Quantum rotors and their symmetries

A connection between nuclear symmetries other than those of an ellipsoidal nucleus and the properties of the implied rotational spectra are discussed. The discussion is focussed on a few examples of exotic shapes predicted recently by microscopic calculations. Some possible interpretation difficulties related to experiment are shortly mentioned.Comment: Invited talk at "High Spin Physics 2001", see http://www.fuw.edu.pl/~hs2001/ , to be published in Acta Physica Polonica

ESTIMATING THE BENEFITS OF REGIONALIZING EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PROVISION

Local area governments have experienced increasingly stringent budget constraints in recent years. Innovations in service delivery provide one avenue for increasing the effectiveness of resource allocations. This paper explores the potential savings available from regionalizing emergency medical service provision. A mixed integer programming model incorporating peak demand considerations is used to minimize service cost given a desired maximum response time. Changes in the weighted average response time measure the quality degradation required to attain the savings from cooperative provision. The results indicate that the benefits are substantial but that distribution of these gains is a possible barrier to implementation.Health Economics and Policy, Public Economics,

Factors for selection of junior college basketball players

The purpose of this study was to determine a basis for the selection of junior college basketball players. [This is an excerpt from the abstract. For the complete abstract, please see the document.

Environmental governance in China

--

THE DERIVED DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION SCHEDULING SERVICES

Scientific irrigation scheduling is a technique for systematically determining the proper date and quantity of each irrigation in individual fields. This technique is presently being used by government agencies and private companies in the Western United States to assist farmers in planning irrigations. This paper presents the results of a case study of the regional economic effects of scheduling the A & B District in Idaho. The analysis indicated that substantial reductions in total water use resulted from implementation of the service. However, the acreage of scheduled irrigation actively was found to be sensitive to the cost of the service and the cost of irrigation water.Farm Management,

Experimental Status of Exotic Mesons and the GlueX Experiment

One of the unanswered and most fundamental questions in physics regards the nature of the confinement mechanism of quarks and gluons in QCD. Exotic hybrid mesons manifest gluonic degrees of freedom and their spectroscopy will provide the data necessary to test assumptions in lattice QCD and the specific phenomenology leading to confinement. Within the past two decades a number of experiments have put forth tantalizing evidence for the existence of exotic hybrid mesons in the mass range below 2 GeV. This talk represents an overview of the available data and what has been learned. In looking toward the future, the GlueX experiment at Jefferson Laboratory represents a new initiative that will perform detailed spectroscopy of the light-quark meson spectrum. This experiment and its capabilities will be reviewed.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, 2nd Meeting of the APS Topical Group on Hadron Physics GHP06, Nashville, TN (10/22-10/24/06

IMPLICATIONS OF GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE FOR WESTERN AGRICULTURE

Global climate change from increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other trace gases is an issue of international concern. Adverse climate conditions are expected to reduce crop yields and alter the demand for and supply of water. These potential adjustments imply economic costs to agriculture and its constituents. This paper explores possible economic implications for U.S. agriculture, with particular reference to the West. Results from a series of spatial equilibrium model analyses suggest that climate change is not a food security issue for the United States. However, regional adjustments in agricultural production and associated resource use are expected. This implies additional pressure in rural communities. Environmental quality reductions are also likely.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Rozkład N2ON_2O przy użyciu nowoczesnych mikro-mezoporowatych materiałów o właściwościach zeolitów

In the presented studies two modern approaches of synthesis of hierarchical micro-mesoporous materials with zeolitic properties are shown. In the first synthesis the protozeolitic particles were aggregated (under specified conditions) with simultaneous creation of mesopores between the zeolite seeds. In the second synthesis the zeolite nanoseeds were impregnated on the surface of mesoporous, amorphous SBA-15 material. Both used synthesis routs resulted in formation of combined micro-mesoporous materials with zeolitic properties, what was proven by nitrogen sorption, XRD, TGA and IRDRIFT measurements. The combination of zeolitic properties with mesopores (preferable diffusion rate) increased the accessibility of ion-exchange positions allowing the introduction of iron species nearly exclusively in the form of isolated cations. The prepared micro-mesoporous materials were tested as catalysts in low-temperature N_{2}O decomposition in the presence of oxygen

Sex, Age, Education, Marital Status, Number of Children, and Employment – the Impact of Extralegal Factors on Sentencing Disparities

Countries that have judicial discretion in their legal system usually struggle with sentencing disparities. This is no different in Poland. The current study examined whether extralegal factors such as age, sex, education, marital status, number of children, and having a job impact sentencing disparities. We examined court files from 13 district courts in Poland for two offenses: drug possession and drunk driving. Our findings show that sex, age, and number of children have no or little effect on outcomes, whilst marital status and employment status have small to medium effects on sentencing. The clearest result pattern to emerge from our analyses is that defendants with tertiary education are treated more leniently than those with primary or lower secondary education.Peer reviewe

The fluid flow modeling procedure including a critically stressed fracture analysis of coalbed methane reservoir: a case study of Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

The geomechanical modeling turned out to be an essential component of the hydrocarbon exploration assisting reduction of risk of drilling issues and optimization of hydraulic fracturing treatment. This study provides a workflow of critically stressed fracture (CSF) analysis dedicated for coal layers. The main focus of the paper is applying the 1D mechanical models and following modelling of hydraulic fracturing treatment to describe the fracture behavior under the impact of the stresses at the wellbore scale. Another objective of the presented study is demonstration of benefits of 1D and 3D CSF analysis to understand fracture contribution to gained volume of hydrocarbon after fracturing of coal seam. Interpretation of fracture orientation and their behavior is vital to effective development of coal bed methane (CBM) resources as the CSF can be responsible for considerable part of CBM production. Natural fractures and faults contribute to fluid flow through rock. It is often noted that natural fractures may not be critically stressed at ambient stress state. However, during stimulation, the optimally oriented natural fracture sets have the inclination to become critically stressed. Hence, understanding of the recent stress state and fracture orientations is significant for well planning and fracturing design. The outcome of this study are comprehensive 1D mechanical Earth models (MEMs) for analyzed wells and explanation of behavior of identified CSF under variable stress state as well as understanding of the connectivity of natural fractures within zone subjected to fracturing treatment