Youth Justice Conferences versus Children's Court: a comparison of cost-effectiveness

This paper finds that the Youth Justice Conferences scheme is more cost-effective than the Children’s Court. The paper compares the cost-effectiveness of Youth Justice Conferences (YJCs) to matters eligible for YJCs but dealt with in the Children’s Court. Method: The costs for Police, Legal Aid, Children’s Court, Juvenile Justice YJC administration and Juvenile Justice administration of court orders were separately estimated using a combination of top-down and bottom-up costing methods. These were combined with data from matched samples of young people who were to be dealt with by a YJC and young people who could have been dealt with by a YJC but instead were dealt with in the Children’s Court in 2007 in order to estimate average costs per person for each process. Results: The average cost of a YJC was estimated to be about 18 per cent less than the average cost of a comparable matter dealt with in the Children’s Court. This result was robust under variation of most assumptions (or combinations of assumptions). However, if marginal costs for the Children’s Court and costs for administering Children’s Court orders are low, then it may be more efficient to deal with an additional young person by court rather than by YJC. Conclusion: When viewed in totality, the YJC scheme is more cost-effective than the Children’s Court

Students’ perceptions of economics:Identifying demand for further study

Most university departments aspire to increase their quantity of students. The objective of this empirical study is to ascertain whether it is possible to identify students who would demand more economics study. Using data on student perceptions of economics and the application of logistic regression, K-means clustering, ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD statistical techniques we reveal distinct clusters of students, including a small cluster of students who appear to be more open to further study.Students; Demand for economics

Student Participation in Sporting Activities

Given that many universities spend large sums of money supplying sports facilities for student use, comparatively little is known about the factors that influence the quantity of student sporting participation. This paper presents evidence which suggests that the quantity of student sports participation is adversely affected by greater hours of work and increased by greater sports literacy and the decision to augment social capital. Effective investment in sports facilities by Universities would meet students’ demands and not simply increase the range of sports facilities available to students.Sport; Participation; Time; Social capital; Students

Does Pluralism in Economics Education Make Better Educated, Happier Students? A Qualitative Analysis

This paper contributes to the debate on pluralism in the economics curriculum. Here pluralism means a diversity of theoretical perspectives. One set of pedagogical arguments for pluralism are those found in 'liberal' philosophy of education. To this end, the first part of the paper presents arguments for pluralism based on 'liberal' pedagogical arguments. The paper also notes more instrumental arguments for pluralism and the barriers to such an approach. Finally, the paper considers new primary evidence from focus groups on student perceptions of economics. This evidence shows support for the arguments that a pluralist curriculum is popular and develops cognitive capacities of criticism, comparison and analysis – exactly those argued for in (liberal) pedagogical discussion – as well as judgement, understanding and writing skills. However, pluralism as a teaching strategy may be more difficult for those delivering it.

Does pluralism in economics education make better educated, happier students? A qualitative analysis.

This paper contributes to the debate on pluralism in the Economics curriculum. Here pluralism means a diversity of theoretical perspectives. One set of pedagogical arguments for pluralism are those found in ‘liberal’ philosophy of education. To this end, the first part of the paper presents arguments for pluralism based on ‘liberal’ pedagogical arguments. The paper also notes more instrumental arguments for pluralism; and barriers to such an approach. Finally, the paper considers new primary evidence from focus groups on student perceptions of economics. This evidence shows support for the arguments that a pluralist curriculum is popular and develops cognitive capacities of criticism, comparison and analysis – exactly those argued for in (liberal) pedagogical discussion – as well as judgement, understanding and writing skills. However, pluralism as a teaching strategy may be more difficult for those delivering it.Students; pedagogy, pluralism, perceptions, focus groups

Naturalness Reach of the Large Hadron Collider in Minimal Supergravity

We re-analyse the prospects of discovering supersymmetry at the LHC, in order to re-express coverage in terms of a fine-tuning parameter and to extend the analysis to scalar masses (m_0) above 2 TeV. We use minimal supergravity (mSUGRA) unification assumptions for the SUSY breaking parameters. Such high values of m_0 have recently been found to have a focus point, leading to relatively low fine-tuning. In addition, improvements in the simulations since the last study mean that this region no longer lacks radiative electroweak symmetry breaking. The best fine tuning reach is found in a mono-leptonic channel, where for mu>0, A_0=0 and tan beta=10 (corresponding to the focus point), all points in mSUGRA with m_0 < 4000 GeV, with a fine tuning measure up to 300 (570) are covered by the search, where the definition of fine-tuning excludes (includes) the contribution from the top Yukawa coupling. Even for arbitrarily high m_0, mSUGRA does not evade detection provided the gaugino mass parameter M_{1/2} < 460 GeV

The Modified Weighted Slab Technique: Models and Results

In an attempt to understand the source and propagation of galactic cosmic rays we have employed the Modified Weighted Slab technique along with recent values of the relevant cross sections to compute primary to secondary ratios including B/C and Sub-Fe/Fe for different galactic propagation models. The models that we have considered are the disk-halo diffusion model, the dynamical halo wind model, the turbulent diffusion model and a model with minimal reacceleration. The modified weighted slab technique will be briefly discussed and a more detailed description of the models will be given. We will also discuss the impact that the various models have on the problem of anisotropy at high energy and discuss what properties of a particular model bear on this issue.Comment: LaTeX - AASTEX format, Submitted to ApJ, 8 figures, 20 page

Measuring Supersymmetric Particle Masses at the LHC in Scenarios with Baryon-Number R-Parity Violating Couplings

The measurement of sparticle masses in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model at the LHC is analysed, in the scenario where the lightest neutralino decays into three quarks. Such decays, occurring through the baryon-number violating coupling lambda"\_ijk, pose a severe challenge to the capability of the LHC detectors since the final state has no missing energy signature and a high jet multiplicity. We focus on the case of non-zero lambda"\_212 which is the most difficult experimentally. The proposed method is valid over a wide range of SUGRA parameter space with lambda"\_212 between 10^{-5}-0.1. Simulations are performed of the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. Using the lightest neutralino from the decay chain left-squark to quark + next-to-lightest neutralino to right-slepton + lepton + quark and finally to lightest neutralino + lepton pair + quark, we show that the lightest and next-to-lightest neutralino masses can be measured by 3-jet and 3-jet + lepton pair invariant mass combinations. At the SUGRA point M_0=100 GeV, M_{1/2}=300 GeV, A_0=300 GeV, tan beta=10, sign of mu positive and with lambda"\_212=0.005, we achieve statistical (systematic) errors of 3 (3), 3 (3), 0.3 (4) and 5 (12) GeV respectively for the masses of the lightest neutralino, next-to-lightest neutralino, right-slepton and left-squark, with an integrated luminosity of 30 fb^{-1}

A multinuclear NMR and quantum chemical study of solid trimethylammonium chloride

The solid salt, trimethylammonium chloride (TMAC), is investigated by a combination of NMR spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemical calculations. Chemical shift and nuclear quadrupolar interaction parameters have been measured for 35Cl, 1H/2H, and 15N/14N. These parameters have also been calculated as a function of the hydrogen position in the N\u2022\u2022\u2022H\u2022\u2022\u2022Cl fragment. Overall, the measured parameters are consistent with a structure in which the hydrogen is completely transferred to the nitrogen (i.e., N\u2013H\u2022\u2022\u2022Cl). The high hydrogen chemical shift (10.9 ppm by 2H CP/MAS) and relatively small deuterium quadrupolar coupling constant (127 kHz) indicate a moderately strong N\u2013H\u2022\u2022\u2022Cl hydrogen bond. A pronounced deuterium isotope effect on the 35Cl quadrupolar coupling constant is observed.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

A prototype energy management system for a solar powered cycle

Bibliography: leaves 92-93