Flight Risk or Danger to the Community? Rodriguez and the Protection of Civil Liberties in the U.S. Immigration System

Upon arrival to the United States, foreign nationals are required to prove beyond a doubt that they comply with the various requirements for admission into the country. For those who fail to meet this standard, there are only two options: accept immediate removal to their country of origin, or fight removal. For many who contest their deportation, their fate is civil incarceration until their case is adjudicated, which can take several years. The case of Jennings v. Rodriguez addresses the constitutionality of prolonged civil incarceration without the access of mandatory, periodic bond hearings for these individuals

A new record for Iran of Dolichogenidea appellator (Hym.: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), a larval endoparasitoid of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (Lep.: Plutellidae)

Observational notes and photographs taken in the course of rearing Euceros albitarsus Curtis and E. pruinosus (Gravenhorst) in captivity from the egg stage are given. The bizarre biology of these obligate hyperparasitoids involves a planidial larval stage that attaches to caterpillars or sawfly larvae, followed by a short phase of internal parasitism of a primary parasitoid if already or subsequently present, followed in turn by the principle growth period of external parasitism on the primary parasitoid, as shown by Tripp (1961). Observations on aspects of this that were not illustrated by Tripp are given and, although these transitions are not fully elucidated here, it is speculated that the number of larval instars had hitherto been overestimated. Investigations on the behaviour and fate of the planidial phase suggest that it is best able to transfer to primary parasitoids that are associated with the prepupal state of the lepidopteran host. Planidia on caterpillars that are not themselves parasitised end up in the host pupa, usually occupying the subalar cavity of the exuvial space (that is, just below the pupal cuticle at the wing cases), but do not develop further in the absence of a primary parasitoid. A summary of some aspects of the biology of Euceros that are not yet understood is given: the main uncertainties are the number and feeding positions of larval instars, the timing and nature of the planidium’s transfer to the primary parasitoid, and the func-­ tion of the unusual male antenn

Iran and Energy Cooperation in the South Caucasus: Prospects for the Post-Sanctions Era

The collapse of the Soviet Union and its replacement by independent republics had a significant effect on the geopolitics of Iran, especially on its northern borders. Within these new geopolitics, Iran functions as a land bridge connecting the two major energy-producing regions of the world, i.e., the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. This new situation has had a profound impact on Iran's security and foreign policy, as have the Iran nuclear deal and the lifting of related international sanctions on Iran, which - for years - had obstructed the expansion of international economic relations and energy cooperation between Iran and the Caucasus. Thus, it can be argued that the prospect of cooperation between Iran and the South Caucasian countries will change in the post-sanctions era, especially regarding investment expansion policies and the joining of potential regional pipelines for the purpose of supplying energy resources

Optimization Models for Biorefinery Supply Chain Network Design under Uncertainty

Biofuels are attracting increasing attention worldwide due to its environmental and economic benefits. The high levels of uncertainty in feedstock yield, market prices, production costs, and many other parameters are among the major challenges in this industry. This challenge has created an ongoing interest on studies considering different aspects of uncertainty in investment decisions of the biofuel industry. The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) sets policies and mandates to support the production and consumption of biofuels. However, the uncertainty associated with these policies and regulations of biofuel production and consumption have significant impacts on the biofuel supply chain network. The goal of this research is first to determine the optimal design of supply chain for biofuel refineries in order to maximize the annual profit considering uncertainties in fuel market price, feedstock yield and logistic costs. In order to deal with the stochastic nature of the parameters in the biofuel supply chain, we develop two-stage stochastic programming models in which Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) is utilized as a risk measure to control the amount of shortage in demand zones. Two different approaches including the expected value and CVaR of the profit are considered as the objective function. This study also aims to investigate the impacts of the governmental policies and mandates on the total profit in the biofuel supply chain design problem. To achieve this goal, the two-stage stochastic programming models are developed in which conditional value at risk is considered as a risk measure to control the shortage of mandate. We apply these models for a case study of the biomass supply chain network in the state of Iowa to demonstrate the applicability and efficiency of the presented models, and assess the results

Towards an electric bike level of service

The fast-growing market of electric bikes (e-bikes) has introduced a paradigm shift in mobility with a promise to enhance the sustainability agenda. An in-depth understanding of transport quality of service (QOS) from the e-bike rider’s perspective is a promising approach to sustain the role of the e-bike in mobility. Level of service (LOS) is a method by which to quantify QOS for different transport modes. However, to date, the knowledge on e-bike LOS (ELOS) lags far behind that on other transport modes. Therefore, the central aim of this thesis is to provide fundamental knowledge related to the development of ELOS. To address the main aim of the thesis, the travel behaviour and riding characteristics associated with e-bikes were scrutinised. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to provide knowledge on the travel behaviour (strategical level) and riding characteristics (tactical level) related to e-bikes. From a strategic perspective, an extensive review of the literature was conducted to explore which transport mode LOS is applicable for developing ELOS. Based on the findings from the state of the art and the reviewed literature, bike LOS (BLOS) was deemed substantial for the development of ELOS. Thus, to move towards the development of ELOS, a set of studies was conducted to understand the comfort concerns of e-bike riders via the literature review, interviews and a field experiment. Based on the reviewed literature, it appears evident that research related to the travel behaviour of e-bike users is sparse and that the scale of e-bike substitution for other modes of transport is unclear. The findings of the aforementioned study led to the proposition of a preliminary theoretical framework for the development of ELOS and served as a roadmap for conducting the studies that followed. To provide a deeper understanding of the travel behaviour related to e-bikes, a qualitative study was conducted to explore e-bike users’ (riders) and nonusers’ comfort concerns. This study was extended to include the comfort and health concerns of e-bike users and nonusers in the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic situation. The findings of this study provided a set of e-bike riding comfort variables, such as infrastructure facilities and e-bike performance in both pre- and peri-pandemic situations. This study also documented the potential effect of e-bike substitution for other transport modes such as public transport and cars. From a tactical level of analysis, there was a lack of studies to facilitate understanding the riding characteristics associated with e-bikes, specifically where vulnerable road users are involved. To address this knowledge gap, the interaction between e-bike users and pedestrians was studied in an off-road facility experiment. The study was designed to evaluate whether the traffic characteristics of passing (same-direction) and meeting (opposite-direction) encounters impose different difficulties for the navigation of the e-bike rider in pedestrian crowds. The results suggested that passing events cause the e-bike rider more hindrance compared to meeting events. This study was further extended to investigate the sociodemographic characteristics of e-bike riders along with their characteristics of riding in traffic and eventually model e-bike riders’ comfort in pedestrian crowds. In sum, this thesis addresses the knowledge gaps related to e-bike comfort concerns based on different study setups, which can be used substantially for developing ELOS. Along with exploring e-bike riders’ comfort concerns, the thesis puts forward information related to e-bike nonusers in both pre- and peri-pandemic situations. The findings of the thesis are applicable for planners and policy-makers when integrating the role of e-bikes in mobility policies. At a general level, the findings of the studies presented in this thesis pave the way for developing future ELOS and highlight the dire need to develop the concept of ELOS based on different contexts. All in all, the thesis opens new avenues into the field of e-bike comfort modelling by rendering the importance of the subject as an independent mode of transport

Improving the oxidation resistance of diboride-based ceramics

Oxidation behavior has restricted the development of ZrB₂-based ceramics for aerospace and hypersonic flight vehicles applications. The research presented in this dissertation focuses on the effect of transition metal (TM) additives on oxidation behavior of ZrB₂ ceramics. In the first stage of the research, the effect of Nb additions on the morphology of the oxide particles and stability of the protective B₂O₃ glassy layer, which formed on the top surface during oxidation, was investigated. Addition of Nb increased the thickness of the glassy layer and, as a result, improved the oxidation resistance of ZrB₂ after oxidation at 1500⁰C. Next, the oxidation behavior of nominally pure ZrB₂ and (Zr,W)B₂ after oxidation at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1600⁰C was studied. Two oxidation stages before and after significant evaporation of B₂O₃ at about 1100⁰C were recognized for nominally pure ZrB₂. Higher stability for the WO₃-B₂O₃ glassy layer compared to pure B₂O₃ resulted in a shift in the onset of the second oxidation regime toward higher temperatures for (Zr,W)₂ specimens and resulted in higher oxidation resistance for (Zr,W)B₂ compared to nominally pure ZrB₂. In the third stage of the research, the effects of TM-oxides such as WO₃, Nb₂O₅, or ZrO₂ on weight loss and structure of B₂O₃ glasses was studied. Thermogravimetric analysis performed on (TM-oxide)-B₂O₃ glasses indicated that TM-oxide additions reduced the evaporation of B₂O₃. Since no change in the structure of the glasses was detected, it was concluded that the increased stability of (TM-oxide)-B₂O₃ glasses compared to pure B₂O₃ was due to the lower activity of B₂O₃ in (TM-oxide)-B₂O₃glasses. Finally, comparison of the effects of W, Mo, or Nb on oxidation behavior of ZrB₂ at 1600⁰ showed that Mo and Nb were the most effective additives for improving the oxidation resistance of ZrB₂ --Abstract, page iv