The lithium isotope ratio in the metal-poor halo star G271-162 from VLT/UVES observations

A high resolution (R = 110.000), very high S/N (>600) spectrum of the metal-poor turnoff star G271-162 has been obtained in connection with the commissioning of UVES at VLT/Kueyen. Using both 1D hydrostatic and 3D hydrodynamical model atmospheres, the lithium isotope ratio has been estimated from the LiI 670.8 nm line by means of spectral synthesis. The necessary stellar line broadening (1D: macroturbulence + rotation, 3D: rotation) has been determined from unblended KI, CaI and FeI lines. The 3D line profiles agree very well with the observed profiles, including the characteristic line asymmetries. Both the 1D and 3D analyses reveal a possible detection of 6Li in G271-162, 6Li/7Li = 0.02 +-0.01 (one sigma). It is discussed if the smaller amount of 6Li in G271-162 than in the similar halo star HD84937 could be due to differences in stellar mass and/or metallicity or whether it may reflect an intrinsic scatter of the Li isotope ratio in the ISM at a given metallicity.Comment: 5 pages with 6 figures. Accepted as a letter in A&

Thirty New Low-Mass Spectroscopic Binaries

As part of our search for young M dwarfs within 25 pc, we acquired high-resolution spectra of 185 low-mass stars compiled by the NStars project that have strong X-ray emission. By cross-correlating these spectra with radial velocity standard stars, we are sensitive to finding multi-lined spectroscopic binaries. We find a low-mass spectroscopic binary fraction of 16% consisting of 27 SB2s, 2 SB3s and 1 SB4, increasing the number of known low-mass SBs by 50% and proving that strong X-ray emission is an extremely efficient way to find M-dwarf SBs. WASP photometry of 23 of these systems revealed two low-mass EBs, bringing the count of known M dwarf EBs to 15. BD -22 5866, the SB4, is fully described in Shkolnik et al. 2008 and CCDM J04404+3127 B consists of a two mid-M stars orbiting each other every 2.048 days. WASP also provided rotation periods for 12 systems, and in the cases where the synchronization time scales are short, we used P_rot to determine the true orbital parameters. For those with no P_rot, we use differential radial velocities to set upper limits on orbital periods and semi-major axes. More than half of our sample has near-equal-mass components (q > 0.8). This is expected since our sample is biased towards tight orbits where saturated X-ray emission is due to tidal spin-up rather than stellar youth. Increasing the samples of M dwarf SBs and EBs is extremely valuable in setting constraints on current theories of stellar multiplicity and evolution scenarios for low-mass multiple systems.Comment: Accepted to Ap

Dirty Tariffication Revisited: The EU and Sugar

It is widely believed that a number of countries, including the EU, engaged in dirty tariffication during the Uruguay Round of trade talks. This article examines the EUÂ’s record on sugar and finds little evidence to substantiate the claim. However, world prices increased between the base period (1986-88) and the date of implementation (1995), and so tariffication resulted in an increase in the tax that would have been charged on sugar imports into the EU. As well, the Special Safeguard provisions meant that a substantial additional levy could be charged.agriculture, EU, sugar, tariffication, trade, International Relations/Trade,

A Tale of Two Diseases: Mental Illness and HIV/AIDS

There have been dramatic advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Whereas HIV was once a dire diagnosis, today it is treatable, and individuals who receive early and consistent treatment can expect to live a normal lifespan. Why has the scientific community made the same strides with mental illness? When I was the Legal Director of the National Association of Mental Health in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, major mental illnesses were primarily treated with powerful antipsychotics, such as haloperidol, that carried the debilitating side effects of tardive dyskinesia—involuntary movements of the tongue, lips, face, trunk, and extremities. When I first saw mental patients shuffling, tongues protruding, and physically shaking, I thought they exhibited symptoms of mental illness, but soon realized it was the treatment itself. Newer second-generation medicines cause metabolic syndrome, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. In other words, the therapeutic science of mental health has not come nearly far enough. Another indicator of the lamentable failure to meet the needs of persons with mental disabilities is the large number of vulnerable individuals warehoused in large, inhumane institutions, often for decades. While the de-institutionalization movement (a strained alliance between civil libertarians and fiscal conservatives) tore down sterile hospitals, today many individuals with mental illness are in prisons, nursing homes, or are homeless. Inadequacies of science and failures in policy might be overlooked if mental illness were not so prevalent, with enormous individual, family, community, and economic costs. Mental illness accounts for about 13% of healthcare costs globally, but only 3% of healthcare funding; many countries have no dedicated mental health budget. Despite a higher death rate, mental illnesses receive a fraction of the charitable donations made to combat cancer or HIV/AIDS. Moreover, the trained mental health workforce is pitifully small given the need. Mental health professionals account for just 1% of the global health workforce. HIV/AIDS and mental illness have common features. Both are complex intractable diseases affecting marginalized communities throughout the lifespan and both are shrouded in stigma and discrimination. Certainly the human suffering and social alienation caused by HIV/AIDS remains an urgent global threat. Yet, AIDS has changed the world. How did all these technological advances come about, and why did a particular disease, AIDS, forge a pathway toward unprecedented scientific discoveries while mental illness remains largely ignored? So much scientific progress has been made since AIDS first emerged. But today, persons with serious mental illnesses – particularly in lower socioeconomic classes – are no better off than they would have been if they were born decades ago. Their treatment, if they have access to any treatment, will be nearly as debilitating as the disease. They are likely to be in a prison or nursing homes, or just as problematic, living on the streets. Sadly, in 2015, the mentally ill remain the most stigmatized and isolated among us. How is that for scientific and social progress

Case Study of Unemployment Insurance Reform in North Carolina

In July 1, 2013 unemployed workers in North Carolina lost access to all federally ?nanced unemployment bene?t extensions. In this document, the authors collect and describe available evidence on the performance of the labor market in North Carolina following this reform

First principles lattice dynamics of NaCoO2_2

We report first principles linear response calculations on NaCoO$_2$. Phonon frequencies and eigenvectors are obtained throughout the Brillouin zone for two geometries with different Na site occupancies. While most of the phonon modes are found to be unsensitive to the Na site occupancy, there are two modes dominated by out-of-plane vibrations of Na giving very different frequencies for different geometries. One of these two modes, the A$_{2u}$ mode, is infrared-active, and can be used as a suitable sensor of Na distribution/ordering. The longitudinal-transverse splitting of the zone-center optical-mode frequencies, Born effective charges and the dielectric constants are also reported, showing considerable anisotropy. The calculated frequencies of Raman-active modes generally agree with the experimental values of corresponding Na de-intercalated and/or hydrated compounds, while it requires better experimental data to clarify the infrared-active mode frequencies.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure