Stand-off Detection at the DLR Laser Test Range Applying Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

The DLR laser test range at Lampoldshausen allows for optical measurements under daylight conditions at distances up to 130 m. This infrastructure is very suitable for the development of stand-off detection systems of biological, chemical and explosive hazardous substances. In a first step, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been introduced to this test site. A basic LIBS set-up and first LIBS spectra of selected samples are presented. A Nd:YAG laser beam was focussed by a Cassegrain type telescope onto different samples at distances exceeding 50 m. The light of the generated plasma plume was collected by a Newtonian telescope, and analyzed by a gated broadband CCD-spectrometer system. The Nd:YAG laser yields pulse energies up to 800 mJ at a wavelength of 1064 nm and a pulse width of 8 ns. Optionally the second and third harmonics can be extracted. LIBS spectra from 10 nm layers of gold on a silicon wafer were recorded. In addition, LIBS spectra from black powder were measured, and compared to the spectrum of potassium nitrate, which is a main component of black powder and shows very characteristic emission. LIBS spectra of the above samples have also been acquired with an excitation laser wavelength in the eye-safe region. Recorded spectra are measured as a function of the laser wavelength, pulse energy, and energy density on the target and are compared to the literature

The economics of copyright law: a stocktake of the literature

This article is a survey of publications by economists writing on copyright law. It begins with a general overview of how economists analyse these questions; the distinction is made between the economics of copying and the economic aspects of copyright law as analysed in law and economics. It then continues with sections on research on the effects of copying and downloading and the effects of unauthorised use (‘piracy’) and ends with an overall evaluation of the economics of copyright in the light of recent technological changes. Economists have always been, and still are, somewhat sceptical about copyright and question what alternatives there are to it. On balance, most accept the role of copyright law in the creative industries while urging caution about its becoming too strong. And although European authors’ rights are different in legal terms from the Anglo-American copyright, the economic analysis of these laws is essentially the same

Independent tree spanners: fault-tolerant spanning trees with constant distance guarantees

AbstractFor any fixed rational parameter t⩾1, a (tree) t-spanner of a graph G is a spanning subgraph (tree) T in G such that the distance between every pair of vertices in T is at most t times their distance in G. General t-spanners and their variants have multiple applications in the field of communication networks, distributed systems, and network design. In this paper, we combine the two concepts of simple structured, sparse t-spanners and fault-tolerance by examining independent tree t-spanners. Given a root vertex r, this is a pair of tree t-spanners, such that the two paths from any vertex to r are edge disjoint or internally vertex disjoint, respectively. For t<3, we give a (constructive) linear-time algorithm to decide whether a pair of independent tree t-spanners exist. We also show that the problem for arbitrary t⩾4 in NP-complete. As a less restrictive concept, we also treat tree t-root-spanners, where the distance constraint is relaxed. Here, we show that the problem of deciding the existence of an independent pair of such subgraphs is NP-complete for all non-trivial, rational t. As a special case, we then consider direct tree t-root-spanners. These are tree t-root-spanners where paths from any vertex to the root have to be detour-free. In the edge-independent case, we give a (constructive) linear-time algorithm for deciding the existence of a pair of these for all rational t. The vertex-independent case, however, is shown to be NP-complete

Cultural Policy and Development:What are Creative Industries and Why Do We Care?

This chapter suggests a framework to structure debates on cultural policy, drawing on the discipline of cultural economics. The aim is to inform cultural policymaking, in particular in middle-income countries such as India, which experience relatively rapid socio-economic change. This chapter challenges some common preconceived ideas regarding cultural and creative industries (CCI) and cultural policy, which inhibit constructive engagement with culture. For instance, I argue that we should not get stuck in definitional issues. Second, sophisticated cultural policy is desirable not just because CCI are large, but because of the dual challenge of extensive market failure in CCI and the great potential for problems with government failure in cultural policy. Third, CCI and the luxuries they supply are not negligible in developing countries that experience rapid, general economic growth but also need to cater for a large share of their population with limited access to more essential goods and services, regarding, for instance, health, nutrition, and shelter. To the contrary, in the course of socio-economic development, CCI have an increasing role to play. Fourth, the labour intensity of CCI should not be misinterpreted as a reason for its relative decline in the course of technological change. Fifth, in the case of India, following the example of CCI-related practices and policies in highly developed economies may be misleading. Different intellectual property institutions may be required, and the celebration of individual superstar creators exhibited in many countries may inhibit wide CCI participation in India. The chapter concludes with suggestions for further research on three overarching topics. When does art follow wealth and at what levels of general socio-economic development does it start working the other way around? How can CCI promote upward social mobility? How can policymakers ensure that digitalization promotes the performance of CCI regarding productivity, efficiency, and equity under swiftly changing socio-economic circumstances

O niektórych animizacjach i personifikacjach w twórczości Stefana Żeromskiego

Stefan Żeromski was a writer and a person with very strong ties with nature. He was especially close to the world of fauna and flora, which he knew and observed well. Żeromski largely introduced this outside world into his writings. In his representations, the author made use of different linguistic and stylistic means such as: names and designations, appositional conjunctions, periphrases, hyperboles and other, and primarily metaphors and comparisons including animization and personification. Żeromski made use of animization as a form of an extended metaphor or a comparison, mainly with reference to floral objects, to which he attributed various human characteristics— the appearance and actions, human behaviours and sensual feelings, and even the means of communication with the environment. In the texts of Żeromski, personification—as a more complete form of animization— includes plants, and, from the animal realm, mainly birds, often assuming the form of short stories. The questions presented in the article have been illustrated with extended quotations from the diaries of the writer as well as from various fabular writings of his authorship

Examining the Effects of UV on Latex and Nitrile Glove Degradation

Medical gloves, both nitrile and latex, are used as a protective barrier to limit the spread of disease. Gloves are a single use product and their demand is set to increase by 9 to10 percent each year. In 2008, it was estimated that 100 billion gloves were used globally each year (Scott, 2008). This study is exploratory in nature, to determine if Ultra Violet light (UV) exposure can cause an acceleration in the breakdown of latex and nitrile gloves. It was hypothesized that the tensile strength and length to breakage for both glove types, latex and nitrile, would decrease after exposure to UV. The experiment was set up as a 4x4 latin square, where 1: latex was exposed to UV for 24 hours, 2: nitrile was exposed to UV for 24 hours, 3: a nitrile control where no UV was used and 4: a latex control with no UV exposure. The data show a 40 percent reduction in tensile strength and a 40 percent reduction in length to breakage after a 24-hour UV exposure. The decrease in tensile strength and length to breakage was statistically significant with UV application (

Cultural Policy and Development:What are Creative Industries and Why Do We Care?

This chapter suggests a framework to structure debates on cultural policy, drawing on the discipline of cultural economics. The aim is to inform cultural policymaking, in particular in middle-income countries such as India, which experience relatively rapid socio-economic change. This chapter challenges some common preconceived ideas regarding cultural and creative industries (CCI) and cultural policy, which inhibit constructive engagement with culture. For instance, I argue that we should not get stuck in definitional issues. Second, sophisticated cultural policy is desirable not just because CCI are large, but because of the dual challenge of extensive market failure in CCI and the great potential for problems with government failure in cultural policy. Third, CCI and the luxuries they supply are not negligible in developing countries that experience rapid, general economic growth but also need to cater for a large share of their population with limited access to more essential goods and services, regarding, for instance, health, nutrition, and shelter. To the contrary, in the course of socio-economic development, CCI have an increasing role to play. Fourth, the labour intensity of CCI should not be misinterpreted as a reason for its relative decline in the course of technological change. Fifth, in the case of India, following the example of CCI-related practices and policies in highly developed economies may be misleading. Different intellectual property institutions may be required, and the celebration of individual superstar creators exhibited in many countries may inhibit wide CCI participation in India. The chapter concludes with suggestions for further research on three overarching topics. When does art follow wealth and at what levels of general socio-economic development does it start working the other way around? How can CCI promote upward social mobility? How can policymakers ensure that digitalization promotes the performance of CCI regarding productivity, efficiency, and equity under swiftly changing socio-economic circumstances

Examining the Effects of UV on Latex and Nitrile Glove Degradation

Medical gloves, both nitrile and latex, are used as a protective barrier to limit the spread of disease. Gloves are a single use product and their demand is set to increase by 9 to10 percent each year. In 2008, it was estimated that 100 billion gloves were used globally each year (Scott, 2008). This study is exploratory in nature, to determine if Ultra Violet light (UV) exposure can cause an acceleration in the breakdown of latex and nitrile gloves. It was hypothesized that the tensile strength and length to breakage for both glove types, latex and nitrile, would decrease after exposure to UV. The experiment was set up as a 4x4 latin square, where 1: latex was exposed to UV for 24 hours, 2: nitrile was exposed to UV for 24 hours, 3: a nitrile control where no UV was used and 4: a latex control with no UV exposure. The data show a 40 percent reduction in tensile strength and a 40 percent reduction in length to breakage after a 24-hour UV exposure. The decrease in tensile strength and length to breakage was statistically significant with UV application (