Growth, Convergence and Public Investment. A Bayesian Model Averaging Approach

The aim of this paper is twofold. First, we study the determinants of economic growth among a wide set of potential variables for the Spanish provinces (NUTS3). Among others, we include various types of private, public and human capital in the group of growth factors. Also, we analyse whether Spanish provinces have converged in economic terms in recent decades. The second objective is to obtain cross-section and panel data parameter estimates that are robust to model speci cation. For this purpose, we use a Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) approach. Bayesian methodology constructs parameter estimates as a weighted average of linear regression estimates for every possible combination of included variables. The weight of each regression estimate is given by the posterior probability of each model.convergence, public investment, growth, bayesian model averaging

Demanding by Design: Supporting Effortful Communication Practices in Close Personal Relationships

The investment of effort into personal communication can be highly meaningful to people, and has particular significance for the mediation of close relationships. This paper presents qualities of effort investment that are seen to be valuable. Furthermore, we consider how these qualities might sensitise designers of communication technologies to the meaningfulness of effort. We report a qualitative study focusing on individual descriptions of meaningful effort invested into everyday correspondence. We encapsulate our findings in the form of five qualities that characterise valued effort: discretionary investment, personal craft, focused time, responsiveness to the recipient, and challenge to a sender’s capacities. Drawing on ideas generated in brainstorming sessions, we present two illustrative concepts for new communication technologies, highlighting how our findings can guide the creation of designed artefacts

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Shielding Material, Vehicle Shape and Astronaut Position for Deep Space Travel

Background: As future crewed, deep space missions are being planned, it is important to assess how spacecraft design can be used to minimize radiation exposure. Collectively with shielding material, vehicle shape and astronaut position must be used to protect astronauts from the two primary sources of space radiation: Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and Solar Particle Events (SPEs). Methods: The On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space (OLTARIS) version 4.1 analysis package is used to evaluate and analyze this detailed radiation field. Developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration\u27s (NASA) Langley Research Center, the tool enables engineering and research related space radiation calculations. Each configuration is evaluated in whole body effective dose equivalent (ED). This research evaluates 70 aerospace materials, 2 vehicle shapes and 3 astronaut positions. Results and Conclusions: The material analyses show that for metals, aluminum outperforms and therefore is the most feasible metal for deep space travel. But when evaluating all materials, polyethylene outperforms all feasible aerospace materials. The vehicle shape and astronaut position analyses show that moving a human phantom closer to a wall does significantly decrease the ED. This pattern is not dependent on material nor boundary condition, but the mean shielding thickness a source ray must travel through for the GCR boundary condition. For shielding thicknesses greater than 30 g/cm 2 for polyethylene and 100g/cm 2 for aluminum, the results suggest that having astronauts’ habitats and work areas located further from the center will help protect astronauts longer from deep space radiation.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1067/thumbnail.jp

Measurements of secondary charged particle fragmentation cross sections produced by high energy heavy ions using silicon strip detectors

Measurements of high multiplicity final states produced in relativistic heavy ion collisions with nuclei applicable to space radiation applications were made. The measurements are of particular interest for space radiation protection as validation for transport models and improvement of nucleus-nucleus interaction models. The silicon strip detector system developed for this work allows direct measurement of the high multiplicity events in contrast to previous experiments with transmission mounted monolithic silicon detectors . The silicon strip detector system was used to measure the nuclear fragments produced in collisions of 290 and 400A MeV 12C ions with elemental and composite targets at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences Heavy Ion Medical Accelerator in Chiba, Japan. Measurements of three and two He coincidences were made including the spatial distribution of the three He events. Measurements of charge changing, and inclusive and exclusive fragment production cross sections were made. The cross section results were compared directly with the nuclear fragmentation code NUCFRG2 where possible. The results from multiplicity measurements of three and two He fragments suggest that many ions contribute to the spectra observed in monolithic silicon detectors. Three He events were found to be composed of approximately 50% Li+He events and 25% true three He events. The Li events in the monolithic silicon detector were composed of 50% true Li events and 35% two He events averaged over all targets and energies. The spatial distributions of the three He events about the beam center are approximately 3.3° ± 1.0° averaged over all targets and energies. The exclusive cross sections measured compare well with the measured fragment production cross sections and are within 10% for all targets except H. The exclusive fragmentation cross sections are in good agreement with the NUCFRG2 predictions and are typically within 10 to 20 percent for fragments from B to He. The charge changing cross sections are compared with several theoretical models with results within the errors for all but the Pb and H target data. The H target data were inferred from the measurements with CH2 introducing larger errors in the H target data

The political economy of violence: the case of Venezuela

This thesis will attempt to answer the question of how can the rise in social violence be explained in the oil-rich nation of Venezuela since the 1980s? The once relatively peaceful nation of Venezuela has seen a dramatic rise in social violence over the last three decades that has placed her amongst some of the world\u27s most dangerous countries. A review of the relevant literature will reveal that the study of a social phenomenon such as violence, and in a nation such as Venezuela, is a complicated task because there are a number of different but in many cases interlinked variables that contribute to the formation of this social phenomenon. Therefore the conceptual framework will consist of a multi-variable analysis so that this study may go about to formulate an appropriate explanation based on the complex causes and effects that surround this issue. However, special attention will be given to the nation\u27s developmental history has given way to a severe socio-political crisis. But although special attention will be given to this important variable, no hierarchy of variables will be established as the convoluted nature of social events makes it very difficult to formulate one. Other factors that will also be analyzed as they contribute to the rise of social violence are: the nation\u27s vast hydrocarbon wealth (which is always an outstanding variable because of its economic importance), economic reform and liberalization, and the urbanization process. Although there have been several studies on oil-rich nations (including Venezuela), their economic dynamics, the Latin American urbanization process, and the Venezuelan political crisis, there is an absence of studies that include these intervening factors in a comprehensive manner. This thesis hopes to fill this gap