69,183 research outputs found
Optimal Extraction of Fibre Optic Spectroscopy
We report an optimal extraction methodology, for the reduction of
multi-object fibre spectroscopy data, operating in the regime of tightly packed
(and hence significantly overlapping) fibre profiles. The routine minimises
crosstalk between adjacent fibres and statistically weights the extraction to
reduce noise. As an example of the process we use simulations of the numerous
modes of operation of the AAOmega fibre spectrograph and observational data
from the SPIRAL Integral Field Unit at the Anglo-Australian Telescope.Comment: Accepted for publication in PAS
The Post-2015 Development Agenda: Keeping Our Focus On the Worst Off
Non-communicable diseases now account for the majority of the global burden of disease and an international
campaign has emerged to raise their priority on the post-2015 development agenda. We argue, to the contrary, that there
remain strong reasons to prioritize maternal and child health. Policy-makers ought to assign highest priority to the health
conditions that afflict the worst off. In virtue of how little healthy life they have had, children who die young are among the
globally worst off. Moreover, many interventions to deal with the conditions that cause mortality in the young are low-cost
and provide great benefits to their recipients. Consistent with the original Millennium Development Goals, the international
community should continue to prioritize reductions in communicable diseases, neonatal conditions, and maternal health
despite the shifts in the global burden of disease
The Savvy CEO: Advice From Those Who Have Been There
Shares practical advice from among philanthropy's most experienced leaders and attempts to establish a set of critical skills for CEOs as well as recommendations for board members through a series of hypothetical case studies
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Public participation and policy: unpacking connections in one British LA21
YesWithin western cultures, the term `public participationÂż has strong positive connotations, and is associated with the promotion of democracy. The contention of this paper is that these invocations of democracy - although not entirely inaccurate - obscure the varied and tangible effects of public participation on wider policy processes. Drawing on Sharp and Connelly 2001, this paper argues that participation should not be analysed in terms of the type of democracy it invokes, but rather in terms of the extent and nature of its influence on the policy process. In particular, the policy process is examined for conflict between participants over (1) the extent of participation, (2) the nature of participation and (3) the influence of the participation, as well as (4) the outcomes to which it leads. This approach to the analysis of participation is demonstrated through a study of one element of participation in an authorityÂżs Local Agenda 21 process. The paper concludes that participation is inherently political and practitioners need to act strategically to manage participation in support of progressive agendas
Distribution of Fenitized Crustal Xenoliths in Carbonatite Intrusions, West-Central Arkansas
Crustal xenoliths from carbonatite intrusions in the Morrilton-Perryville Arkansas area display a variety of mineralogical and textural features that suggest that they are fragments of basement crystalline rock that has undergone sodic metasomatism resulting from their close proximity at depth to a carbonatite complex. With increasing degrees of fenitization, the leucocratic xenoliths range from granolite - syenite - analcite syenite, while the melanocratic xenoliths range from hornblende - biotite to aegerine-apatite. A definite increase in fenitization is observed from Morrilton in the north to Brazil Branch, 16.8 km to the south. Fenitized xenoliths from Brazil Branch are generally quite small (0.5 cm - 1.0 cm) and contain a substantial amount of analcite. At Morrilton Lock and Dam, the fenitized xenoliths are very large (1.0 cm - 2.5 cm), and granolites are common. The xenoliths at Oppello Dump are intermediate in both size and mineralogical character. This area is therefore interpreted as a single alkalic - carbonatitic complex at depth, with its center near the southern extremity of the sampled area
Sustainable development : a model Indonesian SRI co-operative : this research paper is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, New Zealand
This research report explores how âsustainable livelihoodsâ have been achieved at a model cooperative
using the âSystem of Rice Intensificationâ named SIMPATIK. To conduct the research a
novel template was developed. The framework was required following a review of sustainable
livelihood literature which found deficiencies with the âsustainable livelihoods frameworkâ,
particularly its treatment of equity, social capital, culture and agro-ecology which disqualified the
framework as an appropriate approach for the research. Amekawaâs (2011) âIntegrated Sustainable
Livelihoods Frameworkâ which synthesises agro-ecology and the sustainable livelihoods framework
is then discussed. Further work is then presented on social capital which this paper argues has a
critical role in facilitating access to livelihood capitals. A discussion of the significance of culture
then follows to underline its importance as a form of livelihood capital. The research then introduces
an operational model that is appropriate to the local cultural, institutional and geographical context to
demonstrate how livelihood capitals are linked to livelihood outcomes, a model I have labelled the
âApt-Integrated Sustainable Livelihoods Frameworkâ.
This framework is then informed through field research at the SIMPATIK co-operative. Impact
pathways through âsynergetic forms of social capitalâ and the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) are
shown indeed to lead to sustainable livelihood outcomes for research participants. The âsequencingâ
of livelihood capitals is seen to be critical and the research culminates in the development of a âSRI
Co-operative Template for Sustainable Livelihoodsâ; a transferable model that shows how SRI can be
promoted as a sustainable livelihood strategy
Spinoza and the possibilities for radical climate ethics
In this commentary, I respond to the core question of Ruddickâs paper: How does the theoretical dethroning of humanity force us to reinvent ethics? In so doing, I expand on Spinozaâs profound contribution to the radical rethinking of the subject at the level of ontology. Although Ruddick invokes Spinoza, first and foremost, as a potential resource for ethics in light of climate disruption, I conclude that those resources offer only a glimmer of how to live differently. The work of re-imagination at the level of metaphysics is flourishing, but we have yet to develop its implications for ethics and politics
Building a Successful Service: Developing Open Access Funding and Advocacy at University College London
The UK Research Councils (RCUK) introduced an open access pol- icy, and accompanying funding for Article Processing Charges (APCs), in April 2013. This article describes University College London (UCL)âs experience of managing its institutional, RCUK, and Wellcome Trust open access funds, and highlights its success in exceeding the RCUK target in the first year of the policy. A large institution, processing around 1,770 APCs in 2013â2014, UCL has established a dedicated Open Access Funding Team. As well as advising authors on fundersâ and publishersâ requirements, man- aging payments, and liaising with publishers, the Team delivers a comprehensive open access advocacy programme throughout the institution. Researchers who have used the Teamâs services show astonishing levels of enthusiasm for open access, and for UCLâs approach to supporting them
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