NGOS and Internet Use in Uganda

Information technology (IT) research has ignored examining\ud the impact of the Internet on unconnected stakeholder communities in the South. This research, which investigates how non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with connectivity are utilising the Internet for their daily operations, and how they are able to acquire and disseminate information from the Internet to their stakeholders, hopes to correct such injustices. The research was undertaken over an eight-week period in early 1998 in Uganda, East Africa. The survey involved representatives of 33 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) responding to seven openended questions related to their organisations’ use of the Internet, and their information communication patterns. The paper begins with a brief background on Uganda and its telecommunications environment, including a summary of the seven Internet Service Providers (ISPs) currently operating in the country. The survey questions are identified, and the responses are organised into thematic categories which became apparent during the course of the study. The term “Internet” is used to refer to email-only services, as well as World Wide Web services. The research found that NGOs report benefiting from their use of the Internet through reduced transmission costs, access to new and relevant information, and greater contact with their own field sites and partner organisations. NGO representatives’ responses also indicate that the dissemination of Internet-acquired information is occurring with their stakeholders, regardless whether those stakeholders have connectivity or not. The majority of NGOs surveyed (70%) have only one computer with Internet connectivity within their offices; this presents challenges and restrictions in terms of the frequency with which the Internet can be accessed. A mere 5% of the NGOs with field sites reported that those sites were connected with either email or Internet; 33% reported having field sites without any means of direct voice or data transmission systems. The\ud majority of NGOs with World Wide Web service reported using the systems for accessing and researching documents relevant to their work, but 32% of those organisations reported that they either seldom or never used the Internet that was available to them. Most NGOs reported that they used the email to communicate with international partners; use of the\ud Internet for local communications is low. Respondents reported that email was a very convenient mode of communications, effective in transmitting documents at lower costs than other technologies. Obtaining access to the\ud computers, and the sending and receiving of attached documents proved the most problematic issues for respondents; the latter issue raises questions about the quality of training these organisations are receiving\ud from their ISPs. The paper concludes with lessons learned from the research, and recommends areas for more detailed study

Ultraviolet Spectra of Acetic Acid, Glycine, and Glyphosate

The influence of pH on the ultraviolet spectra of 0.001, 0.005, and 0.010 M glyphosate, glycine, and acetic acid was investigated. Each dilution of each acid was adjusted to acidic, neutral, and basic pH values. Ultraviolet spectra were recorded from 300 to 200 nm for each acid-dilution-pH combination. The wavelength of maximum absorption (Lambdamax) of glyphosate and glycine was slightly higher in the high pH solutions than in the neutral and low pH solutions. The Lambdamax of acetic acid was apparently unaffected by changes in ph. Molar extinction coefficients (epsilon) at Lambdamax increased with pH for all three acids. Regression analysis of the absorbance versus concentration for each acid-pH combination indicated linear relationships. Coefficients of determination (r2) were greater than 0.88 at both 210 and 215 nm for all acids and pH value

Assessing Stakeholder Preferences for Chesapeake Bay Restoration Options : a stated preference discrete choice-based assessment

Chesapeake 2000 or C2K is a multi-jurisdictional agreement between the states of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, representing the federal government, to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay’s ecosystem. This agreement commits the participants to achieve five major restoration goals, 22 sub-objectives or categories, and 102 specific commitments or restoration activities. The five major goals are the following: (1) restore and protect natural living resources; (2) restore and protect vital habitat; (3) restore and protect water quality; (4) promote sound land use; and (5) promote stewardship and community engagement. The sub-categories and specific commitments impose specific restoration requirements relative to each of the five major categories. In 2003, the Chesapeake Bay Commission, utilizing a panel of experts, estimated the cost of achieving all five major objectives equaled approximately $18.7 billion, which equals approximately$21.0 billion in 2007 dollars. Unfortunately, all partners of C2K only committed $5.9 billion ($6.6 billion in 2007 dollars) in funding to achieving the five major objectives. There is, thus, a deficit of $12.8 billion or$14.4 billion in 2007 dollars. The funding available to achieve the goals of C2K is of considerable concern because the single sub-objective of the category of reducing nutrients and sediments requires more than $12.0 billion in 2007 dollars, and this is a major requirement for restoring the health of the Bay’s ecosystem. The cost of restoring the Bay complicates the choices and levels of restoration options. Given the large deficit for achieving the goals and objectives of C2K, it is necessary to assess how restoration might proceed. The available level of funding is simply inadequate for achieving all the goals and objectives necessary to restore the Bay’s ecosystem. In this study, we attempt to provide an assessment of how available funds might be distributed among the restoration goals and objectives in a manner, which generates the greatest social value. (more...

PoET: Polarimeters for Energetic Transients

This presentation focuses on PoET (Polarimeters for Energetic Transients): a Small Explorer mission concept proposed to NASA in January 2008. The principal scientific goal of POET is to measure GRB polarization between 2 and 500 keV. The payload consists of two wide FoV instruments: a Low Energy Polarimeter (LEP) capable of polarization measurements in the energy range from 2-15 keV and a high energy polarimeter (Gamma-Ray Polarimeter Experiment - GRAPE) that will measure polarization in the 60-500 keV energy range. Spectra will be measured from 2 keV up to 1 MeV. The PoET spacecraft provides a zenith-pointed platform for maximizing the exposure to deep space. Spacecraft rotation will provide a means of effectively dealing with systematics in the polarization response. PoET will provide sufficient sensitivity and sky coverage to measure statistically significant polarization for up to 100 GRBs in a two-year mission. Polarization data will also be obtained for solar flares, pulsars and other sources of astronomical interest

Pastiche Steel Ensemble on Tour

Kennesaw State University School of Music presents Pastiche Steel Ensemble, a diverse group of pannists and musicians hailing from different countries around the world and transcends stereotypes surrounding the limitations of the steelpan while breaking boundaries of steelpan performance with original compositions, arrangements, and familiar music.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1693/thumbnail.jp

Design of a precision calibration unit for Keck NIRC2 AO instrument

High-precision astrometry has the potential to address questions in planet formation, black hole science, Galactic structure, and more. However, in order to achieve a precision of sub-milli arcseconds (mas), we need a calibration method better than the current techniques such as on-sky calibration using calibrated stellar or stellar cluster systems, which have a precision of ~1 mas. Precision calibration unit with a regular grid of photo-lithographically manufactured pinholes combined with self-calibration techniques, on the other hand, is a new and innovative way to potentially achieve a precision of sub-mas over the entire field of view. This technique is beneficial to adaptive optic (AO) instruments for future telescopes like the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). In this work, we present our design for a new astrometric calibration unit to feed the NIRC2 AO instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory. It allows calibration over a large field of view of 47" x 47"

Limits: Essays on the Limitations of Science and Religion

The work begins with an investigation of the mind-body problem by Arden Baxter, who argues that the mind is not reducible to the brain in practice even if it may be in theory. Evan Rapone opines that a new and concise definition of science is required, and then provides one. In an analysis of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, Madeleine Scott suggests that “the unthinkable will become thinkable” should we be able to transcend the limits of cognitive science by combining it with philosophical investigation. Morgan McConnell investigates the relationship between metaphors and models and concludes that the limits of science are intimately connected to the limits of language. Finally, Sara Nelson brings a Christian perspective to the work and proposes that the nature of the divine ensures that humans can never answer some of the most fundamental questions

Design of a precision calibration unit for Keck NIRC2 AO instrument

High-precision astrometry has the potential to address questions in planet formation, black hole science, Galactic structure, and more. However, in order to achieve a precision of sub-milli arcseconds (mas), we need a calibration method better than the current techniques such as on-sky calibration using calibrated stellar or stellar cluster systems, which have a precision of ~1 mas. Precision calibration unit with a regular grid of photo-lithographically manufactured pinholes combined with self-calibration techniques, on the other hand, is a new and innovative way to potentially achieve a precision of sub-mas over the entire field of view. This technique is beneficial to adaptive optic (AO) instruments for future telescopes like the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). In this work, we present our design for a new astrometric calibration unit to feed the NIRC2 AO instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory. It allows calibration over a large field of view of 47" x 47"

Music therapy for end-of-life care: An updated systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Music therapy during palliative and end-of-life care is well established and positive benefits for patients have been reported. AIM: Assess the effectiveness of music therapy versus standard care alone or standard care in combination with other therapies for improving psychological, physiological and social outcomes among adult patients in any palliative care setting. DATA SOURCES: In order to update an existing Cochrane systematic review, we searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov register and Current Controlled Trials register to identify randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials published between 2009 and April 2015. Nine electronic music therapy journals were searched from 2009 until April 2015, along with reference lists and contact was made with key experts in music therapy. Only studies published in English were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, assessed relevant studies for eligibility, extracted data and judged risk of bias for included studies. Disagreements were resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. Data were synthesised in Revman using the random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using I(2). RESULTS: Three studies were included in the review. Findings suggest that music therapy may be effective for helping to reduce pain in palliative care patients (standard mean deviation = -0.42, 95% confidence interval = -0.68 to -0.17, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Available evidence did not support the use of music therapy to improve overall quality of life in palliative care. While this review suggests that music therapy may be effective for reducing pain, this is based on studies with a high risk of bias. Further high-quality research is required

A burst chasing x-ray polarimeter

Gamma-ray bursts are one of the most powerful explosions in the universe and have been detected out to distances of almost 13 billion light years. The exact origin of these energetic explosions is still unknown but the resulting huge release of energy is thought to create a highly relativistic jet of material and a power-law distribution of electrons. There are several theories describing the origin of the prompt GRB emission that currently cannot be distinguished. Measurements of the linear polarization would provide unique and important constraints on the mechanisms thought to drive these powerful explosions. We present the design of a sensitive, and extremely versatile gamma-ray burst polarimeter. The instrument is a photoelectric polarimeter based on a time-projection chamber. The photoelectric time-projection technique combines high sensitivity with broad band-pass and is potentially the most powerful method between 2 and 100 keV where the photoelectric effect is the dominant interaction process. We present measurements of polarized and unpolarized X-rays obtained with a prototype detector and describe the two mission concepts; the Gamma-Ray Burst Polarimeter (GRBP) for the U.S. Naval Academy satellite MidSTAR-2, and the Low Energy Polarimeter (LEP) onboard POET, a broadband polarimetry concept for a small explorer mission