Comparative Perspectives on Child poverty: a review of poverty measures

Child poverty matters directly as children constitute a large share of the population and indirectly for future individual and national well- being. Developed country measures of child poverty are dominated by income-poverty, although health and education are often included. But these are not necessarily the most direct measures of the things that matter to children. Moreover, a broader range of factors than material well-being matter for child development; family and community play an important role. The conclusion is that social and psychological variables are an important component of child welfare. Can such a conclusion be extended to developing countries? It might be thought not, since the dictates of a focus on absolute poverty imply concern with fundamentals such as malnutrition, illiteracy and premature death and the things which cause these outcomes. But such a view is short-sighted. Child development concerns are at least as important in developing countries as developed ones (if less well understood). Hence approaches to child welfare in developing countries (both measurement and policy) should also adopt a broad-based approach which embraces diverse aspects of the quality of a child’s life, including child rights.Children, poverty measurement, child poverty

The diffusion of the internet amongst South African primary care doctors : an activity systems view

Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 379-436). Has accompanying material on CD

Predicting H{\alpha} emission line galaxy counts for future galaxy redshift surveys

Knowledge of the number density of H$\alpha$ emitting galaxies is vital for assessing the scientific impact of the Euclid and WFIRST missions. In this work we present predictions from a galaxy formation model, Galacticus, for the cumulative number counts of H$\alpha$-emitting galaxies. We couple Galacticus to three different dust attenuation methods and examine the counts using each method. A $\chi^2$ minimisation approach is used to compare the model predictions to observed galaxy counts and calibrate the dust parameters. We find that weak dust attenuation is required for the Galacticus counts to be broadly consistent with the observations, though the optimum dust parameters return large values for $\chi^2$, suggesting that further calibration of Galacticus is necessary. The model predictions are also consistent with observed estimates for the optical depth and the H$\alpha$ luminosity function. Finally we present forecasts for the redshift distributions and number counts for two Euclid-like and one WFIRST-like survey. For a Euclid-like survey with redshift range $0.9\leqslant z\leqslant 1.8$ and H$\alpha+{\rm [NII]}$ blended flux limit of $2\times 10^{-16}{\rm erg}\,{\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm cm}^{-2}$ we predict a number density between 3900--4800 galaxies per square degree. For a WFIRST-like survey with redshift range $1\leqslant z\leqslant 2$ and blended flux limit of $1\times 10^{-16}{\rm erg}\,{\rm s}^{-1}\,{\rm cm}^{-2}$ we predict a number density between 10400--15200 galaxies per square degree.Comment: 21 pages (including appendix), 12 figures, 6 tables. Accepted b

A Ground Penetrating Radar Survey of the Unexcavated 24BE2206 Site Near Dewey, in the Big Hole Valley of Montana

Stone fire hearths and associated sub-surface cultural remains were the target of a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey at a pre-historic Native American archeological site near Dewey, Montana. GPR is a non-invasive geophysical survey technique. The GPR uses a transmitting antenna with a frequency of 1-1000 MHz to emit electromagnetic waves into the ground. The receiving antenna detects reflections caused by boundaries of contrasting electrical properties. As the distance of a survey progresses, ensuing measurements produce an image based on the returning reflections.https://digitalcommons.mtech.edu/urp_aug_2017/1006/thumbnail.jp

Observing and describing textual "reality": a critique of the claims to objective reality and authentication in new critical and structuralist literary theory, seen against a background of Feyerabend's ideas concerning paradigms, dominance and ideology

This thesis sets out to examine the claims to objective reality and authentication in New critical and Structuralist literary theories, concentrating on their claims to "objectivity" and "scientific validity." It examines the nature of these claims in the light of the original ideas proposed by some of the major New critics and structuralists in the development of their respective "sciences" of literary theory. Taking direction from the nature of reality and objectivity shown by the theorists, the thesis then attempts an assessment of the validity of some of the original perceptions and presuppositions concerning scientific objectivity and reality. It proposes that inconsistencies within the literary theories resulted from the theorists' inability to grasp the complexity and fluctuating nature of the borrowed terminology and principles that they were using. It does so by taking a closer look at the development of some of the more influential physical theories and the philosophical ideas raised by these developments. It then uses Feyerabend's work on paradigms, dominance and ideology to attempt an assessment of the reasons for the literary theorists' perceptions and presuppositions regarding objectivity and reality. This amounts to accounting for the specific scientific models chosen as bases, and also to accounting for the desire for the "scientific approach" at all. Its conclusions give an indication of the extent to which these original errors contributed to the theories' necessary adaptations of perspective and eventual loss of influence, and emphasises the need for the total understanding of concepts in one field by researchers in other fields, especially if those concepts are to be used by the researchers with any degree of precision

Simultaneous calculation of the helical pitch and the twist elastic constant in chiral liquid crystals from intermolecular torques

We present a molecular simulation method that yields simultaneously the equilibrium pitch wave number q and the twist elastic constant K2 of a chiral nematic liquid crystal by sampling the torque density. A simulation of an untwisted system in periodic boundary conditions gives the product K2q; a further simulation with a uniform twist applied provides enough information to separately determine the two factors. We test our new method for a model potential, comparing the results with K2q from a thermodynamic integration route, and with K2 from an order fluctuation analysis. We also present a thermodynamic perturbation theory analysis valid in the limit of weak chirality

Determining noble gas partitioning within a CO2–H2O system at elevated temperatures and pressures

Quantifying the distribution of noble gases between phases is essential for using these inert trace gases to track the processes controlling multi-phase subsurface systems. Here we present experimental data that defines noble gas partitioning for two phase CO2–water systems. These are at the pressure and temperature range relevant for engineered systems used for anthropogenic carbon capture and geological storage (CCS) technologies, and CO2-rich natural gas reservoirs (CO2 density range 169–656 kg/m3 at 323–377 K and 89–134 bar). The new partitioning data are compared to predictions of noble gas partitioning determined in low-pressure, pure noble gas–water systems for all noble gases except neon and radon. At low CO2 density there was no difference between measured noble gas partitioning and that predicted in pure noble gas–water systems. At high CO2 density, however, partition coefficients express significant deviation from pure noble gas–water systems. At 656 kg/m3, these deviations are −35%, 74%, 113% and 319% for helium, argon, krypton and xenon, respectively. A second order polynomial fit to the data for each noble gas describes the deviation from the pure noble gas–water system as a function of CO2 density. We argue that the difference between pure noble gas–water systems and the high density CO2–water system is due to an enhanced degree of molecular interactions occurring within the dense CO2 phase due to the combined effect of inductive and dispersive forces acting on the noble gases. As the magnitude of these forces are related to the size and polarisability of each noble gas, xenon followed by krypton and argon become significantly more soluble within dense CO2. In the case of helium repulsive forces dominate and so it becomes less soluble as a function of CO2 density

Theory and modelling of electrolytes and chain molecules

An aqueous solution of electrolytes can be modelled simplistically as charged hard spheresdispersed in a dielectric continuum. We review various classical theories for hard sphere systems including the Percus-Yevick theory, the mean spherical approximation, the Debye-Hückel theory and the hyper-netted chain theory, and we compare the predictions of the theories with simulation results. The statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) has proved to be accurate for neutral polymers. It is modified to cope with charged polyelectrolyte systems. A chain term for the charged reference fluid is introduced into the theory. Some well-established results are reproduced in this study and we also introduce new terms and discuss their effects. The results show that the SAFT is semi-quantitatively correct in predicting the phase behaviour of polyelectrolytes. The electrostatic attraction between unlike charged particles at low temperature is very strong. The short-range attractions between unlike pairs are treated via an association theory while the remaining interactions are handled by hypernetted chain theory. This method works quite well with multiple associating sites. The phase prediction for the size and charge symmetric restricted primitive model is quantitatively correct as compared with simulation results. Furthermore, it also gives semi-quantitatively correct predictions for the phase behaviour of size- and charge-asymmetric cases. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a powerful simulation technique for mesoscopic systems. Molecules with specific shapes (rods and spheres) are simulated using this technique.By tuning the density of the system, some liquid crystal phase transitions can be observed.The properties of spider silk fibroin are also modelled by DPD, indicating a possible route offorming spider silk.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Return on investment of public health interventions : a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Public sector austerity measures in many high-income countries mean that public health budgets are reducing year on year. To help inform the potential impact of these proposed disinvestments in public health, we set out to determine the return on investment (ROI) from a range of existing public health interventions. METHODS: We conducted systematic searches on all relevant databases (including MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL; AMED; PubMed, Cochrane and Scopus) to identify studies that calculated a ROI or cost-benefit ratio (CBR) for public health interventions in high-income countries. RESULTS: We identified 2957 titles, and included 52 studies. The median ROI for public health interventions was 14.3 to 1, and median CBR was 8.3. The median ROI for all 29 local public health interventions was 4.1 to 1, and median CBR was 10.3. Even larger benefits were reported in 28 studies analysing nationwide public health interventions; the median ROI was 27.2, and median CBR was 17.5. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review suggests that local and national public health interventions are highly cost-saving. Cuts to public health budgets in high income countries therefore represent a false economy, and are likely to generate billions of pounds of additional costs to health services and the wider economy