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The measurements of particle multiplicity distributions have generated considerable interest in understanding the fluctuations of conserved quantum numbers in the quantum chromodynamics (QCD) hadronization regime, in particular near a possible critical point and near the chemical freeze-out. Net-protons and net-kaons have been used as proxies for the net-baryon number and net-strangeness, respectively. We report the measurement of efficiency- and centrality-bin width-corrected cumulant ratios (C2/C1, C3/C2) of net-Λ distributions, in the context of both strangeness and baryon number conservation, as a function of collision energy, centrality, and rapidity. The results are for Au+Au collisions at five beam energies (√sNN=19.6, 27, 39, 62.4, and 200 GeV) recorded with the Solenoidal Tracker at RHIC (STAR). We compare our results to the Poisson and negative binomial (NBD) expectations, as well as to ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics (UrQMD) and hadron resonance gas (HRG) model predictions. Both NBD and Poisson baselines agree with data within the statistical and systematic uncertainties. UrQMD describes the measured net-ΛC1 and C3 at 200 GeV reasonably well but deviates from C2, and the deviation increases as a function of collision energy. The ratios of the measured cumulants show no features of critical fluctuations. The chemical freeze-out temperatures extracted from a recent HRG calculation, which was successfully used to describe the net-proton, net-kaon, and net-charge data, indicate Λ freeze-out conditions similar to those of kaons. However, large deviations are found when comparing with temperatures obtained from net-proton fluctuations. The net-Λ cumulants show a weak but finite dependence on the rapidity coverage in the acceptance of the detector, which can be attributed to quantum number conservation.

Particle production sensitive to nonfactorizable and nonperturbative processes that contribute to the underlying event associated with a high transverse momentum (pT) jet in proton+proton collisions at √s=200 GeV is studied with the STAR detector. Each event is divided into three regions based on the azimuthal angle with respect to the highest-pT jet direction: in the leading jet direction (“Toward”), opposite to the leading jet (“Away”), and perpendicular to the leading jet (“Transverse”). In the Transverse region, the average charged particle density is found to be between 0.4 and 0.6 and the mean transverse momentum, ⟨pT⟩, between 0.5 and 0.7 GeV/c for particles with pT>0.2 GeV/c at mid-pseudorapidity (|η|<1) and jet pT>15 GeV/c. Both average particle density and ⟨pT⟩ depend weakly on the leading jet pT. Closer inspection of the Transverse region hints that contributions to the underlying event from initial- and final-state radiation are significantly smaller in these collisions than at the higher energies, up to 13 TeV, recorded at the LHC. Underlying event measurements associated with a high-pT jet will contribute to our understanding of QCD processes at hard and soft scales at RHIC energies, as well as provide constraints to modeling of underlying event dynamics.

We report systematic measurements of bulk properties of the system created in Au+Au collisions at √sNN=14.5 GeV recorded by the STAR detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The transverse momentum spectra of π±, K±, and p(¯p) are studied at midrapidity (|y|<0.1) for nine centrality intervals. The centrality, transverse momentum (pT), and pseudorapidity (η) dependence of inclusive charged particle elliptic flow (v2), and rapidity-odd charged particles directed flow (v1) results near midrapidity are also presented. These measurements are compared with the published results from Au+Au collisions at other energies, and from Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN=2.76 TeV. The results at √sNN=14.5 GeV show similar behavior as established at other energies and fit well in the energy dependence trend. These results are important as the 14.5-GeV energy fills the gap in μB, which is of the order of 100 MeV, between √sNN=11.5 and 19.6 GeV. Comparisons of the data with UrQMD and AMPT models show poor agreement in general.

Economic Development in Ghana and Malaysia investigates why two countries that appeared to be at more or less the same stage of economic development at one point in time have diverged so substantially. At the time of their independence from the UK in 1957, both Ghana and Malaysia were at roughly the same stage of economic development; in fact, Ghana's real per capita income was slightly ahead of Malaysia's. Since then, Ghana's development has been sluggish, while Malaysia's economy has taken off into sustained growth and today, the real per capita income of Malaysia is about five times that of Ghana. This volume examines the pre-colonial and colonial economies of both countries, and the economic policies pursued after independence. In doing so, it aims to identify policies which might have contributed to Malaysia's development and those which might have slowed Ghana's. The authors ask whether lessons can be learned from the successes of countries such as Malaysia. This detailed comparative analysis will be useful to students and researchers of development economics as well as public policy makers in developing countries. It is written in language which makes it accessible to the general reader. © 2020 Samuel K. Andoh, Bernice J. deGannes Scott and Grace Ofori-Abebrese. All rights reserved.

As a fully aquatic mammal, the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) spends a limited amount of time at the water's surface. However, as a mammal that breathes air, they do need to filter, warm, and humidify that air, and anecdotal evidence indicates manatees have a sense of smell. This study characterized the nasal turbinate system, including identification of the olfactory epithelium, and compared it to other mammals using a combination of gross and micro-anatomic examination. Major turbinates were present, including nasal, maxillary, and ethmoturbinates, but with minimal convolution. The respiratory epithelium was found throughout much of the nasal cavity and covered maxillary and nasal turbinates, as well as the septum. Mucus-producing cells and cavernous veins were extensive. The olfactory epithelium was found in the dorsocaudal ethmoturbinates. As a herbivore that feeds predominantly underwater, the manatee likely relies on taste and touch for assessing food and, therefore, does not need to use smell in the same way as other marine mammals such as mysticetes (Bouchard et al., 2019) and pinnipeds (Kowalewsky et al., 2006). However, there are still substantial numbers of olfactory cells, especially considering the decreased amount of exposure time to odorants when breathing at the surface. Therefore, the question remains of why manatees have maintained their ability to smell while other fully aquatic species such as odontocetes have not. Future research should focus on a combination of behavioral and molecular techniques to fully understand the olfactory capabilities of the Florida manatee. © 2020, European Association for Aquatic Mammals.

Competitive teamsport at university level is predominantly segregated by gender in many western countries, despite concerns that gender segregation in sport can perpetuate sexism and gender inequality. While policies and activities seek to challenge sexism and gender inequality, the use of gender collaboration within a gender-segregated system as a method to achieve this has received little attention. In this article, we draw on a year-long ethnography of elite sport and 48 in-depth interviews with elite male and female athletes at a British university to explore the impact of various forms of gender mixing during training, which we call ‘gender-collaborative training’. While men’s and women’s teams competing against each other in practice matches resulted in gender-essentialist narratives attributing difference to biology, gender-integrated practices and workouts provided opportunities for men and women to train together without the gendered sport-specific associations that can reproduce sexism. We call for gender-collaborative training to be adopted by gender-segregated teams, and suggest that where there is resistance to any integration, teams start with mixed physical workouts and progress to mixed sport-specific training and then mixed competitive training. © The Author(s) 2020.

Two northeast nursing schools piloted an innovative curriculum to teach The Conversation Project (TCP) to the next generation of nurses. The goal was to educate 26 graduate nursing students about how to have end-of-life and advance care planning conversations with people before they experience a crisis. The focus of assignments was on communicating newly learned TCP information. Postreflections demonstrated that participants felt their communication skills had been enhanced while their anxieties were reduced. The students' abilities to have end-of-life conversations increased. © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Alexander Josiassen (2011) initiated research on the consumer disidentification (CDI). More specifically, in his investigation of 2nd generation Turks in the Netherlands, he introduced the concept of acculturation as an antecedent to consumer disidentification among this ethnic group. Josiassen's study showed that acculturation negatively affects CDI. The present replication research among American 2nd generation US immigrants confirmed Josiassen’s findings with respect to CDI. It also confirmed his findings that acculturation positively affects consumer ethnocentrism (CET). In elaborating his model, the US study found that (a) national disidentification (NDI) is inversely predictive of acculturation, and (b) acculturation is negatively predictive of consumer xenocentrism (XEN). Replication of the Netherland CDI model in the U.S. results in an acceptable measurement fit and structural fit. © 2020, University of South Australia. All rights reserved.

The performance of any meta-heuristic algorithm depends highly on the setting of dependent parameters of the algorithm. Different parameter settings for an algorithm may lead to different outcomes. An optimal parameter setting should support the algorithm to achieve a convincing level of performance or optimality in solving a range of optimization problems. This paper presents a novel enhancement method for the salp swarm algorithm (SSA), referred to as enhanced SSA (ESSA). In this ESSA, the following enhancements are proposed: First, a new position updating process was proposed. Second, a new dominant parameter different from that used in SSA was presented in ESSA. Third, a novel lifetime convergence method for tuning the dominant parameter of ESSA using ESSA itself was presented to enhance the convergence performance of ESSA. These enhancements to SSA were proposed in ESSA to augment its exploration and exploitation capabilities to achieve optimal global solutions, in which the dominant parameter of ESSA is updated iteratively through the evolutionary process of ESSA so that the positions of the search agents of ESSA are updated accordingly. These improvements on SSA through ESSA support it to avoid premature convergence and efficiently find the global optimum solution for many real-world optimization problems. The efficiency of ESSA was verified by testing it on several basic benchmark test functions. A comparative performance analysis between ESSA and other meta-heuristic algorithms was performed. Statistical test methods have evidenced the significance of the results obtained by ESSA. The efficacy of ESSA in solving real-world problems and applications is also demonstrated with five well-known engineering design problems and two real industrial problems. The comparative results show that ESSA imparts better performance and convergence than SSA and other meta-heuristic algorithms.

The Paraná Basin, Brazil and the Chaco-Paraná Basin, Uruguay both contain sedimentary records that are critical to reconstructing late Paleozoic ice centers in central Gondwana. The orientations of subglacial landforms and glaciotectonic structures suggest that late Paleozoic glacial deposits in the eastern Chaco-Paraná Basin and the southernmost Paraná Basin are genetically related, as they were likely glaciated by the same ice center. However, the location and extent of the ice center responsible for depositing these sediments are unclear. Furthermore, changes in sediment dispersal patterns between glacial, inter-glacial, and post-glacial intervals are not understood for this region of Gondwana. Therefore, this study utilized U–Pb detrital zircon geochronology to assess the provenance of glacial and post-glacial sediments from the eastern Chaco-Paraná Basin (San Gregorio, Cerro Pelado, Tres Islas Formations) and the southernmost Paraná Basin (Itararé Group). Results show dominant age peaks at 520–555 Ma, 625 Ma, 750–780 Ma, and 900–1000 Ma in all samples from the eastern Chaco-Paraná Basin. These zircons are interpreted to have been derived from sources in the Cuchilla Dionisio Terrane and Punta del Este Terrane in southeastern Uruguay, and possibly the Namaqua Belt in southern Namibia. Another important source was likely Devonian sedimentary rocks of the Durazno Group in central/eastern Uruguay. Meanwhile, a sample of the glaciogenic Itararé Group from the southernmost Paraná Basin contains a different detrital zircon signature with peaks at 580 Ma, 780 Ma, 2110 Ma, and 2500 Ma that closely resembles underlying sedimentary and meta-sedimentary rocks of the Precambrian/Cambrian Camaquã Basin. Detrital zircon ages in the glacial and post-glacial sediments indicate that local sources were dominant. In contrast, zircon ages from relatively ice-distal glaciomarine intervals in the Chaco-Paraná Basin reflect more distal sources to the east and southeast, which indicates a larger drainage catchment opened when glaciers retreated and/or the zone of maximum subglacial erosion shifted. Although most zircon ages in the Chaco-Paraná Basin can be attributed to Uruguayan sources, results support the hypothesis that glaciers emanated from southern Namibia and southeast Uruguay into the Chaco-Paraná Basin. From there, ice flowed northwest into the Paraná Basin and then receded back towards Africa as the paleoclimate warmed. The detrital zircon inventory in our study region is distinct from the eastern Paraná Basin, suggesting at least two unique African source regions for glaciers that deposited sediments in the Paraná and Chaco-Paraná Basins. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

In this letter, measurements of the shared momentum fraction (zg) and the groomed jet radius (Rg), as defined in the SoftDrop algorithm, are reported in p+p collisions at s=200 GeV collected by the STAR experiment. These substructure observables are differentially measured for jets of varying resolution parameters from R=0.2−0.6 in the transverse momentum range 15<pT,jet<60 GeV/c. These studies show that, in the pT,jet range accessible at s=200 GeV and with increasing jet resolution parameter and jet transverse momentum, the zg distribution asymptotically converges to the DGLAP splitting kernel for a quark radiating a gluon. The groomed jet radius measurements reflect a momentum-dependent narrowing of the jet structure for jets of a given resolution parameter, i.e., the larger the pT,jet, the narrower the first splitting. For the first time, these fully corrected measurements are compared to Monte Carlo generators with leading order QCD matrix elements and leading log in the parton shower, and to state-of-the-art theoretical calculations at next-to-leading-log accuracy. We observe that PYTHIA 6 with parameters tuned to reproduce RHIC measurements is able to quantitatively describe data, whereas PYTHIA 8 and HERWIG 7, tuned to reproduce LHC data, are unable to provide a simultaneous description of both zg and Rg, resulting in opportunities for fine parameter tuning of these models for p+p collisions at RHIC energies. We also find that the theoretical calculations without non-perturbative corrections are able to qualitatively describe the trend in data for jets of large resolution parameters at high pT,jet, but fail at small jet resolution parameters and low jet transverse momenta.

Envisioning societal futures for systemic low carbon transition is key to supporting the emergence of new configurations of the energy system. Such visions or ‘imaginaries’ facilitate wider societal support for system change. Given the urgency of the decarbonisation agenda, societal understandings of transitions processes and community ideas and visions about pathways for change assume a key role. The paper addresses an important gap in knowledge of place-based visions of energy system transition by soliciting views of community residents through a survey instrument, on what their perspectives on energy transition are. A case-study of Liverpool UK is presented, conducted as part of the EU Horizon 2020 ENTRUST project. Through a cluster analysis approach of study respondent perspectives, this study identities 4 distinct energy visions: (1) Community Affordability; (2) The Centre Ground; (3) Security First; and (4) Green Affordability. Identified visions present different perspectives on how energy is framed, with each vision characterised by distinct preferences on the extent to which stakeholder groups may influence the energy system as well as different views on the role of specific energy generation methods. Further, visions differ on the role of different actors and institutions in the energy transition. Identified energy visions provide insight into the ways in which grassroots communities consider how the energy system should transition in the coming years. The study contributes to understanding of spatially-situated and socially differentiated views of energy system transition, providing insight into contrasting viewpoints on current and future energy system priorities of residents of Liverpool, UK. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

In August 2018, Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg started to strike from school on Fridays to protest against a lack of action on the climate crisis. Her actions sparked a historically large youth movement, leading to a series of school strikes across the world. Over the course of one week in September 2019, striking school children, students and other grassroots movements, such as Extinction Rebellion, called for everyone to participate in a global Climate Strike. This paper is based on comparative research with climate protesters in six cities: Brighton and London (United Kingdom), Montreal (Canada), New Haven and New York (USA), and Stavanger (Norway). Based on original interviews with 64 protesters, the study examines their knowledge, emotions, motivations, and actions in relation to climate change, including any lifestyle changes they have undertaken before or after their protests. Our findings show that protesters have varying degrees of knowledge about climate change, and have taken a range of actions in their own lives to address climate change. They also manifest a wide spectrum of emotions about climate change, and different motivations for taking part in climate strikes. These features are under-studied and dynamically evolving at the present conjuncture. On this basis, we call for expanded academic attention to human, emotional, epistemic, and seemingly mundane aspects of climate protests, their structural tendencies and relational expressions, and the implications for our ability to address underlying drivers. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Flow harmonics (vn) of the Fourier expansion for the azimuthal distributions of hadrons are commonly employed to quantify the azimuthal anisotropy of particle production relative to the collision symmetry planes. While lower order Fourier coefficients (v2 and v3) are more directly related to the corresponding eccentricities of the initial state, the higher-order flow harmonics (vn>3) can be induced by a mode-coupled response to the lower-order anisotropies, in addition to a linear response to the same-order anisotropies. These higher-order flow harmonics and their linear and mode-coupled contributions can be used to more precisely constrain the initial conditions and the transport properties of the medium in theoretical models. The multiparticle azimuthal cumulant method is used to measure the linear and mode-coupled contributions in the higher-order anisotropic flow, the mode-coupled response coefficients, and the correlations of the event plane angles for charged particles as functions of centrality and transverse momentum in Au+Au collisions at nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy sNN= 200 GeV. The results are compared to similar LHC measurements as well as to several viscous hydrodynamic calculations with varying initial conditions.

We report results on the total and elastic cross sections in proton-proton collisions at s=200 GeV obtained with the Roman Pot setup of the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elastic differential cross section was measured in the squared four-momentum transfer range 0.045≤−t≤0.135 GeV2. The value of the exponential slope parameter B of the elastic differential cross section dσ/dt∼e−Bt in the measured −t range was found to be B=14.32±0.09(stat.)−0.28+0.13(syst.) GeV−2. The total cross section σtot, obtained from extrapolation of the dσ/dt to the optical point at −t=0, is σtot=54.67±0.21(stat.)−1.38+1.28(syst.) mb. We also present the values of the elastic cross section σel=10.85±0.03(stat.)−0.41+0.49(syst.) mb, the elastic cross section integrated within the STAR t-range σeldet=4.05±0.01(stat.)−0.17+0.18(syst.) mb, and the inelastic cross section σinel=43.82±0.21(stat.)−1.44+1.37(syst.) mb. The results are compared with the world data.

There is substantial difficulty with effectively, and meaningfully, engaging the public with community-based sustainability projects as a method to facilitate sustainable lifestyles. Individuals engage with community projects in numerous ways: cognitively (knowledge), affectively (emotions), and behaviourally (actions). One prevalent consideration that individuals consider is other peoples’ (lack of) engagement; given that the success of community-based approaches addressing climate change is dependent upon the actions, and participation, of all local residents. Findings from focus groups in seven urban communities in the UK are presented that illustrate clear elements of ‘Othering’ as part of individual engagements with community-based sustainability projects. Primarily, there is substantial consideration towards what other people within the community know, feel, and do to engage with community-based projects. Residents distinguish themselves in opposition to those they view as engaging, and not engaging, in the same way as themselves and indicate the need for equitable participation amongst all residents. These considerations have the potential to project particular barriers on wider community engagement if left to develop, cause tension, and are not resolved. Implications for participatory strategies to meaningfully and effectively engage individuals with community-based sustainability and transformational change are outlined. Insights into how considerations of ‘Othering’ can be overcome so as not to cause negative engagements with other residents and attempts to live sustainably as part of a community approach are illustrated. © 2020