Field of study and partner choice

© 2021There is strong assortative mating by field of study. To examine to which extent this is due to self selection or to a causal effect of access to specific ”marriage markets”, we use data from participants in admission lotteries of four oversubscribed studies in the Netherlands. For each of the four studies, we find that the winning compliers of an admission lottery are significantly more likely than the losing compliers to have a partner from the lottery study, whereas losing compliers are only marginally more likely to have a partner from the lottery study than would occur under random matching. These results indicate that assortative mating by field of study is largely due to marriage market access and that self selection plays a minor role. JEL-codes: I26, J12, J13

Vegetation classification and mapping project report: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

NPS 140/101150.February 2010.Natural Resource Report NPS/ROMN/NRR--2010/179.Includes bibliographical references

Use of Carbonized Rise Shell for the Local Treatment of Wounds

On the model of musculocutaneous wound in rats, the effect of applicative sorption by carbonized rise shell (CRS) on the healing of festering wound was studied. It has been shown, that cytological changes end with rapid scar formation. The use of CRS at the period of severe purulent wound contributes to its favorable course, prevents the development of complications of the animals from sepsis

Design concepts for the Cherenkov Telescope Array CTA: an advanced facility for ground-based high-energy gamma-ray astronomy

Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has had a major breakthrough with the impressive results obtained using systems of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy has a huge potential in astrophysics, particle physics and cosmology. CTA is an international initiative to build the next generation instrument, with a factor of 5-10 improvement in sensitivity in the 100 GeV-10 TeV range and the extension to energies well below 100 GeV and above 100 TeV. CTA will consist of two arrays (one in the north, one in the south) for full sky coverage and will be operated as open observatory. The design of CTA is based on currently available technology. This document reports on the status and presents the major design concepts of CTA

Interplay between n-3 and n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and the endocannabinoid system in brain protection and repair.

The brain is enriched in arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) of the n-6 and n-3 series, respectively. Both are essential for optimal brain development and function. Dietary enrichment with DHA and other long-chain n-3 PUFA, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have shown beneficial effects on learning and memory, neuroinflammatory processes and synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. ARA, DHA and EPA are precursors to a diverse repertoire of bioactive lipid mediators, including endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system comprises cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands, the endocannabinoids, and their biosynthetic and degradation enzymes. Anandamide (AEA) and 2-archidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are the most widely studied endocannabinoids, and are both derived from phospholipid-bound ARA. The endocannabinoid system also has well established roles in neuroinflammation, synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis, suggesting an overlap in the neuroprotective effects observed with these different classes of lipids. Indeed, growing evidence suggests a complex interplay between n-3 and n-6 LCPUFA and the endocannabinoid system. For example, long-term DHA and EPA supplementation reduces AEA and 2-AG levels, with reciprocal increases in levels of the analogous endocannabinoid-like DHA and EPA-derived molecules. This review summarises current evidence of this interplay and discusses the therapeutic potential for brain protection and repair

Kaspar Schott’s “encyclopedia of all mathematical sciences”

In 1661, Kaspar Schott published his comprehensive textbook “Cursus mathematicus” in Würzburg for the first time, his “Encyclopedia of all mathematical sciences”. It was so successful that it was published again in 1674 and 1677. In its 28 books, Schott gave an introduction for beginners in 22 mathematical disciplines by means of 533 figures and numerous tables. He wanted to avoid the shortness and the unintelligibility of his predecessors Alsted and Hérigone. He cited or recommended far more than hundred authors, among them Protestants like Michael Stifel and Johannes Kepler, but also Catholics like Nicolaus Copernicus. The paper gives a survey of this work and explains especially interesting aspects: The dedication to the German emperor Leopold I., Athanasius Kircher’s letter of recommendation as well as Schott’s classification of sciences, explanations regarding geometry, astronomy, and algebra

Goos-Haenchen shift and localization of optical modes in deformed microcavities

Recently, an interesting phenomenon of spatial localization of optical modes along periodic ray trajectories near avoided resonance crossings has been observed [J. Wiersig, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 253901 (2006)]. For the case of a microdisk cavity with elliptical cross section we use the Husimi function to analyse this localization in phase space. Moreover, we present a semiclassical explanation of this phenomenon in terms of the Goos-Haenchen shift which works very well even deep in the wave regime. This semiclassical correction to the ray dynamics modifies the phase space structure such that modes can localize either on stable islands or along unstable periodic ray trajectories.Comment: 9 pages, 14 figures in reduced qualit

Priorización y análisis de problemas de salud con una mirada desde la equidad: experiencia en el nivel local en Venezuela

En este artículo se analiza la aplicación del momento explicativo de la Planificación Estratégica Situacional (PES) y el Análisis de la Situación de Salud (ASIS), como enfoques que conjugados permiten priorizar con una mirada desde la equidad problemas de salud en el nivel local factibles de intervención. A través del estudio de un caso desarrollado en la parroquia Zuata del Estado Aragua, Venezuela, se presenta la aplicación de ambos enfoques. Los actores claves de dicha parroquia priorizaron la baja cobertura de agua potable, como problema de salud. Al analizar el problema se seleccionaron las siguientes causas claves para elaborar la propuesta de acción: escasa participación comunitaria, debilidad de planes gubernamentales, ausencia de políticas urbanísticas, inadecuada administración de los recursos públicos y poca conciencia en el uso racional del agua. Al final se concluye que la articulación PES-ASIS contribuye a generar insumos que concretizados por los actores en un plan de acción, pueden contribuir en la reducción de inequidades. Asimismo, la participación activa de los actores permite evidenciar los problemas reales de la población y construir un plan de demandas.This article analyzes the application of the explanatory moment of the Strategic Situational Planning (SSP) and the Analysis of the Situation of Health (ASIS), as approaches that together, allow to prioritize with a look from the equity problems of health in the local level feasible of intervention. By using the case study developed in the parish Zuata of Aragua State, Venezuela, it can be observed the application of both approaches The main actors of the above mentioned parish prioritized the low coverage of drinkable water, like a health problem. On having analyzed the problem, the following causes were selected to prepare the proposed action: scarce community participation, weakness of governmental plans, absence of political town-planning, inadequate administration of the public resources and lack of conscience in the rational use of water. At the end one concludes that the joint PES-ASIS allows to generate inputs that concretized for the actors in an action plan, they can contribute in the reduction of inequities. Also, the active participation of the actors allows to demonstrate the real problems of the population and to construct a plan of demands

Geometric Spin Hall Effect of Light at Polarizing Interfaces

The geometric Spin Hall Effect of Light (geometric SHEL) amounts to a polarization-dependent positional shift when a light beam is observed from a reference frame tilted with respect to its direction of propagation. Motivated by this intriguing phenomenon, the energy density of the light beam is decomposed into its Cartesian components in the tilted reference frame. This illustrates the occurrence of the characteristic shift and the significance of the effective response function of the detector. We introduce the concept of a tilted polarizing interface and provide a scheme for its experimental implementation. A light beam passing through such an interface undergoes a shift resembling the original geometric SHEL in a tilted reference frame. This displacement is generated at the polarizer and its occurrence does not depend on the properties of the detection system. We give explicit results for this novel type of geometric SHEL and show that at grazing incidence this effect amounts to a displacement of multiple wavelengths, a shift larger than the one introduced by Goos-H\"anchen and Imbert-Fedorov effects.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Technoscientia est Potentia?: Contemplative, interventionist, constructionist and creationist idea(l)s in (techno)science

Within the realm of nano-, bio-, info- and cogno- (or NBIC) technosciences, the ‘power to change the world’ is often invoked. One could dismiss such formulations as ‘purely rhetorical’, interpret them as rhetorical and self-fulfilling or view them as an adequate depiction of one of the fundamental characteristics of technoscience. In the latter case, a very specific nexus between science and technology, or, the epistemic and the constructionist realm is envisioned. The following paper focuses on this nexus drawing on theoretical conceptions as well as empirical material. It presents an overview of different technoscientific ways to ‘change the world’—via contemplation and representation, intervention and control, engineering, construction and creation. It further argues that the hybrid character of technoscience makes it difficult (if not impossible) to separate knowledge production from real world interventions and challenges current science and technology policy approaches in fundamental ways