoläge och djurvälfärdsbedömning hos svenska renar kunna förbättras. Förhoppningen är att detta examensarbete kan vara en steg mot att lyfta vikten av att upprätthålla och arbeta mot en god djurvälfärd hos ren. Likaså vilka fördelar det innebär att genomföra systematiska djurvälfärdsbedömningar samt att arbeta förbyggande och tillsammans.The reindeer in Sweden is a semi-domesticated deer that has adapted to the climate in the north for thousands of years. Every Swedish citizen has the right to own a reindeer, but only person with Sami origin is allowed to conduct reindeer husbandry. During the reindeer husbandry year, which consists of eight seasons, the reindeer herder's main task is to move the reindeer to good pastures and guard the herd. Since the 1960s, reindeer husbandry has undergone major modernized changes. From being an intensive care with domestic reindeer in smaller herds to today's extensive reindeer husbandry with smaller domestic reindeer, larger herds and an access to modern technology such as motor vehicle. The effects of climate change and increased competition for land from other industries and interests have a negative effect on reindeer and reindeer husbandry. Among other things, this means that the reindeer need to be fed in support during the winter. Support feeding means increased stress for the animals, especially as they often need to be fenced in connection with this. Keeping reindeer in enclosures leads to an increased infection pressure in the herd and thus more sick animals. Animal welfare is about how animals feel. There are several definitions of animal welfare and they can be divided into three different approaches. The first is that the animal's welfare is good if its physical health is good, the second is based on the animal's feelings and that positive emotions are associated with good animal welfare and the third approach advocates that good animal welfare is achieved when animals are allowed to live according to their true nature. Most of today's researchers agree that all three approaches should be included in the definition of good animal welfare. With good animal welfare comes good health. To assess animal welfare, the standardized protocols for the specific species of animal on which the assessor is based are often used. The overall purpose of this thesis was to compile and in the long run increase the knowledge about animal welfare in reindeer. The more specific purpose was to present a proposal for an assessment protocol that can be used for a systematic animal welfare assessment of reindeer in the field, and to produce a proposal for a survey that can be used to investigate the situation regarding animal welfare in Swedish reindeer and also investigate how reindeer owners assess animal welfare in practice. In the literature search, few articles on animal welfare assessment were found on reindeer. The assessment protocols developed in the degree project have therefore been based on the protocols that exist for cattle, but with regard to the large differences in the type of animal husbandry and the animal species as such. The conclusion of the literature study is that in order to maintain good animal welfare and avoid disease, increased control, knowledge and research is required about the diseases and other animal welfare problems that affect reindeer. The protocol developed for animal welfare assessment of reindeer could facilitate a systematic collection of data on the animal welfare status of reindeer in various situations, primarily within the current research project at the Swedish Veterinary Institute (SVA) "Serious infectious diseases of the eye and mouth affect animal welfare in Swedish". In the long run, the protocol could also be used by other researchers, reindeer owners, advisers and authorities with an interest in reindeer welfare. This could in the long run strengthen animal welfare, e.g. by increasing the possibilities of preventing disease and early detection of individuals who are imAbstract paired and / or exposed to stress for a longer period of time, and then take relevant measures. However, there are difficulties in assessing the welfare of reindeer in practice. Examples of this are weather conditions and limited tameness in the animals. This can lead to the assessor not being able to see the animals well enough and / or for a sufficiently long time and to individuals not being able to be distinguished, which is something that is required to be able to perform a fair animal welfare assessment. With the help of the questionnaire developed within the framework of this work, knowledge about welfare, health status and animal welfare assessment in Swedish reindeer could be improved. The hope is that this thesis can be a step towards raising the importance of maintaining and working towards a good animal welfare in reindeer. Also what benefits it entails to carry out systematic animal welfare assessments and to work preventively and together

Storage and on-demand release of microwaves using superconducting resonators with tunable coupling

We present a system which allows to tune the coupling between a superconducting resonator and a transmission line. This storage resonator is addressed through a second, coupling resonator, which is frequency-tunable and controlled by a magnetic flux applied to a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). We experimentally demonstrate that the lifetime of the storage resonator can be tuned by more than three orders of magnitude. A field can be stored for 18 {\mu}s when the coupling resonator is tuned off resonance and it can be released in 14 ns when the coupling resonator is tuned on resonance. The device allows capture, storage, and on-demand release of microwaves at a tunable rate.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Resonant and off-resonant microwave signal manipulation in coupled superconducting resonators

We present an experimental demonstration as well as a theoretical model of an integrated circuit designed for the manipulation of a microwave field down to the single-photon level. The device is made of a superconducting resonator coupled to a transmission line via a second frequency-tunable resonator. The tunable resonator can be used as a tunable coupler between the fixed resonator and the transmission line. Moreover, the manipulation of the microwave field between the two resonators is possible. In particular, we demonstrate the swapping of the field from one resonator to the other by pulsing the frequency detuning between the two resonators. The behavior of the system, which determines how the device can be operated, is analyzed as a function of one key parameter of the system, the damping ratio of the coupled resonators. We show a good agreement between experiments and simulations, realized by solving a set of coupled differential equations.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure

Biogeographic patterns of avian malaria parasites in the Lesser Antilles: Prevalence, diversity, and community composition

We investigated determinants of local and regional species richness and community composition of avian malaria parasites (Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) in the Lesser Antilles. Chapter 1 addresses the local parasite richness and community structure, or lack thereof, on Barbados. We found only two parasite lineages on this island, one of which was recovered from only 2 birds, which stands in stark contrast to the much higher diversity on other islands. In addition, we investigated what factors may explain the absence of avian malaria in southeastern Barbados, and found this area to be drier, warmer, and supporting less vegetation. Chapter 2 addresses parasite diversity, primarily beta diversity, in the Lesser Antilles. In this chapter, we investigated the role of host history and compound communities in structuring local ensembles. We found that host genetic distance does not correlate with ensemble dissimilarity but that more phylogeographically structured host species exhibit more unique parasite ensembles compared to the compound community than do hosts that are not phylogeographically structured, suggesting that host history does influence parasite ensembles

Community organization of avian malaria parasites in lowland Amazonia: Prevalence, diversity, and specialization in a local assemblage

I characterized a lowland Amazonian assemblage of haemosporidian (“malaria”) parasites (Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) of understory birds by analyzing variation in prevalence (proportion of infected host individuals) among years and host species, documenting diversity of haemosporidian evolutionary lineages, and quantifying host specialization. Using standard molecular methods to screen for haemosporidia in 2488 individual birds from 104 species in the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador, I found 21.7% to be infected. Prevalence ranged significantly among years and host species. Forty-five putative evolutionary lineages of haemosporidia were identified, by sequencing part of the cytochrome b (cyt b) gene. Based on a comparative analysis, among host species variation in haemosporidian prevalence related positively to level of sexual dimorphism and negatively to foraging height. I assigned 385 parasite individuals to cyt b lineages. These exhibited a wide range of abundance (one to 91 individuals) and host specialization (one to 23 host species). I quantified host specificity by incorporating both phylogenetic relationships (based on genetic data) and frequency distribution among hosts. Based on null model comparisons, six haemosporidian lineages were more specialized than expected by chance. The hosts of these six haemosporidian lineages were on average more abundant than hosts of generalist lineages, but average body size and survival rate did not differ between hosts of specialists and hosts of generalists. Host specificity was also phylogenetically conserved among haemosporidia. Consequently, I performed a comparative regression analysis, controlling for the effect of parasite phylogeny, and found no relationships between host specificity and host abundance, body size, or survival rate. Finally, I applied network analysis in combination with null models to test whether the level of reciprocal specialization (where one parasite lineage associates with only one bird species, which harbors no other parasite lineages) is greater in this tropical assemblage than it is in an equivalent temperate assemblage. Assuming coevolution proceeds towards reciprocal specialization, it should be greater in the tropics, where coevolution has historically been hypothesized to be more important in species diversification. I found no evidence for this hypothesis; instead, reciprocal specialization was greater in the temperate site

Period-tripling subharmonic oscillations in a driven superconducting resonator

We have observed period-tripling subharmonic oscillations, in a superconducting coplanar waveguide resonator operated in the quantum regime, $k_B T \ll \hbar\omega$. The resonator is terminated by a tunable inductance that provides a Kerr-type nonlinearity. We detected the output field quadratures at frequencies near the fundamental mode, $\omega/2\pi \sim 5\,$GHz, when the resonator was driven by a current at $3\omega$ with an amplitude exceeding an instability threshold. The output radiation was red-detuned from the fundamental mode. We observed three stable radiative states with equal amplitudes and phase-shifted by $120^\circ$. The downconversion from $3\omega$ to $\omega$ is strongly enhanced by resonant excitation of the second mode of the resonator, and the cross-Kerr effect. Our experimental results are in quantitative agreement with a model for the driven dynamics of two coupled modes

Twin paradox with macroscopic clocks in superconducting circuits

We propose an implementation of a twin paradox scenario in superconducting circuits, with velocities as large as a few percent of the speed of light. Ultrafast modulation of the boundary conditions for the electromagnetic field in a microwave cavity simulates a clock moving at relativistic speeds. Since our cavity has a finite length, the setup allows us to investigate the role of clock size as well as interesting quantum effects on time dilation. In particular, our theoretical results show that the time dilation increases for larger cavity lengths and is shifted due to quantum particle creation.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. I. F. previously published as I. Fuentes-Guridi and I. Fuentes-Schulle