Real characters in blocks

We consider real versions of Brauer's k(B) conjecture, Olsson's conjecture and Eaton's conjecture. We prove the real version of Eaton's conjecture for 2-blocks of groups with cyclic defect group and for the principal 2-blocks of groups with trivial real core. We also characterize G-classes, real and rational G-classes of the defect group of a block B

Isotope dependence of the H-mode pedestal in JET-ILW plasmas

In tokamak H-mode plasmas, the level of energy and particle transport at the plasma edge is reduced and a steep pressure gradient is formed, giving rise to an edge pressure "pedestal", which positively affects the global energy confinement. A positive isotope mass scaling of the thermal energy confinement time in H-mode plasmas has been observed in several tokamaks, however, this favourable isotope dependence has not yet been fully understood theoretically. This thesis examines the pedestal structure, edge transport, linear MHD stability and inter-ELM edge current evolution in a series of JET-ILW Hydrogen (H) and Deuterium (D) type I ELMy H-mode plasmas with the aim to better understand the isotope dependence of the pedestal and its contribution to the favourable isotope scaling. Simulations of the inter-ELM edge current evolution showed that current diffusion contributes little to the time evolution of the total edge current prior to the ELM crash. Therefore, current diffusion does not explain why JET-ILW type I ELMy pedestals at high gas rate and moderate to high plasma beta are found to be stable to Peeling-Ballooning modes. The pedestal pressure is typically higher in D than in H at the same input power and gas rate, with the difference mainly due to lower density in H than in D. Analysis of the pedestal structure and power balance, and results of interpretative 2D edge transport simulations with EDGE2D-EIRENE indicate that the difference in neutral penetration between H and D leads only to minor changes in the pedestal density and temperature profiles, and differences in heat and particle transport must also play a role in the favourable isotope scaling of the pedestal. The effect of the isotope mass on linear MHD pedestal stability is small, but an indirect isotope dependence through the separatrix temperature is qualitatively consistent with the reduced pedestal confinement in H and could play a role in JET-ILW H-mode plasmas at low gas rate

Opportunities in partial whole cluster fermentation on Shiraz (Vitis vinifera L.Syrah) from the Great Southern Wine Region, WA, Australia. Professional Internship Report

Vinifera Euromaster European Master in Viticulture and Oenology - Instituto Superior de Agronomia / EMAVEWhole cluster fermentation as an ancient winemaking technique seems to be a newly discovered fashionable way to elaborate elegant, complex Shiraz wines in Australia Our experimental study conducted at Rockcliffe Winery during the 2018 vintage with Australian Shiraz from the Great Southern Wine Region (WA) in order to evaluate the impact of high level ( 1/3 and 1/2) whole cluster incorporation on the wines fermentation kinetics, chemical composition, and organoleptic properties at pre malolactic stage. The results were compared with Shiraz wines obtained by conventional winemaking techniques under the same experimental conditions Regarding fermentation kinetics, minor differences were detectable between the samples, however, the whole berry component resulted a sluggish phase at the end of the fermentation. Presumably the introduced stems, absorption properties were responsible for the lower values in Color Intensity, Total Pigments, Polymerized Pigments, Total Anthocyanins, and Colorized Anthocyanins. However, the differences were negligible in Total Phenol concentration. .The highest proanthocyanidin levels were obtained in the red wines elaborated with grape stems, especially in the modality with the highest stem percentage. The tasters rewarded the aromatic and flavor complexity, related to the contribution of the whole clusters and supposedly to the longer maceration time applied on the whole cluster incorporated ferments. The intact whole berry effect was less pronounced on the wines organoleptic properties than the impact of the stem originated phenolic compounds. The green/herbaceous attributes were observed and described by the tasters with terms like stalkiness and capsicum The whole-cluster incorporation and longer maceration time clearly impacted and modified positively the wine sensory and chemical properties, compared to the hand harvested, destemmed-crushed and the machine harvested destemmed-crushed samples. The application, the potential integration into the Rockcliffe Winery’s industrial-scale Shiraz winemaking technology requires further researchN/

Role model effects on women's political engagement: Observational and experimental approaches to measurement & two studies on mediation

Contributing to a growing debate about `symbolic' or non-policy effects of gender-balanced legislatures, my thesis sets out to tackle issues of (a) measurement, combining experimental and observational evidence of the effect of female politicians as role models on women's political engagement; and (b) mediation, considering the underlying mechanisms convincing on the individual-level of voter psychology, explaining why role models are powerful in engaging fellow women in the electorate. Firstly, I triangulate results from an eye-tracking experiment investigating attentional bias to gender balance in manipulated picture stimuli of political groups; an online experiment investigating measures of psychological engagement with politics as a function of gender balance in the same picture stimuli; and British Election Study panel data investigating campaign effects on psychological engagement with politics as a function of the gender balance among candidates running in the 2010 and 2015 UK parliamentary constituencies. My results suggest two general types of role model effects: one of `tokenism' where women's striking minority presence impacts political attention and the probability of learning about politics, and one of `linear' effects where a gradual increase in women's presence in political groups towards parity translates into a gradual increase in political self-efficacy and confidence about political knowledge. Secondly, I develop and test hypotheses about mediation in terms of implicit mechanisms not requiring that citizens consider the policy output of their representatives, drawing heavily on the stereotype threat literature especially on the role of affect. Using a more classical, regression-based approach to mediation analysis, along with a novel crossover experiment or `design-based' mediation analysis, I present preliminary evidence that, following exposure to role models, women experienced fewer self-evaluative threats as evidenced by anxiety, explaining effects on self-efficacy in politics. I present an additional study scrutinising affect, and show that the action-oriented anger may result in approach of the source of threat, reversing stereotype threat effects under `men-only' politics. Thirdly, I develop and test hypotheses about mediation in terms of instrumental mechanisms that do require expectations or associations about policy output. Through similar approaches to mediation analysis, I show that though women expect better policy across two domains with more female politicians on board, greater competency attributed to elites is, if anything, negatively related to self-efficacy in politics. In a full-experimental study, I find no evidence that women's greater self-efficacy is due to expectations about women-friendly policy pursued by role models

Establishment of the Space Engineering Program in Hungary

The Hungarian space age started in 1946 with the successful Lunar Radar experiment by Zoltán Bay. In the past 75 years, the Hungarian space sector evolved and grew dramatically, achieving international recognition in space communications, material science, picosatellites, dosimetry, and many more domains. However, there was no space engineering related higher education program in the country. After hosting the 2nd Symposium on Space Educational Activities in 2018 in Budapest, there was an emerging need for starting a space program for engineering students. A summer workshop organized by the Hungarian Astronautical Society in 2018 fostered further the process, and the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) officially initialized the establishment of the space engineering master curriculum in 2019. By the end of 2020, the relevant ministry approved the national space engineering master curriculum. This means that every Hungarian university, which has the necessary competences, can start a space engineering program for their students. In early 2021, the BME Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics at BME requested approval for its space engineering master program. In October 2021, the relevant body approved the program, allowing the first class of space engineering students to arrive to the university in September 2022. The Hungarian space engineering master curriculum is a 2-year-long master program for 120 credits (in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, ECTS). The master's program at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics has 26 subjects and a 4-week-long industrial training. We outline the establishment process of the national space engineering curriculum and introduce the curriculum of BM

Effective Privacy Amplification for Secure Classical Communications

We study the practical effectiveness of privacy amplification for classical key-distribution schemes. We find that in contrast to quantum key distribution schemes, the high fidelity of the raw key generated in classical systems allow the users to always sift a secure shorter key if they have an upper bound on the eavesdropper probability to correctly guess the exchanged key-bits. The number of privacy amplification iterations needed to achieve information leak of 10^-8 in existing classical communicators is 2 or 3 resulting in a corresponding slowdown 4 to 8. We analyze the inherent tradeoff between the number of iterations and the security of the raw key. This property which is unique to classical key distribution systems render them highly useful for practical, especially for noisy channels where sufficiently low quantum bit error ratios are difficult to achieve.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

New extractive configuration separating azeotropic mixture in semi-batch way

A new variant of batch extractive distillation, the so-called inverse-fed batch extractive distillation is presented. The total amount of the entrainer is pre-loaded to the boiler, and the mixture charge to be separated is continuously fed to the column in this novel configuration. The feasibility study of conventional extractive distillation was extended and a thorough study was performed to separate a maximum boiling azeotrope with intermediate boiling entrainer. The new configuration was found more efficient than the conventional one. The results of the feasibility study was validated and completed with a sensitivity analysis performed with commercial simulator software

Brexit was not the voice of the working class nor of the uneducated - it was of the squeezed middle

Lorenza Antonucci, Laszlo Horvath, and André Krouwel challenge the popular view of Leave voters as those left behind educationally and financially. They explain why it is individuals from an intermediate class, whose financial position has been declining, that represent an important section of the Brexit vote

On Design of Profiled Sheets with Varying Cross Sections

A short review is given on the effective width concept and about its use for determining of the moment capacity of sheets. A modified method, taking into account the varying flexural rigidity along the spans, is described and illustrated on examples carried out on first -generation panels