Competing for Refugees: A Market-Based Solution to a Humanitarian Crisis

The current refugee crisis demands novel legal solutions, and new ways of summoning the political will to implement them. As a matter of national incentives, the goal must be to design mechanisms that discourage countries of origin from creating refugees, and encourage host countries to welcome them. One way to achieve this would be to recognize that persecuted refugee groups have a financial claim against their countries of origin, and that this claim can be traded to host nations in exchange for acceptance. Modifications to the international apparatus would be necessary, but the basic legal elements of this proposal already exist. In short, international law can and should give refugees a legal asset, give host nations incentives to accept them, and give oppressive countries of origin the bill

A Standard Law for the Equatorward Drift of the Sunspot Zones

The latitudinal location of the sunspot zones in each hemisphere is determined by calculating the centroid position of sunspot areas for each solar rotation from May 1874 to June 2011. When these centroid positions are plotted and analyzed as functions of time from each sunspot cycle maximum there appears to be systematic differences in the positions and equatorward drift rates as a function of sunspot cycle amplitude. If, instead, these centroid positions are plotted and analyzed as functions of time from each sunspot cycle minimum then most of the differences in the positions and equatorward drift rates disappear. The differences that remain disappear entirely if curve fitting is used to determine the starting times (which vary by as much as 8 months from the times of minima). The sunspot zone latitudes and equatorward drift measured relative to this starting time follow a standard path for all cycles with no dependence upon cycle strength or hemispheric dominance. Although Cycle 23 was peculiar in its length and the strength of the polar fields it produced, it too shows no significant variation from this standard. This standard law, and the lack of variation with sunspot cycle characteristics, is consistent with Dynamo Wave mechanisms but not consistent with current Flux Transport Dynamo models for the equatorward drift of the sunspot zones.Comment: 12 pages, 7 color figure

Sporopollenin, a natural copolymer, is robust under high hydrostatic pressure

Lycopodium sporopollenin, a natural copolymer, shows exceptional stability under high hydrostatic pressures (10 GPa) as determined by in situ high pressure synchrotron source FTIR spectroscopy. This stability is evaluated in terms of the component compounds of the sporopollenin: p-coumaric acid, phloretic acid, ferulic acid, and palmitic and sebacic acids, which represent the additional n-acid and ndiacid components. This high stability is attributed to interactions between these components, rather than the exceptional stability of any one molecular component. We propose a biomimetic solution for the creation of polymer materials that can withstand high pressures for a multitude of uses in aeronautics, vascular autografts, ballistics and light-weight protective materials

The Use of Dried Whey and Blood Meal in the Raising of Calves on Limited Amounts of Milk

The use of substitutes for milk in the raising of calves is always of interest to the progressive dairyman, since there are a number of circumstances in which it is advantageous to reduce the milk feeding period. Producers of market milk often desire to raise their calves on as little milk as possible in order to have more milk available for market. When the demand for milk is good, dairymen who usually market cream only may prefer to sell milk and raise their calves on starters or other milk substitutes. Dairy farmers may wish to use the skim milk generally allowed the calves to replace a part of the protein concentrates used in swine and poultry production when these feeds become scarce or too high in price. In times of labor shortage, dairymen are especially interested in labor-saving methods, and usually methods which substitute dry feeds for liquid milk result in a saving of labor. When there is a scarcity of milk for human food, it may be desirable to raise dairy calves with as little milk as is practicable. Therefore, while there is normally an interest in methods of raising calves on limited amounts of milk, this interest often becomes acute in time of war scarcities. As a result of renewed interest in milk substitutes for calf feeding, this study was instigated--to determine the value of dried whey as a means of saving milk in the raising of calves, to demonstrate that calves can be raised with a limited amount of labor, and to find an additional use for whey, much of which is wasted annually

Requirements Study for System Implementation of an Atmospheric Laser Propagation Experiment Program, Volume II

Program planning, ground support and airborne equipment for laser space communication syste

Observing large-scale solar surface flows with GONG: Investigation of a key element in solar activity buildup

The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) solar telescope network has begun regular operations, and will provide continuous Doppler images of large-scale nearly-steady motions at the solar surface, primarily those due to supergranulation. Not only the Sun's well-known magnetic network, but also flux diffusion, dispersal, and concentration at the surface appear to be controlled by supergranulation. Through such magnetoconvective interactions, magnetic stresses develop, leading to solar activity. We show a Doppler movie made from a 45.5 hr time series obtained 1995 May 9-10 using data from three of the six GONG sites (Learmonth, Tenerife, Tucson), to demonstrate the capability of this system

The G-O Rule and Waldmeier Effect in the Variations of the Numbers of Large and Small Sunspot Groups

We have analysed the combined Greenwich and Solar Optical Observing Network (SOON) sunspot group data during the period of 1874-2011 and determined variations in the annual numbers (counts) of the small, large and big sunspot groups (these classifications are made on the basis of the maximum areas of the sunspot groups). We found that the amplitude of an even-numbered cycle of the number of large groups is smaller than that of its immediately following odd-numbered cycle. This is consistent with the well known Gnevyshev and Ohl rule or G-O rule of solar cycles, generally described by using the Zurich sunspot number (Rz). During cycles 12-21 the G-O rule holds good for the variation in the number of small groups also, but it is violated by cycle pair (22, 23) as in the case of Rz. This behaviour of the variations in the small groups is largely responsible for the anomalous behaviour of Rz in cycle pair (22, 23). It is also found that the amplitude of an odd-numbered cycle of the number of small groups is larger than that of its immediately following even-numbered cycle. This can be called as `reverse G-O rule'. In the case of the number of the big groups, both cycle pairs (12, 13) and (22, 23) violated the G-O rule. In many cycles the positions of the peaks of the small, large, and big groups are different and considerably differ with respect to the corresponding positions of the Rz peaks. In the case of cycle 23, the corresponding cycles of the small and large groups are largely symmetric/less asymmetric (Waldmeier effect is weak/absent) with their maxima taking place two years later than that of Rz. The corresponding cycle of the big groups is more asymmetric (strong Waldmeier effect) with its maximum epoch taking place at the same time as that of Rz.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, accepted by Solar Physic

Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Glacial Deposits in Northeastern Kansas

Twelve counties (Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Nemaha, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte) in northeastern Kansas were glaciated during the Pleistocene Epoch. The glacial deposits consist of till, fluvial, loess, and lacustrine deposits locally totalling thicknesses of 400 ft (120 m). A major buried valley 3 mi (5 km) wide, 400 ft (120 m) deep, and 75 mi (120 km) long trends eastward across southern Nemaha, northern Jackson, and central Atchison counties. Several smaller tributary valleys can be identified in Atchison, Nemaha, Brown, Jackson, and Jefferson counties. Other buried valleys generally trend southward to the Kansas River valley or northward into Nebraska and Missouri. The glacial deposits filling the buried valleys locally are clayey. However, most valleys contain at least some water-bearing sand and gravel. Wells drilled into the best water-bearing sand and gravel deposits may yield as much as 900 gallons per minute (gpm; 0.06 m3/sm3/s), but less than 500 gpm (0.03 m3/s) is more common. The alluvial deposits of the Kansas and Missouri river valleys are the major sources of ground water in northeastern Kansas. Wells in these aquifers may have yields of 5,000 gpm (0.3 m3/s), but yields are more commonly less than 3,000 gpm (0.2 m3/s). We analyzed data from 80 pump tests using computer programs to find the best fit for transmissivity (1) and storage (S) values on glacial, alluvial, and bedrock aquifers. Transmissivities in the Missouri River valley alluvium ranged from 200,000 gallons per day per foot (gpd/ft) to 600,000 gpd/ft (2,000-7,000 m2/d), and storage values were between 0.001 and 0.0004. Tests in the Kansas River valley alluvium indicated transmissivities in the range 50,000-600,000 gpd/ft (600-7,000 m2/d) and storage values of 0.03. In the main buried valley across northeastern Kansas, the glacial deposits had T and S values of 2,500-25,600 gpd/ft (31.0-318 m2/d) and 0.00002-0.002, respectively. In the smaller buried valleys the glacial deposits had T values ranging from 1,500 gpd/ft to 100,000 gpd/ft (19-1,200 m2/d). Because of increasing population size in northeastern Kansas, appropriations of water for public and industrial water supplies have been increasing. Most of the pumpage comes from wells in the Kansas and Missouri river valleys. However, in 1981 the Division of Water Resources reported allocations of 1,466 acre-ft of water from wells tapping glacial aquifers associated with the main buried channel across Nemaha, Jackson, and Atchison counties and an additional 837 acre-ft from tributaries associated with the main buried channel. Nemaha County has the largest appropriation of water from the glacial aquifer (1,549 acre-ft/yr in 1983), and Wyandotte County has the largest appropriation of water from the alluvial aquifers (54,250 acre-ft/yr in 1983). Shawnee County has the largest number of ground-water appropriation rights (217). In 1981, for the 12-county study area, the Division of Water Resources found that 773 wells have ground-water appropriation rights. These 773 wells have appropriation rights for 140,484 acre-ft of water from alluvial aquifers, 5,290 acre-ft from glacial aquifers, and 2,146 acre-ft from Pennsylvanian and Permian rock aquifers. Maps for each county show the depth to bedrock, total thickness of Pleistocene sand and gravel deposits, estimated yield of wells, depth to water in wells and test holes, and the saturated thickness of Pleistocene deposits. A bedrock topographic map for the twelve counties was prepared from outcrop data and information from more than 5,000 water well, oil and gas, and test-hole logs. Ground waters from alluvial deposits are hard calcium bicarbonate waters that may have iron concentrations of several milligrams per liter. Sand and gravel associated with the glacial deposits generally yield hard calcium bicarbonate waters and may contain appreciable amounts of iron, manganese, sulfate, and chloride locally. Nitrate concentrations above 45 mg/L are noted in a number of wells of varying depth and aquifer source

Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of Glacial Deposits in Northeastern Kansas

Twelve counties (Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Nemaha, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, and Wyandotte) in northeastern Kansas were glaciated during the Pleistocene Epoch. The glacial deposits consist of till, fluvial, loess, and lacustrine deposits locally totalling thicknesses of 400 ft (120 m). A major buried valley 3 mi (5 km) wide, 400 ft (120 m) deep, and 75 mi (120 km) long trends eastward across southern Nemaha, northern Jackson, and central Atchison counties. Several smaller tributary valleys can be identified in Atchison, Nemaha, Brown, Jackson, and Jefferson counties. Other buried valleys generally trend southward to the Kansas River valley or northward into Nebraska and Missouri. The glacial deposits filling the buried valleys locally are clayey. However, most valleys contain at least some water-bearing sand and gravel. Wells drilled into the best water-bearing sand and gravel deposits may yield as much as 900 gallons per minute (gpm; 0.06 m3/sm3/s), but less than 500 gpm (0.03 m3/s) is more common. The alluvial deposits of the Kansas and Missouri river valleys are the major sources of ground water in northeastern Kansas. Wells in these aquifers may have yields of 5,000 gpm (0.3 m3/s), but yields are more commonly less than 3,000 gpm (0.2 m3/s). We analyzed data from 80 pump tests using computer programs to find the best fit for transmissivity (1) and storage (S) values on glacial, alluvial, and bedrock aquifers. Transmissivities in the Missouri River valley alluvium ranged from 200,000 gallons per day per foot (gpd/ft) to 600,000 gpd/ft (2,000-7,000 m2/d), and storage values were between 0.001 and 0.0004. Tests in the Kansas River valley alluvium indicated transmissivities in the range 50,000-600,000 gpd/ft (600-7,000 m2/d) and storage values of 0.03. In the main buried valley across northeastern Kansas, the glacial deposits had T and S values of 2,500-25,600 gpd/ft (31.0-318 m2/d) and 0.00002-0.002, respectively. In the smaller buried valleys the glacial deposits had T values ranging from 1,500 gpd/ft to 100,000 gpd/ft (19-1,200 m2/d). Because of increasing population size in northeastern Kansas, appropriations of water for public and industrial water supplies have been increasing. Most of the pumpage comes from wells in the Kansas and Missouri river valleys. However, in 1981 the Division of Water Resources reported allocations of 1,466 acre-ft of water from wells tapping glacial aquifers associated with the main buried channel across Nemaha, Jackson, and Atchison counties and an additional 837 acre-ft from tributaries associated with the main buried channel. Nemaha County has the largest appropriation of water from the glacial aquifer (1,549 acre-ft/yr in 1983), and Wyandotte County has the largest appropriation of water from the alluvial aquifers (54,250 acre-ft/yr in 1983). Shawnee County has the largest number of ground-water appropriation rights (217). In 1981, for the 12-county study area, the Division of Water Resources found that 773 wells have ground-water appropriation rights. These 773 wells have appropriation rights for 140,484 acre-ft of water from alluvial aquifers, 5,290 acre-ft from glacial aquifers, and 2,146 acre-ft from Pennsylvanian and Permian rock aquifers. Maps for each county show the depth to bedrock, total thickness of Pleistocene sand and gravel deposits, estimated yield of wells, depth to water in wells and test holes, and the saturated thickness of Pleistocene deposits. A bedrock topographic map for the twelve counties was prepared from outcrop data and information from more than 5,000 water well, oil and gas, and test-hole logs. Ground waters from alluvial deposits are hard calcium bicarbonate waters that may have iron concentrations of several milligrams per liter. Sand and gravel associated with the glacial deposits generally yield hard calcium bicarbonate waters and may contain appreciable amounts of iron, manganese, sulfate, and chloride locally. Nitrate concentrations above 45 mg/L are noted in a number of wells of varying depth and aquifer source