The labor supply effect of in-kind transfers

We estimate a model of labor supply and participation in multiple programs for UK lone mothers which exploits a reform of in-work transfers. Cash entitlements increased but eligibility to in-kind child nutrition programs was lost. We find that in-work cash and in-work in-kind transfers both have large positive labor supply effects. There is, however, a utility loss from program participation which is estimated to be larger for cash than for child nutrition. This implies that the partial cash out of the in-kind benefits reduced labor supply.

Housing Subsidies and Work Incentives in Great Britain.

The relationship between housing costs, wages and transfer programmes is complex and yet plays an important part in determining the incentive to work for individuals in low income or high housing cost households. While it is true that many individuals who are in these categories are out of the labour force (retired, sick and disabled), there are many who are not and whose incentive to seek work, or to work harder if already in work, could be modified by directly changing the rent levels they face or indirectly via changes to the structure of programmes designed to subsidize housing for the poor. Here we estimate a static discrete choice labour supply model which allows for housing benefit programme participation. We use samples of 42491 married women and 13340 unmarried women drawn from Great Britain Family Resources Surveys 1994/5-97/8. We find that women are quite responsive to labour supply incentives, housing benefit income has similar incentive effects to earned income which suggests any "stigma" is small. Our analysis is complemented by simulating housing benefit and direct rent subsidy reforms.LABOUR ; HOUSING ; COSTS

Workshop on Magmatic Processes of Early Planetary Crusts: Magma Oceans and Stratiform Layered Intrusions

The significance of the lunar highland pristine cumulate samples were reevaluated with the aid of the additional insights provided by geologically constrained terrestrial investigations. This exercise involved a review of the state of knowledge about terrestrial and lunar cumulate rocks as well as an enumeration and reevaluation of the processes hypothesized to have been responsible for their formation, both classically and at present

Peer assessment of research: how many publications per staff?

The UK's higher education funding councils have proposed reducing the number of submitted outputs from four to three in the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework to reduce the burden on panel members. This reduction is considered to be sufficient for panels to form a robust view of the achievements of individuals and their departments. The key issue is whether the subject panels would have sufficient information to judge the quality of research at departmental level with details of only three outputs per staff. Two journal quality indicators are used in this note to test the assumption that three publications is likely to be as useful to the panels as four to measure research quality in three cognate units of assessment (business & management, economics & econometrics and accounting & finance). In fact, the results indicate that two publications would be sufficient, thereby providing more time for a careful assessment of submitted outputs

The case for a cold dark matter cusp in Draco

We use a new mass modelling method, GravSphere, to measure the central dark matter density profile of the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Draco's star formation shut down long ago, making it a prime candidate for hosting a 'pristine' dark matter cusp, unaffected by stellar feedback during galaxy formation. We first test GravSphere on a suite of tidally stripped mock 'Draco'-like dwarfs. We show that we are able to correctly infer the dark matter density profile of both cusped and cored mocks within our 95% confidence intervals. While we obtain only a weak inference on the logarithmic slope of these density profiles, we are able to obtain a robust inference of the amplitude of the inner dark matter density at 150pc, $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,{\rm pc})$. We show that, combined with constraints on the density profile at larger radii, this is sufficient to distinguish a $\Lambda$ Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) cusp $-$ that has $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,{\rm pc}) > 1.8 \times 10^8\,{\rm M}_\odot \,{\rm kpc}^{-3}$ $-$ from alternative dark matter models that have lower inner densities. We then apply GravSphere to the real Draco data. We find that Draco has an inner dark matter density of $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,{\rm pc}) = 2.4_{-0.6}^{+0.5} \times 10^8\,{\rm M}_\odot \,{\rm kpc}^{-3}$, consistent with a $\Lambda$CDM cusp. Using a velocity independent SIDM model, calibrated on $\Lambda$SIDM cosmological simulations, we show that Draco's high central density gives an upper bound on the SIDM cross section of $\sigma/m < 0.57\,{\rm cm}^2\,{\rm g}^{-1}$ at 99% confidence. We conclude that the inner density of nearby dwarf galaxies like Draco provides a new and competitive probe of dark matter models.Comment: 19 pages, 11 Figures. Final version accepted for publication in MNRA

Dark matter heats up in dwarf galaxies

Gravitational potential fluctuations driven by bursty star formation can kinematically 'heat up' dark matter at the centres of dwarf galaxies. A key prediction of such models is that, at a fixed dark matter halo mass, dwarfs with a higher stellar mass will have a lower central dark matter density. We use stellar kinematics and HI gas rotation curves to infer the inner dark matter densities of eight dwarf spheroidal and eight dwarf irregular galaxies with a wide range of star formation histories. For all galaxies, we estimate the dark matter density at a common radius of 150pc, $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,\mathrm{pc})$. We find that our sample of dwarfs falls into two distinct classes. Those that stopped forming stars over 6Gyrs ago favour central densities $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,\mathrm{pc})>10^8\,{\rm M}_\odot\,{\rm kpc}^{-3}$, consistent with cold dark matter cusps, while those with more extended star formation favour $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,\mathrm{pc})<10^8\,{\rm M}_{\odot}\,{\rm kpc}^{-3}$, consistent with shallower dark matter cores. Using abundance matching to infer pre-infall halo masses, $M_{200}$, we show that this dichotomy is in excellent agreement with models in which dark matter is heated up by bursty star formation. In particular, we find that $\rho_{\rm DM}(150\,\mathrm{pc})$ steadily decreases with increasing stellar mass-to-halo mass ratio, $M_*/M_{200}$. Our results suggest that, to leading order, dark matter is a cold, collisionless, fluid that can be kinematically 'heated up' and moved around.Comment: 22 pages, 10 Figures. Final version accepted for publication in MNRA

Pathways to apprenticeships and traineeships for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Western Australia is experiencing a substantial shortage of skilled labour. The State Government is committed to increasing participation in the workforce across the board, through schemes such as the Plans 4 Jobs, especially because of the current severe skills shortage in the economy. The State Government is also committed, through the four principles of civic values, fairness, equality, and participation enshrined in the WA Charter of Multiculturalism, to promoting the full participation of all groups in all aspects of our community – social, economic, and civil – and to removing any systemic barriers to full participation. This commitment is also embodied in the multi‐departmental Policy Framework for Substantive Equality. Aside from equity, denying equal opportunity also engenders resentment and hostility within our community, diminishes human value, and denies the state the full benefits of all its members’ talents. The cost of discrimination accrues to those who are denied opportunity and to the society which tolerates discrimination. Members of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) communities in this state, in particular those from new and emerging communities, do not currently participate in apprenticeships and traineeships in significant numbers; this is regrettable and it is recommended that measures be taken to remedy this. The Western Australian Department of Education and Training (DET) commissioned this report to investigate barriers to apprenticeships and traineeships confronting people from CaLD backgrounds, and to recommend strategies to improve their participation in apprenticeships and traineeships. The project was undertaken by the Australian Academy of Race Relations (AARR) at Murdoch University, for DET, during the period July – November 2005. DET has many good programmes to promote apprenticeships and traineeships, including to members of CaLD communities. However, the array and complexity of these can be daunting, resulting in a lack of awareness of all the programmes available

The benthic litter habitat with its sediments load in the inundation forest of the Central Amazonian blackwater river Tarumã Mirím

Submerged leaf litter is the principal habitat of the aquatic fauna in nutrient-poor, acid streams and rivers of Central Amazonia and their inundation forests. To estimate the magnitude of this habitat, the number of leaves per area and their mean size and dry weight were determined at various sampling stations in the different flooded forests along the Tarumã Mirím River and its headwater streams. Samples were collected from the inregularly inundated stream valley bottoms (baixios) of the headwater streams through the igapó, which is subject to annual immersion and emersion phases. On these occasions, I noted a heavy load of sediments which covered the leaf litter after the water had receded. The sediment quantity per unit area in this habitat increased with the duration of the inundation phase and reached several tons per hectare annually in the igapó (inundation forest). These deposits include three major components: sand, clay and organic particles (fine detritus). The possible origin of these components is briefly considered: There are demonstrable reasons why these substantial sediment quantities have hitherto escaped observation

Steam bottoming cycle for an adiabatic diesel engine

Steam bottoming cycles using adiabatic diesel engine exhaust heat which projected substantial performance and economic benefits for long haul trucks were studied. Steam cycle and system component variables, system cost, size and performance were analyzed. An 811 K/6.90 MPa state of the art reciprocating expander steam system with a monotube boiler and radiator core condenser was selected for preliminary design. The costs of the diesel with bottoming system (TC/B) and a NASA specified turbocompound adiabatic diesel with aftercooling with the same total output were compared, the annual fuel savings less the added maintenance cost was determined to cover the increase initial cost of the TC/B system in a payback period of 2.3 years. Steam bottoming system freeze protection strategies were developed, technological advances required for improved system reliability are considered and the cost and performance of advanced systes are evaluated