The Future Can Be Better: Young People And The Marawi Siege

Young people are deeply implicated in the Marawi siege. Many commentaries and studies view them in either of two ways. On the one hand, they are the sector characterized as most vulnerable to radicalization. Researchers focus on the factors that lead them to violent extremism (Casey and Pottebaum 2018). But on the other hand, they are also characterized as passive victims needing relief and protection (Haynes and Tanner 2015). While these depictions may be legitimate in their own ways, they contradict each other. They are either perpetrators of violence or its victims. But they also share important similarities. These depictions derive from deep concerns about the wellbeing of young people in conflict situations. This sentiment is valid because they ought to be enjoying their youth and discovering their talents and abilities at school. And yet both depictions also share a problematic assumption. That they are either prone to violence or victims of conflict frames young people as a social problem at the same time, taking them as a social problem evidently carries a moral undertone: While some may be driven by a sense of righteous indignation, some others may be carried away by their ignorance (Hughes 2016). These frames, taken together, are blind to the youths’ potential contributions as effective agents of change, especially in post-conflict reconstruction. Research shows that although it may force young people to take on adult roles for which they are unprepared, conflict does not necessarily cripple their abilities to see into the future (Schwartz 2010). They do have stories and aspirations to share, some of which remain rooted in idealism and hope that tomorrow will be better. This is the basis of our ongoing study that documents the narratives of young people before, during, and after the Marawi siege. Our project, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), involves interviewing Muslim, Christian, and Lumad youths. We are also working with Reemar Alonsagay, a recent graduate of MSU – Marawi. We wish to spell out the importance of our research and some of our findings in this Perspectives piece

ESTUDIO PROSPECTIVO PARA EL MANEJO Y APROVECHAMIENTO DE BASURAS EN LA CIUDAD DE POPAYAN, CAUCA AL AÑO 2020.

En el presente trabajo de investigación se propone analizar prospectivamente el manejo y aprovechamiento de basuras en la ciudad de Popayán Cauca, con el propósito de aportar razonable y significativamente a la contaminación, y apoyar estrategias dirigidas al aprovechamiento optimo de los recursos. En esta investigación se precisa el tema de análisis; se identifican las variables claves que lo definen; se analizan las alianzas y conflictos que ocurren entre los actores sociales en relación con las variables, considerando el grado de poder que maneja cada uno de los actores y se propone el escenario probable o tendencial para el problema de investigación, de acuerdo con el documento “Proceso Prospectivo” de Francisco José Mojíca, Director del Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico y Prospectivo de la Universidad Externado de Colombia y en el texto “Iniciación a la Prospectiva Estratégica” de Carlos Arturo Franco Restrepo. Con base en el modelo de Peter Schwartz, se diseñan los escenarios alternos para el análisis prospectivo en manejo y aprovechamiento de las basuras en la ciudad de Popayán, Cauca. Como resultado del ejercicio realizado con los expertos y después de utilizar algunas de las herramientas de la prospectiva estratégica, se presentan las estrategias propuestas para optimizar procesos de aprovechamiento y aportar a la descontaminación del medio ambiente en la ciudad de Popayán, CaucaThis research work proposes prospectively analyse management and optimum use of garbage in the city of Popayán Cauca, in order to provide reasonable and relatively pollution and support strategies for leveraging resources. In this research the subject of analysis is required; identifies key variables that define; discusses alliances and conflicts that occur between social actors in relation to variables, whereas the degree of power that handles each of the actors and aims to the probable or trend scenario for the problem of research, according to the document "Process Prospective" Francisco José Mojíca, Director of the Centre for strategic thinking and Prospective of the Universidad Extern ado de Colombia and the "Introduction to the foresight strategic" Carlos Arturo Franco Restrepo text. Based on the model of Peter Schwartz, alternative scenarios for prospective analysis in handling and use of wastes in the city of Popayan, Cauca are designed. As a result of the exercise done with experts and use some of the prospective strategic tools, proposed strategies are to streamline processes use and contribute to the environment in the city of Popayan, Cauca decontaminatio

High temperature decomposition and age hardening of single-phase wurtzite Ti1−x_{1-x}Alx_{x}N thin films grown by cathodic arc deposition

We investigated the high temperature decomposition behavior of wurtzite phase Ti$_{1-x}$Al$_{x}$N films using experimental methods and first-principles calculations. Single phase metastable wurtzite Ti$_{1-x}$Al$_{x}$N (x = 0.65, 0.75, 085 and 0.95) solid solution films were grown by cathodic arc deposition using low duty cycle pulsed substrate-bias voltage. First-principles calculated elastic constants of the wurtzite Ti$_{1-x}$Al$_{x}$N phase show a strong dependence on alloy composition. The predicted phase diagram shows a miscibility gap with an unstable region. High resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and chemical mapping demonstrate decomposition of the films after high temperature annealing (950$^{\circ}$C), which resulted in nanoscale chemical compositional modulations containing Ti-rich and Al-rich regions with coherent or semi coherent interfaces. This spinodal decomposition of the wurtzite film causes age hardening of 1-2 GPa

LEVEL OF STRESS AND COPING MECHANISMS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS IN THE ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING

This research aimed to investigate the level of stress and coping mechanisms of the College of Education (CED) students at Notre Dame of Midsayap College (NDMC) in online distance learning. This study also aimed to determine if there is a significant difference in the level of stress of the respondents when grouped according to sex and age. A descriptive research design was undertaken to assess the respondents' level of stress and coping mechanisms. The data were subjected to appropriate statistical tools utilized in the study such as frequency count, percentage distribution, weighted mean, and one-way ANOVA.  Based on the major findings of the study, it can be concluded that students experience stress during their online distance learning brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bad internet connection, financial problems, disturbances in academic life, improper learning environment, tiredness, and irritation in performing their schoolwork are the significant causes of the stress of the students in dealing with their online distance learning. It was also found that they have different coping mechanisms in dealing with stress in their online distance learning. Such coping mechanisms were praying or meditating, creating a conducive learning environment, thinking positively, and playing online games. It was determined that male respondents experienced more stress in online distance learning than female respondents. It was also noted that younger respondents experience more stress than older respondents.  Article visualizations

Combined search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying to a bb pair using the full CDF data set

We combine the results of searches for the standard model Higgs boson based on the full CDF Run II data set obtained from sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV p-pbar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.45/fb. The searches are conducted for Higgs bosons that are produced in association with a W or Z boson, have masses in the range 90-150 GeV/c^2, and decay into bb pairs. An excess of data is present that is inconsistent with the background prediction at the level of 2.5 standard deviations (the most significant local excess is 2.7 standard deviations).Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev. Lett (v2 contains minor updates based on comments from PRL

Shrinking a large dataset to identify variables associated with increased risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection in Western Kenya

Large datasets are often not amenable to analysis using traditional single-step approaches. Here, our general objective was to apply imputation techniques, principal component analysis (PCA), elastic net and generalized linear models to a large dataset in a systematic approach to extract the most meaningful predictors for a health outcome. We extracted predictors for Plasmodium falciparum infection, from a large covariate dataset while facing limited numbers of observations, using data from the People, Animals, and their Zoonoses (PAZ) project to demonstrate these techniques: data collected from 415 homesteads in western Kenya, contained over 1500 variables that describe the health, environment, and social factors of the humans, livestock, and the homesteads in which they reside. The wide, sparse dataset was simplified to 42 predictors of P. falciparum malaria infection and wealth rankings were produced for all homesteads. The 42 predictors make biological sense and are supported by previous studies. This systematic data-mining approach we used would make many large datasets more manageable and informative for decision-making processes and health policy prioritization

Observation of Exclusive Gamma Gamma Production in p pbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

We have observed exclusive \gamma\gamma production in proton-antiproton collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV, using data from 1.11 \pm 0.07 fb^{-1} integrated luminosity taken by the Run II Collider Detector at Fermilab. We selected events with two electromagnetic showers, each with transverse energy E_T > 2.5 GeV and pseudorapidity |\eta| < 1.0, with no other particles detected in -7.4 < \eta < +7.4. The two showers have similar E_T and azimuthal angle separation \Delta\phi \sim \pi; 34 events have two charged particle tracks, consistent with the QED process p \bar{p} to p + e^+e^- + \bar{p} by two-photon exchange, while 43 events have no charged tracks. The number of these events that are exclusive \pi^0\pi^0 is consistent with zero and is < 15 at 95% C.L. The cross section for p\bar{p} to p+\gamma\gamma+\bar{p} with |\eta(\gamma)| < 1.0 and E_T(\gamma) > 2.5$ GeV is 2.48^{+0.40}_{-0.35}(stat)^{+0.40}_{-0.51}(syst) pb.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

Measurement of the WZWZ Cross Section and Triple Gauge Couplings in ppˉp \bar p Collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV

This Letter describes the current most precise measurement of the $WZ$ production cross section as well as limits on anomalous $WWZ$ couplings at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV in proton-antiproton collisions for the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF). $WZ$ candidates are reconstructed from decays containing three charged leptons and missing energy from a neutrino, where the charged leptons are either electrons or muons. Using data collected by the CDF II detector (7.1 fb$^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity), 63 candidate events are observed with the expected background contributing $8 \pm 1$ events. The measured total cross section $\sigma (p \bar p \to WZ) = 3.93_{-0.53}^{+0.60}(\text{stat})_{-0.46}^{+0.59}(\text{syst})$ pb is in good agreement with the standard model prediction of $3.50\pm 0.21$. The same sample is used to set limits on anomalous $WWZ$ couplings.Comment: Resubmission to PRD-RC after acceptance (27 July 2012

A search for resonant production of ttˉt\bar{t} pairs in $4.8\ \rm{fb}^{-1}ofintegratedluminosityof of integrated luminosity of p\bar{p}collisionsat collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96\ \rm{TeV}$

We search for resonant production of tt pairs in 4.8 fb^{-1} integrated luminosity of ppbar collision data at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV in the lepton+jets decay channel, where one top quark decays leptonically and the other hadronically. A matrix element reconstruction technique is used; for each event a probability density function (pdf) of the ttbar candidate invariant mass is sampled. These pdfs are used to construct a likelihood function, whereby the cross section for resonant ttbar production is estimated, given a hypothetical resonance mass and width. The data indicate no evidence of resonant production of ttbar pairs. A benchmark model of leptophobic Z \rightarrow ttbar is excluded with m_{Z'} < 900 GeV at 95% confidence level.Comment: accepted for publication in Physical Review D Sep 21, 201