IMPACT OF THE 1998 ICE STORM ON THE EASTERN ONTARIO MAPLE SYRUP INDUSTRY: A CASE STUDY OF NATURAL DISASTER POLICY IN CANADA

Under Canada's Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements (DFAA), the federal government can provide provinces with funds for emergency response and recovery in the event of a natural disaster. This assistance has historically been provided on an ad hoc basis. In recent years, the amount of DFAA assistance has significantly increased without any auditing to determine how effective and efficient these expenditures are in offsetting economic losses due to natural disasters. The goal of this paper is to examine the implications of natural disaster compensation and assistance programs for economic efficiency. A framework is developed to determine if government assistance expenditures have offset economic losses to a specific industry using a case study of the 1998 ice storm and the eastern Ontario maple syrup industry. Projections of damage recovery are used to measure the economic impact of the storm, and a comparison is then drawn between the change in producers' welfare and government assistance. The implications of the findings for the case study and for future natural disaster assistance programs in Canada are discussed.Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Ultrahigh Hot Carrier Transient Photocurrent in Nanocrystal Arrays by Auger Recombination.

In this report, we show that a new mechanism for carrier transport in solution-processed colloidal semiconductor nanocrystal arrays exists at high excitation intensity on ultrafast time scales and allows for facile intrinsic transport between as-prepared nanocrystals over long distances. By combining a high speed photoconductive switch with an ultrafast laser excitation in a sub-40 ps photoconductor, we observed transient photocurrents with peak densities of 3 × 104 - 106 mA/cm2 in self-assembled PbSe nanocrystals capped with long native oleic acid ligands. The ratio between the transient photocurrent peak and the steady-state dark current is 10 orders of magnitude. The transient mobility at the peak current is estimated to range between 0.5-17.5 cm2/(V s) for the various nanocrystal sizes studied, which is 6 to 9 orders of magnitude higher than the dark current steady-state mobility in PbSe, CdSe, and CdTe nanocrystals capped with native ligands. The results are analyzed using a kinetic model which attributes the ultrahigh transient photocurrent to multiple photogenerated excitons undergoing on-particle Auger recombination, followed by rapid tunneling at high energies. This mechanism is demonstrated for a wide range of PbSe nanocrystals sizes (diameters from 2.7 to 7.1 nm) and experimental parameters. Our observations indicate that native ligand-capped nanocrystal arrays are promising for optoelectronics applications wherein multiple carriers are photoinjected to interband states

1998 EASTERN ONTARIO ICE STORM MAPLE PRODUCERS' SURVEY: SUMMARY AND RESULTS

In August, 1999, a telephone survey of maple producers in eastern Ontario was conducted in order to gather information on the changes in their operations since the 1998 ice storm. This paper presents the findings of the survey. The results will be used in a larger study to examine the economic impact of the ice storm on maple producers in this region.Crop Production/Industries, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Food- Producing and Companion Animals and Food Products

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a growing concern in companion and food-producing animals. The presence of multidrug-resistance with a wide range of extracellular enterotoxin genes, virulence factors, and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (pvl) cytotoxin genes confer life-threatening traits on MRSA and makes them highly pathogenic and difficult to treat. Clonal complex 398 (CC398), a predominant clonal lineage of livestock-associated-MRSA in domestic animals and retail meat, is capable of infecting humans. In order to monitor and prevent MRSA contamination, it is critical to understand its source and transmission dynamics. In this review, we describe MRSA in food-producing animals (pig, cattle, chicken), horses, pet animals (dogs, cats), and food products (pork, beef, chicken, milk, and fish)

Fusion Table : new ways to collaborate on structured data

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2010.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 55).Fusion Tables allows data collaborators to create, merge, navigate and set access control permissions on structured data. This thesis focuses on the collaboration tools that were added to Googles Fusion Tables. The collaboration tools provided additional functionality: first, the ability to view, sort and filter all the threaded discussions on the different granularities of the data set; second, the ability to take Snaps, dynamic state bookmarking that allows collaborators to save queries and visualizations and share them with other users. In addition, this thesis initiates a discussion about data collaboration on different platforms outside the Data Management System (DMS), and the implementation of the Fusion Table - Google Wave gadget that provides this functionality. To evaluate these added features, we conducted a user survey based on three sources: Google Analytics, field study of experienced Fusion Tables users, and a user study to evaluate the UI and the collaboration tools. The results showed that approximately 40% of the visitors to the site use the collaboration features . Based on the user study, it appears that UI improvements can increase exposure to these features, and some additional functionality can be added to improve the collaboration features and provide a better collaboration system.by Jonathan Goldberg Kidon.M.Eng

Pulmonary function correlates with arterial stiffness in asthmatic patients

SummaryBackgroundAt the population level, asthma has been associated with chronic systemic inflammation as well as adverse cardiovascular outcomes.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate peripheral vascular hemodynamic variables of arterial stiffness (AS) and their relationship to pulmonary function tests in asthmatic patients.MethodsYoung asthmatic patients from the tertiary center for pulmonary diseases at the Barzilai Medical Center underwent pulmonary function evaluation and non-invasive radial artery hemodynamic profiling, pre- and post-exercise. Results were compared to age matched, non-asthmatic controls.Results23 young asthmatics and 41 controls, completed all evaluation points. Pulmonary flow parameters were significantly reduced in the asthma group at all points. There were no differences between groups in BMI, blood pressure, pulse rate or measurements of AS at baseline or after bronchodilation. The % predicted forced expiratory volume in the first second at baseline (FEV1%) in asthmatics was positively correlated with the small arteries elasticity index (SAEI) and negatively correlated with the systemic vascular resistance (SVR) in these patients. These correlations were not observed in non-asthmatic controls. In multifactorial regression FEV1 remained the major factor associated with measurements of AS in asthmatic patients, while gender was the only significant factor in non-asthmatic controls.ConclusionsSignificant correlations between measurements of AS and FEV1 in young asthmatics, suggest the presence of a common systemic, most likely inflammatory pathway involving both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems

Загальна характеристика системи підготовки спортсменок, які займаються естетичною гімнастикою (за результатами анкетування)

This article provides a general system of training athletes who are engaged in aesthetic gymnastics. The study was conducted by surveying the coaching staff on aesthetic gymnastics. In accordance with the results determined by the level of professional education of coaches, terms of the organization of the training process , especially planning and technical gymnasts on the stage of the specialized basic training. The problems, which highlights the coaching staff, first of all: it is the lack of textbooks, training of gymnasts at the bases of Youth, specialized training in aesthetic gymnastics at the University databases and imperfect system of judging.Представлена общая система подготовки спортсменок, занимающихся эстетической гимнастикой. Исследование проводилось методом анкетирования тренерского состава по эстетической гимнастике. Определен уровень профессионального образования тренерского состава, условий организации учебно-тренировочного процесса, установлены особенности планирования и формирования технического мастерства гимнасток на этапе специализированной базовой подготовки. Обозначены проблемы, которые выделяет тренерский состав: это отсутствие учебной литературы, системы подготовки гимнасток на базах ДЮСШ, специализированной подготовки специалистов по эстетической гимнастике на базах высших учебных заведений и несовершенная система судейства.Представлена загальна система підготовки спортсменок, які займаються естетичною гімнастикою. Дослідження проводилось методом анкетування тренерського складу з естетичної гімнастики. Відповідно до результатів встановлено рівень професійної освіти тренерського складу, умови організацій навчально-тренувального процесу, особливості планування та формування технічної майстерності гімнасток на етапі спеціалізованої базової підготовки. Встановлено проблеми, що визначені тренерським складом, це відсутність: навчальної літератури, системи підготовки гімнасток на базах ДЮСШ, спеціалізованої підготовки спеціалістів з естетичної гімнастики на базах вищих навчальних закладів та недосконала система суддівства

ІНКЛЮЗИВНА ОСВІТА В ПОЛЬСЬКІЙ СИСТЕМІ ОСВІТИ – АНАЛІЗ І РОЗДУМИ

The aim of this article is to show an important issue of inclusive education of pupils with special educational needs from the perspective of many years of experience and analyzed research results. The undertaken subject is still controversial and quite popular in educational theory and practice. It is a part of the interdisciplinary discourse about essential aspects of education. The authors of the article attempted to describe inclusive education with an emphasis on selected areas such as the attitude of adults, including teachers, toward disability, preparing teachers and schools to the work with students with disabilities and learning outcomes of such students. An analysis and results of selected Polish research studies is presented substantiating the need for change in this subject area.В этой статье анализируется важная проблема инклюзивного образования учеников с особенными образовательными потребностями, учитывая многолетний опыт работы и результаты испытаний. Этот вопрос, довольно популярный в теории и практике образования, все еще остается спорным и является частью междисциплинарного дискурса, касающегося основоположных аспектов образования, акцентируя на отдельных его компонентах – таких как отношение учителя к инвалидности, подготовка педагогов и школ к работе с учениками, имеющими ограниченные возможности, и результаты такого обучения. Представлен анализ результатов отдельных исследований польских ученых, обосновывающий необходимость изменений в этой сфере.У цій статті відстежено важливу проблему інклюзивної освіти учнів з особливими освітніми потребами з точки зору багатьох років досвіду, аналіз результатів випробувань. Ця проблема, хоча досить популярна в освітній теорії та практиці, залишається спірною, є частиною міждисциплінарного дискурсу про корінні аспекти освіти. Автори статті спробували описати інклюзивну освіту з акцентом на окремих областях, таких як ставлення вчителя до інвалідності, підготовка вчителів і шкіл до роботи з учнями з обмеженими можливостями і результати такого навчання. Представлено аналіз результатів окремих досліджень польських науковців, що обґрунтовує необхідність змін у цій предметній області